italki42 reviews
This score is based on 42 genuine reviews submitted via US-Reviews since 2021.
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I was halfway through coffee and booking a 7am lesson when the redesign froze my brain—can't find filters, AI popups everywhere. The teachers still turn up on time and help; support answered after a bit, delivery and service are okay. I use it daily for quick practice, fine but clunky, won't rave.
No longer my go-to
Not recommending it anymore — used to love it. I first found the site after a coworker tipped me, and the teachers were solid, but the redesign makes basic search clunky and now it’s jammed with AI upsell prompts. I’ll probably switch elsewhere; kind of a shame, honestly, but that’s where I’m at.
Practical fit for messy schedules
I use it mostly for quick weekly lessons between work and errands. Booking is simple and you pay per lesson, which helps when my schedule is messy. I picked a Spanish tutor and stuck with her. That consistency helped more than I expected. Lessons are straightforward. No frills. Sometimes audio lags a bit, but overall it fits into my day and keeps me moving.
Friend tipped me, mixed bag
I first heard about this from a friend who mentioned it in a group chat, and I was honestly skeptical — almost didn't sign up. Before paying I worried the AI overhaul would ruin things, and unfortunately some of that worry was justified. The chatbot keeps pushing itself into searches and it's a pain to view upcoming lessons. Still, after poking around I found workarounds and it mostly works for me, just clunky and imperfect.
Froze at first
I remember sitting there, notes everywhere, thinking this might not work. I had studied the language for years on my own. I needed it for a move abroad and for not feeling lost in everyday chats. I froze on my first live lesson; everything I knew went blank. That worry faded fast. The tutor was patient, pointed out small things, and actually seemed pleased when I got something right. Platform is simple to use. Still a little cautious, but overall glad I signed up and it's been useful already.
Worth the risk
booking isn't totally slick, but overall I'm really glad I tried it.
Broken search, still usable
the site is less useful for me now, though I can still book lessons — well, sometimes. I needed it to find tutors fast because I’m moving and have a tight schedule, and the new AI-first flow keeps shoving a chatbot between me and results. It sometimes finds decent matches, but checking upcoming lessons is clunky. Not completely dead, just annoyingly worse.
Great people, messy process
The lessons themselves were solid and the instructors actually care, which felt like a relief after dealing with other companies that drop the ball. But booking and rescheduling is a pain — you have to edit each session one at a time and it eats up time. The delivery of lesson materials was fine and customer support eventually helped, though it took a couple of tries to get clear answers. Happy it worked out, but the app/site needs serious cleanup.
Almost skipped it, glad I didn't
I froze, like, completely, all the vocab I knew went blank. But the teacher was patient, gently pulled me back into conversation, and I could actually feel progress after a couple of sessions. Still a bit nervous before each lesson, but those doubts faded fast. Glad I gave it a shot.
Mostly useful
Overall I'm satisfied — it did the job. I needed something after my move and bad tutors, plus some nagging back pain that made in-person sessions tricky, so being able to book across time zones mattered. The teacher mix is good, people from everywhere, which makes finding a slot easier. The new site layout, though, is annoying; I used to glance through profiles and now I have to open each page to see details, so I'll probably stick with the teachers I know. Still glad it helped.
Nice teachers, painful app
I was halfway through my coffee when I tried to reschedule some lessons — big mistake. The service itself is great, teachers are wonderful, but the website and app feel like they were built to frustrate you. To move one recurring date you go one by one, sometimes five minutes per date; editing a 10-lesson pack ate an hour of my afternoon. Important settings are buried so I keep hunting. Great concept, nice staff, but the tools need serious work.
Almost walked away
teachers from everywhere, so finding a slot that fits my schedule was easier than I expected. My only gripe is the site redesign — I used to skim profiles fast, now I have to open each page to watch videos and... ugh, that slows me down. Still, I've kept the same few teachers I liked and I'm glad I stuck with it.
New look, same problems
two skinny vertical video panes and my own face huge for no reason. And the whiteboard is gone. Teachers used to praise that feature and so did I; it was why I picked this client over Zoom or Meet before. I've had two dropped sessions since the update, which never happened with the old setup. I'm relieved lessons still mostly happen and some teachers make it work, but it's a step back. Compared to other platforms I've tried, this was better before. Hope they fix it soon; a little sooner would be nice.
Dashboard drift
I use italki almost every day for short lessons, booking tutors and checking notes, so the layout actually matters to me. The old dashboard was simple and I could find a teacher in seconds. Lately though things feel cluttered. Ads and gamification bits push down the search and recent notes. It takes extra clicks to get to what I need. That said, the core still works — I can book lessons and message teachers without a glitch, and that’s why I kept using it. I’d like an option to turn off the promos or go back to the cleaner view. Mildly annoying, but not broken. Glad it still does the job for my daily practice.
Design drift, still works
promos and ads push useful buttons down, and gamified badges and flashy visuals distract from studying. It feels like more scrolling and clicking to get what I came for. As a paying user, I’d like an ad-free option and a switch to turn off gamification, or even a toggle to go back to the old layout. If they're listening, make the core features easy to reach again. For now, it's usable, just not as focused.
Small changes, big annoyance
teachers were solid and the old site was simple to use. Lately though the redesign pushes ads everywhere and keeps nudging you to chat with AI before you can even pick a lesson, which feels like stepping over a salesman every time I log in. That forced AI bit is the main gripe; I get experimentation, but don't make it mandatory. On the plus side, my actual tutors have stayed professional and flexible, and that honestly saved the whole thing for me. Customer support though? Spotty. I got through eventually, and I'm kind of relieved it wasn't a total disaster, but it did eat time I didn't have. Bottom line: good teachers, annoying new UX and promos. I'll probably finish my credits here, tell my favorite tutors about other platforms, and then see if the company listens or keeps pushing the same stuff.
Strange redesign, same lessons
two skinny vertical windows and your own face blown up for no good reason, which is distracting and then, annoyingly, I had two connection drops in one week (never happened before). Search is worse too — no sorting and a bunch of teachers who don’t match your filters show up. They also removed the Whiteboard, which a lot of teachers actually relied on, so that hit usability more than I expected. There’s some gamified fish thing that just fills space. Overall it works but feels like steps backward; low-key frustrating, and I hope they roll back or tweak the worst parts soon.
New look, fewer worries
I first spotted the redesigned site when a coworker shared a screenshot on LinkedIn. I was annoyed right away — banners and a chat with a virtual tutor popping up felt intrusive. I almost didn’t buy credits. I had doubts about whether real teachers would still matter. Then I gave it a chance and booked a trial lesson. The ads are there, sure, but they don’t block booking like I feared. The AI assistant showed up, offered a quick grammar check, and I ignored it when I didn’t want it. My teacher was human, on time, and actually helpful. After a few sessions my skepticism faded. The interface still feels cluttered at times, and I’d like clearer options to hide promos, but the core product works. Customer replies were faster than I expected. So yeah, I went from irritated to reasonably satisfied. I’ll keep using it for now, and I’ve told a couple friends where to find their teachers if they want to try it too.
Online tutoring sessions
I've been doing online tutoring sessions and it's been really good. Sometimes there are a few tech issues, but overall, the sessions have been awesome and my tutor is amazing. Being able to learn online has really made a difference for me, and I've definitely gotten a lot better at my language skills.
Lesson booking trouble
I had a really frustrating time trying to schedule a lesson on this platform. The first instructor ended up canceling because of rain, and the rescheduled lesson with another instructor got moved to a later time without checking with me first. To top it off, the connection cut out halfway through the lesson, and I wasn't able to get my money back from the platform.
About italki
Italki is an online language learning platform that connects language learners with language teachers for one-on-one language lessons. Founded in 2007, it has grown to become a prominent platform in the language learning space. It supports a wide range of languages, offering services from professional teachers and informal tutors. Italki's model allows learners to customize their learning experience by selecting teachers based on their learning goals, interests, and preferred teaching styles. The platform also provides opportunities for users to engage in language exchanges and participate in a community of language learners.
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Last update: October 2025
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