italki vs Verbling: The Ultimate Comparison for Learners in 2026

Key takeaways 

• italki’s options are unmatched. You get access to 20,000+ tutors across 150+ languages, including niche languages and a wide range of teaching styles.
• Verbling focuses on a smaller, more curated selection of experienced teachers. This can feel polished, but it limits options, especially for less common languages or specific specialties.
• italki is generally more budget-friendly and flexible. You get lower average tutor rates, non-expiring credits, and more scheduling options.

Quick answer: italki vs Verbling in 2026 

Choose italki if you’re looking for choice, affordability, and flexibility. It gives you more control over tutors, pricing, lesson styles, and schedules. This makes it easier to find the best long-term fit.

Choose Verbling if you prefer a smaller pool of carefully selected teachers. All tutors have prior teaching experience or relevant certifications.

If you’re choosing a language learning platform in 2026, you should definitely compare italki vs Verbling. Both provide personalized, one-on-one classes with professional tutors, but they differ in teacher variety, language options, pricing, and overall flexibility. 

You could spend hours browsing each site to compare details, but we’ve done all the grunt work for you. Below, we break down the key differences, pros, and cons of italki and Verbling to help you choose the best platform for your needs.

Prefer to get straight to it? Find a native-speaking tutor and start learning with Spanish tutors, Japanese tutors, French tutors, English tutors, and many more.

What is italki 

italki is the leading online platform for personalized language learning. It’s trusted by over 5 million students worldwide because it offers so many quality options. Students get access to 20,000+ teachers and 150+ languages across 190 countries.   

What is Verbling 

Verbling is another language learning platform that connects students to teachers for personalized lessons. It offers access to over 2,000 qualified teachers speaking 70+ languages.   

italki vs Verbling: Quick comparison table

Feature	italki	Verbling
Languages offered	150+ languages	70+ languages
Pricing model	Pay per lesson	Pay per lesson
Typical pricing	$3-$20 per hour for most tutors	$5-$50 per hour, varies by tutor (+8% service fee)
Tutor types	Professional teachers and community tutors	Teachers with either previous experience or a teaching certificate
Lesson duration	30, 45, 60, or 90 minutes	Set by each tutor, usually 30-60 minutes
Scheduling	Book anytime; instant booking and rescheduling options	In-platform scheduling through calendars, tutors set availability
Trial lessons	3 discounted trial classes	One free trial for new students, subsequent ones depend on the teacher (typically discounted 30-minute sessions)
Best for	Learners who want a wide variety of tutors and language choices	Learners who prefer in-platform scheduling and a strong user experience

Get a solid feel for italki by booking a trial lesson. Check out real profiles with teacher reviews, prices, schedules, and more.

italki vs Verbling: key differences

1. Teacher selection & variety

italki is the best platform for teacher selection and variety. With more than 20,000 different teachers and over 150 languages, you get more choices than other sites. Italki offers popular foreign languages like English, Spanish, and Japanese, along with less common options like Romanian and Georgian. 

Verbling has over 2,000 experienced teachers offering around 70 languages. You’ll find all the most common foreign languages, from German to Chinese. But since there are significantly fewer teachers than italki, each language will have a smaller selection. 

2. Teaching experience and qualifications

On italki, tutors must be native speakers or have near-native fluency. When searching the platform, you’ll notice there are two clear designations: Professional Teachers and Community Tutors.

The difference between Professional Teachers and Community Tutors is that the former must have certification or teaching experience in the target language. They’re trained to create personalized, structured lesson plans. Community Tutors must be native speakers with strong conversational skills. They focus on casual conversation practice and are often less expensive. 

Verbling is more selective with its teachers, which has pros and cons. Like italki, tutors must also be native or near-native speakers. However, they’re all required to have formal experience or certification. You can expect high standards, but you don’t have the option to choose the less expensive (and more casual) community tutor. 

3. Cost and pricing

italki uses a pay-per-lesson model. You buy credits, which can be used at any time to purchase classes. They work toward any tutor’s classes, so you can buy a bunch and try out various instructors. Teachers set their own rates, which typically cost $3-$20 per hour. Credits also don’t expire, so there’s no need to worry about losing money. 

Verbling also uses a pay-per-lesson model. Teachers set their own fees, which range from $5 to $50 per hour. You book and pay for single classes or bundles directly through the site. There is an 8% service charge on top of class fees, so factor this into your total budget. Classes expire after 6 months, but you can request a one-time reactivation. 

4. Lesson flexibility & scheduling

On italki, you simply browse a tutor’s availability and book lessons in advance. Alternatively, you can use Instant Lessons to have a lesson now. These let you jump straight into trial lessons with available teachers. With so many teachers, it’s easy to find one who fits your schedule. Once you find a good match, you can book recurring lessons to build consistency and make real progress. 

italki classes can be rescheduled or canceled without penalty with 24-hour advance notice. To cancel or reschedule a lesson, just go to the lesson page and click “change date/time” or “cancel the lesson.”

Verbling classes are booked by finding a teacher, purchasing lessons, and then choosing a time slot within that tutor’s calendar. Advanced planning is typically required, with a minimum notice of 12-48 hours. Rescheduling or cancelling can be completed by clicking “Request Reschedule.” You’ll need a 12-hour advance notice or risk losing 50-100% of your payment. 

5. Learning experience and outcomes

italki and Verbling have similar lesson structures. Students can see the same teacher over time and get personalized lesson plans. The tutors move at your pace, track progress, and course-correct as needed. If you have trouble with things like Spanish travel phrases, your tutor can hone in on these skills. 

Both platforms have good teachers, so quality isn’t an issue. But if you’re looking for a teacher specializing in specific skills or niche languages, italki has more options. If you need to learn business French, for example, you’ll have a larger selection of certified Business French tutors. This wide variety may also come in handy if you’re picky about teaching style.  

6. Trial lessons

There are benefits you must know about trial lessons, like obviously paying less. But it also lets you play the field before picking the right teacher. Luckily, both italki and Verbling provide trial lessons, but the details depend on each teacher. 

On both platforms, some, but not all, teachers offer trials. These classes must be your first lesson with that particular person. The teacher sets the trial price and duration, which is usually around 30 minutes. 

italki offers three discounted trial lessons for new students, which should be enough to find a good match. Verbling has unlimited trial lessons. Overall, italki’s trials tend to be cheaper (sometimes even $1). Verbling’s first trial lesson is free, but subsequent ones are around $6.

Related comparisons

• italki vs Preply: See how italki stacks up against Preply for tutors, pricing, and lesson flexibility.
• italki vs Cambly: Explore how italki compares to Cambly for conversational English practice.
• italki vs Lingoda: Compare lesson style, pricing, and language options.

Why many language learners prefer italki

Most learners prefer italki because it has far more options. Compared to Verbling, italki has ten times the number of teachers and 80+ more languages. This makes it easier to find tutors you vibe with, particularly in niche languages. 

With more options, you also get more learning paths. You’ll find more professionals specialized in exam prep, business, medical, or travel language skills. 

italki is considered less expensive than Verbling, so it’s easier to find classes that fit your budget. Students report that the standard price for a quality teacher on italki is $10-$20, while Verbling is around $23 (plus an 8% service fee).

Learners also prefer italki because it provides a greater variety of teaching styles. Both sites have professional tutors with more structured lesson plans. But if you only want to practice speaking, you can link up with one of italki’s community teachers. Since they aren’t always certified, they’re usually less expensive.

Learn faster with the right teacher. With 20,000+ teachers from 190+ countries, italki can help you get there. Create a free account and start learning today.

FAQ

What is the difference between italki and Verbling?

italki and Verbling are both online language learning platforms that connect students with tutors for one-on-one personalized lessons. However, italki offers more teacher and language options and tends to be less expensive. 

Verbling teachers all come with prior experience or certification. With italki, you can choose between experienced, certified teachers or more casual community tutors.

Which is better, italki or Verbling? 

Both sites are solid options for learning a new language, but italki is the better choice if you want variety because it has more teachers and languages. This makes it easier to find the right fit. Italki also scores higher in customer reviews. For example, italki holds a 4.1 out of 5 on TrustPilot, while Verbling is closer to 3.5. 

Are italki and Verbling better than Duolingo?

These platforms aren’t necessarily better, but they serve different functions. Duolingo gamifies language learning with bite-sized lessons and exercises. It’s a good tool for independent language learning and practice, but it doesn’t offer real-life teaching. 

Learning a second language with a proper teacher helps you become fluent faster. Duolingo alternatives like italki and Verbling offer comprehensive classes with professional tutors. Of the two, italki is considered less expensive and provides more options for teachers and languages.

Which online English tutor site is the best? 

The best online English tutor site depends on your goals. Some sites focus solely on writing or speaking, but serious learners who want to gain real fluency need a teacher who can do it all. In this regard, italki is the best choice because it has a huge variety of both casual and professional English teachers. They offer one-on-one professional lessons with a flexible schedule and pricing.

  To learn more, read our guide on how to find a good English teacher online.