Lexie
Comparison
Duolingo vs Babbel
Two full courses: one built around streaks and leaderboards, the other around lessons and guided conversations.
A third optionLexie is the drill to add to either: numbers and verb forms out loud, with a pet that reacts.
Product of the Day
Product Hunt, 2025
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murmur and 
Layered
Lexie on iPhone
Facts checked on 11 November 2026.
How they differ
Duolingo teaches many languages in bite-sized lessons, with leaderboards and achievements. Babbel is a course with lessons written for speakers of your language and guided conversations.
Or pick Lexie
Lexie is the drill to add to either: numbers and verb forms out loud, with a pet that reacts.
Lexie is a language Tamagotchi for iPhone and iPad. A pet blob reacts while you drill numbers and verb conjugation in short quiz, voice and listening rounds, in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, English, Danish and Scottish Gaelic.
Side by side
| Lexie | Duolingo | Babbel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | people who already have a course or a class and want numbers and verbs to come out without thinking | people who want a full course in a new language, a few minutes at a time | people who want structured lessons that lead to real conversations |
| Where it runs | on iPhone and iPad, with quiz and listening rounds that work offline, and no account | on iPhone and iPad | on iPhone and iPad, with lessons you can download for offline use |
| What you practise | numbers and verb conjugation, by tapping, by voice or by ear | speaking, reading, listening and writing, through a whole course | vocabulary, grammar in context, listening and speaking, in lessons and guided conversations |
| What brings you back | a pet that reacts to every answer and greets you after a break | streaks, leaderboards and achievements | a review system and short daily lessons |
What Duolingo is
Duolingo is a language app for iPhone and iPad that teaches through quick, bite-sized lessons in speaking, reading, listening and writing. It also has courses in chess, maths and music, with leaderboards and achievements.
What Babbel is
Babbel is a subscription language course for iPhone and iPad. Its lessons are written for speakers of your own language and built around real-life conversations, with speech recognition, an AI conversation partner and a review system.
Questions
Which is better, Duolingo or Babbel?
Duolingo teaches many languages in bite-sized lessons, with leaderboards and achievements. Babbel is a course with lessons written for speakers of your language and guided conversations. Lexie is the drill to add to either: numbers and verb forms out loud, with a pet that reacts.
What is the difference between Duolingo and Babbel?
Duolingo is built for people who want a full course in a new language, a few minutes at a time. Babbel is built for people who want structured lessons that lead to real conversations.
Is there an alternative to both Duolingo and Babbel?
Yes. Lexie is built for people who already have a course or a class and want numbers and verbs to come out without thinking. Lexie is the drill to add to either: numbers and verb forms out loud, with a pet that reacts.
More comparisons
- Lexie vs Duolingo
- Lexie vs Babbel
- Duolingo alternatives
- Babbel alternatives
- Best language practice apps
- All comparisons
We make Lexie. What we say about Duolingo and Babbel comes from their own pages, read on 11 November 2026: Duolingo on the App Store, Babbel on the App Store. Spotted a mistake? Write to support@lexielearns.com. Each name belongs to its owner, and Lexie is not affiliated with either.
A Tamagotchi for language drills
Lexie is on the App Store, for iPhone and iPad.
Product of the Day
Product Hunt, 2025
App of the Day
from the creators of murmur and Layered