italki vs Preply: which is better for learning English?

italki vs Preply at a glance

The two platforms look alike from the outside, but the table shows where they differ. Figures come from each site's English tutor page, checked on 15 October 2026. Tutors set their own prices on both, so treat ranges as a guide and check the checkout total.

The size rows count different things: italki's figure covers every language, Preply's covers English tutors only. Do not read it as one platform having more choice for English.

If you want the full picture of each, read our italki review and Preply review.

How the price really works

On both sites the platform does not set your lesson price. Each tutor does. That is why the ranges are so wide: a conversation partner and a qualified exam teacher can sit on the same site at very different prices.

The useful question is not "which site is cheaper" but "what will I pay per month for the lessons I will actually take". This is simple arithmetic from the prices above, not a quote from either site:

Two things change the total in practice:

• Fees and credits. Preply includes its fees in the subscription price you see, according to a 2026 review, so the tutor's rate and your checkout price can differ. italki shows the teacher's price per lesson. In both cases, read the total on the checkout page before you pay.
• Commission. Both platforms keep a share of what students pay. Published figures differ between sources. One review reports that Preply takes 33%, falling to 18% after a tutor has taught 400 hours. Treat this as one source's figure, not an official one.

Lessons and trials: flexible shopping or guided matching

italki is built for shopping around. You can filter by price, availability and speciality, then book a trial lesson with several teachers before choosing. Lesson length is your choice: 30, 45, 60 or even 90 minutes, which helps if you only have a short gap in the day or want a long speaking session before an interview. Teachers come in two types: professional teachers, who usually plan structured lessons, and community tutors, who are usually cheaper and focus on conversation.

Preply is built around a steady weekly lesson. Lessons are usually 50 minutes, and you normally commit to a plan with one tutor. The first-lesson guarantee lowers the risk: if the lesson is not right, you get a free replacement tutor or a refund. That suits learners who find choosing a tutor stressful and want a clear safety net.

What both give you is a human who can hear your mistakes, ask follow-up questions and adjust. What neither gives you is practice between lessons. That is where most progress is made or lost, and we come back to it below.

Which one fits which learner

Use this as a quick decision guide.

Pick italki if

• Your schedule changes from week to week and you cannot promise a lesson at the same time every week.
• You want to test several tutors cheaply before committing.
• You want shorter or longer lessons than the standard hour.
• You want a cheap conversation partner more than a teacher who plans a course.

Pick Preply if

• You want a fixed weekly slot with one tutor, so the lesson becomes a habit.
• You want a refund or replacement option written into the first lesson.
• You prefer a simple booking flow to browsing and comparing dozens of profiles.

It also helps to ask

• Do I need a teacher or a partner? For a test such as IELTS, a qualified teacher is worth the higher price. For confidence and fluency, a friendly conversation partner at a lower price can be enough.
• How many lessons can I afford? One lesson a week with a good tutor usually beats three rushed lessons with a cheap one you do not trust.
• What will I do on the other six days? If the honest answer is nothing, add daily practice before you add more lessons.

What to expect in your first lesson

A first lesson is a test of fit, so use it well. Most tutors begin with a few questions about your level and goal, then give you a short speaking task to hear how you talk.

Bring three things:

• A specific goal, such as a job interview next month or a speaking test date.
• One real example of your English, for instance an answer you recorded or an email you wrote. A tutor can correct something real faster than a made-up exercise.
• A question about how they teach, such as "How will you correct my mistakes during a conversation?"

After the lesson, ask yourself three plain questions. Did I speak for most of the time? Did the tutor correct my mistakes in a way I understood? Do I know what to practise before the next lesson? If the answer to two of them is no, book a different tutor for lesson two. This is exactly what trial lessons and the first-lesson guarantee are for.

A checklist before you pay

Whichever site you choose, these steps avoid the most common waste of money:

1. Write one goal first. For example: "answer interview questions without freezing" or "reach band 7 speaking". Tutors can only help with a goal you can name.
2. Book two or three trial lessons with different tutors. Compare how much you spoke, not how friendly they were.
3. Check the cancellation and rescheduling rules for the tutor and the platform, especially across time zones.
4. Look at the total price at checkout, not only the lesson price on the profile.
5. Ask what a normal lesson looks like. A good tutor will say how they correct mistakes and how they use your lesson time.
6. Record the lesson if the tutor agrees, and listen again. You will catch mistakes you did not notice in the moment.

What lessons cannot replace: daily speaking practice

One hour a week with a tutor is useful, but it is a small share of your week. Learners who improve fastest speak out loud every day, even for ten minutes, and use the lesson to fix what they find.

Disclosure: we make YoFluent, an app where you speak with AI tutors and get scored on pronunciation, fluency, grammar and vocabulary. It is not a marketplace and does not replace a human teacher. Many learners use an app like ours between lessons so the lesson time goes on new problems, not warm-up. Our guide to English speaking practice has a free daily plan you can follow with any tool, and our comparison of the best English speaking apps lists the options with prices.