italki review: what English lessons cost, and who it suits
italki is a marketplace where you book one-to-one video lessons with independent teachers and pay per lesson, with no subscription needed. English lessons on italki.com ranged from about $8 to $120 on 15 October 2026, most teachers offer a cheaper trial lesson, and you choose lessons of 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes. It is one of the most flexible ways to get a real tutor; you trade that for the work of finding the right one.
By The YoFluent teamUpdated 7 min read
italki at a glance (checked 15 October 2026)
- What it is
- A marketplace of independent language teachers (founded 2007)
- Size
- 15 million+ learners, 30,000+ teachers and community tutors, 150+ languages (italki.com)
- English lessons
- About $8 to $120 per lesson; price set by each teacher
- Trial lessons
- Offered by most teachers, often $5–$10
- Lesson length
- 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes
- How you pay
- Pay as you go, or packages from a teacher
- italki Plus (optional)
- $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year (US App Store): AI lesson tools, events, discounts
- App rating
- 4.8 from about 9,900 ratings (US App Store)
On this page
How italki works
- Search teachers by price, availability, accent and speciality (conversation, business, exams, kids).
- Choose a type: professional teachers have teaching qualifications or experience and plan structured lessons; community tutors are usually cheaper and focus on conversation.
- Book a trial lesson, usually 30 minutes at a lower price.
- Book single lessons or a package with the teachers you like, on italki Classroom or another video tool you agree on.
How much does italki cost?
There is no italki membership fee to take lessons: you pay each teacher’s price. On 15 October 2026, italki’s English teachers page listed lessons from $8 to $120, with trial lessons on the first page at $5 and $10.
What a month of lessons costs (example)
- 1 lesson a week at $10 (community tutor)
- about $40 a month
- 1 lesson a week at $25 (professional teacher)
- about $100 a month
- 3 lessons a week at $15
- about $180 a month
italki Plus is an optional subscription ($5.99 a month or $59.99 a year on the US App Store). According to italki, it adds error corrections, idioms and AI role-play to the summaries of your lessons, plus events and discounts. You don’t need it to book teachers.
What italki does well
- No subscription. Pay per lesson and stop whenever you want.
- Cheap trials make it easy to compare several teachers.
- Huge choice of accents, prices and specialities.
- Flexible lesson length, from 30 to 90 minutes.
Where italki falls short
- Quality varies: teachers are independent.
- Scheduling across time zones, and teachers’ cancellation rules.
- Cost adds up if you want to speak every day.
- Packages expire: check the validity before buying.
italki vs an AI speaking app like YoFluent
We make YoFluent, so read this with that in mind.
| italki | YoFluent | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you talk to | A human teacher or tutor | AI tutors with American or British voices |
| When | Booked lessons | Any time, no booking |
| Best for | Explanations, a plan, human judgement | Daily speaking practice and confidence |
| Feedback | The teacher’s comments | Scores for pronunciation, fluency, grammar and vocabulary after each call, CEFR level |
| Cost | About $8–$120 per lesson; no subscription | $14.99/month or $59.99/year (US); 3-day free trial on the yearly plan |
italki alternatives
- Preply: similar marketplace, lessons through a plan with one tutor. Read our Preply review.
- Lingoda: structured small-group classes. Read our Lingoda review.
- YoFluent (ours): AI speaking practice with scores, any time.
- Compare more: the best English speaking apps.
Frequently asked questions
How much does italki cost?
Each italki teacher sets their own price. English lessons on italki.com ranged from about $8 to $120 per lesson on 15 October 2026, and trial lessons are often $5 to $10. There is no subscription needed to book lessons.
Is italki legit?
Yes. italki has operated since 2007 and says it connects over 15 million learners with more than 30,000 teachers and community tutors in 150+ languages. Its app has a 4.8 rating on the US App Store. Lesson quality depends on the teacher you choose.
What is the difference between a professional teacher and a community tutor on italki?
Professional teachers have teaching qualifications or experience and usually plan structured lessons; community tutors are often cheaper and focus on conversation practice. For speaking practice a good community tutor is often enough; for exams or grammar, choose a professional teacher.
What is italki Plus?
italki Plus is an optional subscription ($5.99 a month or $59.99 a year on the US App Store) that adds AI study tools such as corrections, idioms and AI role-play based on your lessons, plus events and discounts. You do not need it to book lessons.
italki or Preply: which is better?
Both are tutor marketplaces with similar price ranges. italki is pay-as-you-go per lesson, which suits irregular schedules; Preply sells lessons through a plan with one tutor, which suits fixed weekly lessons.
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- English teachers, italki
- italki: Language Learning (App Store), Apple