Let’s cut right to the chase.
You want to learn a language with videos.
You’ve heard about FluentU and Yabla.
Now you’re wondering which one to choose.
I get it.
The truth? Both apps aren’t your typical language learning garbage.
They actually offer something real – learning through authentic videos instead of scripted nonsense.
Remember When Video Learning Was Utterly Pointless?
Remember the old days of learning with videos?
You’d spend an hour searching for something decent in your target language.
Then BAM!
Reality check: you didn’t understand a single word.
Or worse:
You’d find a video at your level, but it was so mind-numbingly boring that watching paint dry seemed like a better option.
Language learning with videos used to be a nightmare.
No wonder most people avoided it like the plague.
That was Then, and This is Now
FluentU and Yabla have changed the game.
Those agonizing scenarios I just mentioned? Dead and buried.
That is… if you’re willing to actually invest in your language learning and cough up the monthly subscription fee.
You’re here because you’ve already decided video learning is worth a shot.
So let’s stop wasting time and figure out which one suits your needs.
Time for a brutal comparison.
What Languages Can You Learn With Fluentu and Yabla?
First things first.
Does the darn app even offer your target language?
Here’s the deal:
FluentU gives you more languages than Yabla.
Want to learn Japanese with Yabla? Tough luck.
Prefer Italian? Yabla’s got you covered, but FluentU’s selection is thin.
Also, Yabla is cheaper, but switching languages means buying another subscription (Yabla’s CEO has since told me that users can switch by contacting customer service, as long as you’re not switching every 5 minutes).
FluentU gives you access to all languages under one price tag. A higher price tag, but still.
Languages You Can Learn With FluentU |
Languages You Can Learn With Yabla |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | Chinese (Mandarin) |
| Portuguese | |
| Korean |
On the face of it, it seems that the Yabla team is content with the six languages their App offers.
FluentU—on the other hand—is expanding all the time.
Verdict: A “FluentU win” seems obvious here. In reality, it depends entirely on which language you want to learn.
Video Libraries – Where the Real Battle Begins
If you’re going to use video in your language learning, it’d better be entertaining.
Or you’ll quit faster than you can say “boring.”
Both have enough videos to keep you occupied for months. For shared languages, FluentU has more videos (except for German). But quantity isn’t everything.
Yabla’s dashboard shows both the number of videos AND the total length.
FluentU only tells you the number, so it’s hard to compare.
But here’s where it gets interesting:
I personally prefer Yabla’s videos because they’re actually enjoyable.
FluentU offers both YouTube videos and a curated library of “learner-friendly” videos. Yabla produces its own content and has licensed material from RAI, Caracol, and Studio Hamburg.
Yabla has TV series and complete movies. Not necessarily famous ones, but entertaining nonetheless.
You can follow a story and learn at the same time. The “what happens next” curiosity keeps you coming back.
Yabla targets adults more, with some videos carrying “viewer discretion advised” warnings. Let’s be honest—that instantly makes them more interesting. 😉
Not suitable for little Timmy? Even better.
Even so, Yabla also has plenty of content for children. In fact, in Spanish and Italian, they have full series of animated children’s programming.
Additionally, you can turn on either mild or strict filtering and hide videos that are less suitable for kids. The most rigorous filter is stronger than the standards of the average television station.
Bottom line: Yabla’s video content blows FluentU out of the water.
Verdict: Yabla win
Video Players
You’ll spend hours in these video players.
They’d better not suck.
Both have an amazing feature: you can send any word from a video to your flashcard deck, complete with the video segment it appears in.
Both players also have dictionaries.
In Yabla, click any word in the subtitles, and it gets looked up in various online dictionaries.
FluentU works differently.
Hover your mouse over a word for a quick explanation.
Click on it, and you’ll see other video segments where the word appears—perfect for understanding context.
FluentU also provides images, examples, and tips for words. Their team claims to have spent over 100,000 hours creating detailed word explanations, including phrases, idioms, and collocations.
Both let you configure subtitles:
- Target language only
- English only
- Both languages
- No subtitles
Both have a loop button for difficult segments.
But Yabla has a killer feature that FluentU doesn’t:
The Slow Button
You can slow down the video to better understand what’s being said.
Combine slow with loop, and you’ve got language learning gold.
Yabla also has user comments where people share advice or ask questions about the language.
So FluentU shines in how you can watch other video segments in which the word is used (right from the video player itself). But Yabla offers a slightly more comprehensive dictionary, user comments, and the fantastic slow button.
Verdict: Tie – depends on your needs
Learn Mode – Games
This is where the rubber meets the road.
Both use video segments for learning, but they’re quite different.
With Yabla, you can use the slow button during games. FluentU doesn’t offer this.
In FluentU, hover over a word to hear it pronounced by a robot and see its meaning. Yabla skips the dictionary but only uses real content from videos—no robot voices.
FluentU often shows multiple contexts per exercise. In Yabla, you work with the video’s content in isolation.
FluentU excels at initial repetition. Yabla better uses the video as a learning guide. Yabla’s games are harder too.
Yabla’s Vocabulary Review game is disappointing—basic flashcards with robot voices.
FluentU’s major flaw? The video frame is tiny. Yabla makes you feel like you’re in the video.
Scribe
Yabla’s secret weapon is Scribe.
It’s a transcription tool that dramatically improves listening skills—better than anything FluentU offers.
One Reddit user credited Scribe for helping them go from zero to C1 in French in just one year.
You transcribe videos segment by segment. The game won’t let you continue until you’ve got each caption right.
If a segment is too hard, use the slow or replay buttons, or click on missing letters for hints.
Who takes it?
I like both, but I prefer Yabla’s approach of keeping the video front and center.
Their games are more engaging because the video plays a more prominent role.
Scribe tips the scale in Yabla’s favor.
Verdict: Yabla win
Flashcards – The Memory Battle
Both include video segments in their flashcards.
But FluentU’s flashcards are basically repetitions of the Learn Mode.
Yabla’s flashcards come in a separate tool.
It’s decent—with video segments—but not as effective as FluentU’s.
Yabla shows bars indicating how well you’ve studied a word, but lacks FluentU’s spaced repetition reminders.
The review game needs work:
In FluentU, you have to give correct answers.
In Yabla, you just click “I think I know it” or “I don’t know it,” then self-report if you were right.
Too easy to cheat, even unintentionally.
Custom Flashcards
FluentU‘s killer feature: add your own words to flashcard sets.
You learn through video segments showing the word in context—exactly like in Learn Mode.
This is huge:
Hear a new word? Add it to FluentU and learn it through real-life video.
Way better than basic text flashcards.
Verdict: FluentU win
Other Features – The Devils in the Details
FluentU offers more personalization than Yabla.
The “Already Know” button tells FluentU you know a word, so it won’t appear again.
Why waste time on stuff you’ve already mastered?
Progress bars show how many words in a video you already know.
Yabla lacks this personalization.
FluentU also has Daily Goals—points you need to earn each day to maintain your streak.
It seems like an afterthought but actually helps with motivation. Those childish point notifications are oddly satisfying.
A newer feature of FluentU not available on Yabla: you can actually use Netflix and YouTube videos within their custom player. That means you’re not limited to their library—you can learn with any content you like.
Verdict: FluentU win
Prices – Show Me the Money
This is another area where they both differ, but that’s a good thing.
Why?
Because it gives you more options.
|
You can try out FluentU for free for 14 days. Yabla offers a 15-day trial. Cancel your account before these periods expire and you will not be billed. |
FluentU is more expensive, but it gives you access to all their languages for the same monthly fee. That means, if you study two languages at the same time, you can switch whenever you like.
Or if you regret starting to learn Spanish and prefer to continue with Mandarin, you can do so without having to buy another subscription.
On the other hand, if you’re sure about what language you want to learn, Yabla is cheaper.
Let’s take a closer look at the pricing structure of both:
What does FluentU Cost?
FluentU has two different plans:
- The Plus plan gives you access to all their content, Learn Mode, Flashcards, Spaced Repetition, and the ability to create your own flashcards. In short: everything FluentU has to offer. The Plus plan costs $20/month when billed annually. Or $30/month when billed monthly. This means that if you want to pay $20/month for the service, you’ll have to pay for an annual subscription. You have 15 days to request a refund should you regret your purchase.
- The Basic plan is just that. Basic. It’s half the price of the Plus plan —$10 when billed annually— but maybe it should be even lower. You can watch unlimited subtitled videos and look up words, but no Learn Mode, Flashcards, or Spaced Repetition are included in the plan.
What does Yabla Cost?
Yabla is cheaper than FluentU, but you cannot switch languages.
If you suddenly decide that you like another language better, you’ll have to either be nice to the Yabla team and ask, or buy another subscription.
A Yabla subscription costs:
- $8.33/month when billed annually
- $9.16/month when billed every six months, or
- $12.95 for a single month’s subscription
Verdict: Tie – depends on your needs
So Which One is Better? FluentU or Yabla?
Here’s the truth nobody wants to tell you:
If you want to learn a language through video content and you are willing to pay for it….
Then, these two services are your best bet.
But which one is best for you?
Well, that depends on a lot of the factors we have discussed in this article: the features, languages available, and the pricing structures.
FluentU seems to be a more consistent language tool. Yabla has more highs (video database, Scribe) and lows (Flashcard game).
Personally, I now prefer Yabla because its games are better. I feel I learn more through them.
But that’s not all. Yabla’s video content is simply more exciting.
FluentU isn’t boring, but Yabla is simply more engaging. (It definitely helps Yabla that in the games, it displays the videos in a large frame and FluentU doesn’t.)
Whereas FluentU’s video library consists mostly of individual videos, Yabla also gives you the possibility to learn from TV series. And they’re a joy to learn from.
The series tend to keep you interested in what happens next, which you can use as a motivational tool.
Final Verdict: Yabla edges it
But here’s what really matters:
You’re not going to succeed with either app if you don’t commit.
Stop looking for the perfect tool.
Pick one and stick with it.
The best language learning app is the one you’ll actually use.
So choose your weapon and get to work.
Over and out,
Noel