For Babbel learners
A vocabulary-first alternative to Babbel, for French
Babbel teaches you the course. Madeleine helps the words inside it stay: 874 words and 400 phrases, each with lifelike French audio, on an FSRS-6 schedule, a few quiet minutes a day. French only, grammar set aside for now.
The short answer
Reviewed September 8, 2026
Madeleine is a calm, French-only alternative to Babbel for learners who want vocabulary and listening rather than a full structured course. It is a paid iPhone app with a finite set of 874 French words and 400 everyday phrases, lifelike French audio on every item, FSRS-6 spaced repetition, and no account. It teaches no grammar by design.
Side by side
Babbel and Madeleine, on the parts of French that matter.
| Dimension | Babbel | Madeleine |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Structured course of guided, interactive lessons | Calm daily retrieval, one card at a time |
| Scope | 14 languages, all in one subscription | French only, in depth |
| Teaches | Vocabulary, grammar, dialogues, speaking, plus Babbel Speak, an AI conversation partner | High-frequency vocabulary and listening: reading and the ear |
| Grammar | A core focus, woven through every lesson | Deliberately deferred; the words first |
| Format | Short structured lessons, about 5 to 10 minutes each | Short card sessions, no lessons |
| Audio | Within lessons, plus free podcasts | Lifelike French audio on every word and phrase (four voices) |
| Memory model | Vocab workout: spaced repetition on the words each lesson teaches; no custom words | FSRS-6, a modern, open spaced-repetition algorithm |
| Pricing | Subscription from about $18/month, less on longer plans, or a one-time lifetime plan; the first lesson of each course is free | $6.99/mo or $39.99/yr |
| Account and data | Account-based | No account; fully on-device |
| Best for | A structured course with grammar, across several languages | Calmly drilling the most common French until it sticks |
When Babbel is the better choice
Plainly: if you want a structured course that explains grammar, walks you through dialogues, and takes you from zero in a guided way, or you are learning one of its other languages, Babbel is the better tool, and a well-made one. Madeleine is not a course and does not try to be. It does the one thing a course leaves to you: the daily repetition that moves words into long-term memory.
What Madeleine won't do: replace a structured course, explain grammar, or make you fluent. It makes the most common French stick, in the ear as well as the eye.
Sources
Checked September 8, 2026
Babbel's features and pricing vary by plan, promotion and market, and may change.
Babbel is a trademark of Babbel GmbH. Madeleine is not affiliated with or endorsed by Babbel.
The daily practice a course leaves to you.
874 words and 400 everyday phrases, each with lifelike French audio and resurfaced right before you would forget it. No streaks, no points, no guilt, and nothing leaves your iPhone.
iPhone with iOS 26 or later. No standard trial: the free browser flashcards are the way to try it first.
FAQs
- Is Madeleine a good alternative to Babbel?
- It depends on what you need. Babbel is a structured course, with grammar, dialogues and guided lessons across 14 languages, and it is very good at it. Madeleine is narrower and calmer: a French-only daily practice for the most common words and how they sound. If you want a course, choose Babbel; if you want the daily repetition that makes French vocabulary stick, choose Madeleine.
- Does Madeleine teach grammar like Babbel?
- No. Babbel teaches grammar explicitly, in the context of its lessons. Madeleine defers grammar on purpose to concentrate on the high-frequency words and phrases, each with native audio. Many people pair Madeleine with a grammar course, a tutor, or lessons: it is the vocabulary-and-listening layer, not the whole course.
- Babbel or Madeleine for French vocabulary?
- For drilling common French words and phrases, in the ear as well as the eye, Madeleine is purpose-built: a finite, curated set with lifelike French audio on every card and adaptive spaced repetition. For structured lessons and grammar, Babbel. They work well together.