Pimsleur vs Babbel: Which Helped Me Speak Spanish Better?

1. Do you want to learn phrases you’ll actually use in real life, not just “the horse drinks water”?

Pimsleur

Pimsleur will definitely teach you useful, real-life Spanish phrases (personally I do find them a bit formal). You’ll sound polite and clear, which is great when you’re just starting out or talking to strangers. From the beginning, you’re speaking in full sentences out loud, so you get used to actually saying things instead of just memorizing words. The lessons are practical—greetings, directions, restaurants, travel—and they stay relevant even as you move up in level. It’s very speak-focused, and it helped me a lot.

Babbel

Babbel also teaches you real-life phrases, but the tone is more relaxed—more like how people actually speak day to day (I prefer these phrases). The lessons are interactive in a way that makes you apply what you’ve just learned. You’ll often be given a short dialogue, and then asked to complete the missing phrases. So instead of just memorizing words, you’re using them right away in context. It’s a simple setup, but it helps things stick. You’ll go through everyday topics like routines, plans, work, food, or past experiences—the kind of stuff you’d naturally end up talking about.

Winner: It´s a tie between Pimsleur and Babbel. I personally prefer Babbel because I wanted to sound more casual—but that’s just me.

2. Do you want to actually remember what you learned a week, a month, or a year from now?

Pimsleur

Pimsleur doesn’t use a typical SRS. Instead, it relies on something called Graduated Interval Recall (GIR), which means key phrases show up again across different lessons at planned intervals. It’s designed to help move what you’ve learned from short-term to long-term memory—but for me, it hasn’t really done the trick. I made sure to stay focused whenever I use the app—I followed along closely, and I even went over what I just learned—but somehow, it did not work for me. Maybe it’s just how my brain works, but I feel like I need a more active review system to really make things stick.

Babbel

Babbel has a built-in review feature that uses SRS. After each lesson, everything you’ve learned goes into a Review Section, and the app brings it back at spaced intervals. You can choose how you want to review—flashcards, typing, listening, or even speaking—which means you can focus on the skill you want to improve: writing, listening, reading, or speaking. I like that I can jump into a quick review session without having to redo an entire lesson. That small daily habit of reviewing really helped me hold on to what I’ve already learned.

Winner: Babbel

3. Do you want a bit of grammar support, just enough to help you pick up language patterns?

Pimsleur

Pimsleur doesn’t really explain grammar rules, and that’s intentional. It’s designed to teach you the way we learn our first language—by listening and repeating until the patterns start to make sense. You’ll hear the same phrases in different forms, and in theory, you’re supposed to start recognizing how the language works. For example, you might begin to notice how verbs change or how certain words go together.

But for me, that wasn’t always easy. Without any grammar explanation, I sometimes felt like I was just memorizing phrases without really understanding why they were said that way. Sure, some sentences were easy to figure out because they can be translated cleanly into English. But Spanish also has ways of expressing things that don’t make much sense if you try to translate them literally. In those moments, I really wished the app gave even just a quick grammar tip to help me connect the dots.

Babbel

Throughout each Babbel lesson, you get short grammar tips and examples that explain what’s happening in a sentence. There’s also a dedicated grammar drill section where you can focus on specific grammar rules—helpful for areas you’re struggling with or just want to reinforce.

My only issue with Babbel’s grammar support is that it stays pretty basic. That’s actually a good thing if you’re just starting out—it gives you a solid foundation and helps you understand how Spanish works without getting overwhelmed. But as you move into more advanced topics, you’d definitely need to look for other resources to go deeper.

Winner: Babbel—though I think it could still do better.

4. Do you want to actually practice speaking, not just tap through lessons and move on?

Pimsleur

Pimsleur’s method is heavily audio-based, so most of the time you’re listening and then repeating what you hear. This setup intends to get you speaking full phrases out loud, especially phrases that are useful when you’re just starting to learn a new language. It’s basically guided speaking practice every time you use the app. You listen to native speakers, repeat what they say, and later on, you’re asked to say things on your own without any prompt. It really pushes you to think in Spanish and respond quickly. The downside? There’s no speech recognition or feedback, so you don’t know if you’re saying things exactly right—but at least you’re actually speaking.

Babbel

Babbel almost works the same way as Pimsleur when it comes to speaking practice. During the lessons, you’re given a phrase or sentence and asked to repeat it out loud. The difference is that Babbel uses speech recognition to check your pronunciation. It’s not perfect—sometimes it marks me wrong even when (I think) I sound okay—but for the most part, it works fine and gives me a sense of how close I´m getting.

Babbel also has two extra features for speaking practice: AI Conversation Partner and Guided Conversations. 

• The AI Conversation Partner gives you a scenario along with a small task—like “use an adverb of frequency during the conversation.” Now you’re expected to actually converse—not just repeat or choose answers. You speak freely while keeping the task in mind, and the AI listens and replies based on what you say. It feels more like a real back-and-forth—way more natural and less rigid than the usual scripted practice.
  
• The Guided Conversations are more structured. You go through a preset dialogue for a real-life situation, like ordering food or making plans, and respond by speaking from suggested phrases. It’s a good way to practice conversations with support, especially if you’re not ready to freestyle yet.

Winner: Babbel

5. Do you want a clear learning path that shows real progress, not just random lessons with no direction?

Pimsleur

Pimsleur has a very straightforward path. You start at Lesson 1 and work your way up, one lesson at a time. It has five levels, but those levels don’t clearly line up with CEFR (A1, A2, B1, etc.), so it’s hard to know exactly where you stand. There’s no placement test either, so even if you already know some Spanish, you still have to start from the beginning—unless you manually skip ahead to a higher level.

Babbel

When you first sign up, Babbel gives you a placement quiz based on the CEFR levels. It helps figure out your current level—whether you’re A1, A2, B1, or beyond—and then suggests a learning path from there. Each lesson builds on the last, so what you learn in one lesson helps you understand the next. After some time—or once you finish a full level—you can take the placement test again to see if you’ve advanced your current CEFR level.

Winner: Babbel

6. Do you need motivation to stay consistent, even on the days you don’t feel like studying?

Pimsleur

Pimsleur keeps it simple. Each lesson is 30 minutes, and the app encourages you to do one a day. You get a daily streak counter, challenges, and even a certificate once you complete a full level. It´s doesn´t feel “gamified”, but I actually like that simplicity. I don´t have to scroll or decide what to do—I just open the app, hit play, and went through the lesson. On low-energy days, that  structure made it easier to stay consistent, just plain and simple.

Babbel

Babbel, I’d say, is pretty similar to Pimsleur when it comes to overall feel—it’s not “gamified” either. The design is clean and minimal, and there are no flashy animations or characters. Some lessons can actually take 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the topic, but you also have the option to do something shorter—like a quick review or a specific grammar drill. On days when I’m not in the mood to study, I usually go for those just to keep the habit going. You also get reminders and daily streaks, which help a bit with consistency. 

Winner: It´s a tie between Pimsleur and Babbel on this one. Neither app pushed me to study—I just built the habit of studying by setting a routine and sticking to it. Both apps are made for serious learners, which is why they’re not gamified.

Special Features

Here’s a quick look at what each app offers beyond the main lessons. Just a heads-up—I didn’t include every single feature, only the ones that are actually useful for language learning.

Pimsleur

• Speech Recognition: For pronunciation practice only—used outside the regular lessons to help you compare your speech with native speakers.
• Offline Mode: Download lessons so you can study without needing an internet connection.
• Hands-Free Driving Mode: Designed for multitasking—you can complete lessons while walking or driving without touching your screen.
• Vocabulary Saving: Lets you save useful words and phrases so you can review them anytime.
• Bonus Practice Tools: Includes extra materials like flashcards, reading lessons, and “Speak Easy” dialogues that let you practice short conversations outside the core lessons.
• Completion Certificates: You’ll get a digital certificate after completing an entire level, which gives a small but satisfying sense of accomplishment.

Babbel

• Speech Recognition: Used during speaking exercises to check your pronunciation in real-time. Helps you get a feel for how close you are to native pronunciation.
• Grammar Guide: Drills on grammar structures — like using personal pronouns, reflexive verbs, or forming the present continuous. It doesn’t just explain; it also gives you space to practice.
• Guided Conversations: Listen to and practice full conversations, speaking your part with voice recognition support.
• AI Conversation Partner: Interactive speaking drills where you’re tasked with completing prompts that challenges you to actually use what you’ve learned.
• Spaced Repetition System (SRS): Daily vocab workout so you don´t forget what you previously learned.
• Podcasts + Cultural Tips (Bonus Materials): Extra content for immersion, especially helpful once you hit beginner–intermediate level.
• Correct Mistake Section: A dedicated area where you can review all the mistakes you’ve made during lessons—so you can go back, practice them again, and improve over time.
• Vocabulary Manager: You can mark or favorite words and phrases and review them later. 

Comparison Table: Pimsleur VS Babbel

For quick skimming remember:

• ✅ Yes / Strong: This feature is available and works well.
• ⚠️ Limited / Needs improvement: The feature exists but isn’t very effective or could be better.
• ❌ No / Not included: This feature is missing or not supported at all.