Are you looking for reliable online language classes?
Verbling and italki are among the most popular platforms that connect teachers and language learners around the world.
They are effective and easy to use, and they will ensure you an enjoyable and productive learning experience.
At first glance, italki and Verbling seem very similar.
But there are some distinctions between the two of them.
Therefore, we managed to choose a winner in a Verbling vs italki race.
We thoroughly explored their features and compared their options, teachers, benefits, and prices.
So, which platform should you choose, Verbling or italki?
You’ll find out in a moment!
Verbling vs italki: Which Platform Wins?
Before we jump into each platform’s structure and features, let’s make one thing clear: both italki and Verbling are solid options.
They have a wide range of teachers and they will undoubtedly help you develop learning habits.
With one-on-one language lessons, you can expand your vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and build strong conversational skills.
Plus, your online teacher will provide you with a customized study plan based on your needs, abilities, and goals.
And you’ll get direct feedback so you’ll always know what you need to improve.
All in all, virtual private lessons are the closest it gets to traditional language classes. They just seem to be more convenient and affordable.
Now, you just need to pick the right platform and find the right teacher. That’s why we’re here – to help you make the right decision!
Let’s take a look at each platform’s pricing first.
Scheduling Lessons and Pricing
In terms of prices and hourly rates, italki has slightly lower rates.
Italki is actually very affordable. You can find some really cheap lessons. But cheap products can sometimes be suspicious.
Luckily, on italki, you don’t have to worry about that.
Although the quality of lessons does vary, you won’t come across someone bad or inexperienced. After all, a teacher’s popularity depends on students’ reviews. But more on that later.
The cost of italki lessons generally ranges from around $5 to $30 per hour. It depends on the teacher.
Also, students and teachers each have one chance of requesting a lesson cancellation.
You can easily cancel your lesson; unless it’s about to start within 24 hours.
Booking lessons is very flexible. You can book lessons with a teacher one by one until you find the teacher that suits you.
You can also choose a tool of communication – Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Wechat, Zoom, or QQ.
They also offer a virtual classroom as a tool of communication. It’s available to all italki students both on the italki website and the italki mobile app. It allows file sharing and screen-sharing, and it’s very easy to use.
Furthermore, you can decide how long the lessons are (45, 60 or 90 minutes.) And trial lessons are usually 30-minutes long.
On italki, trial lessons are offered by teachers at a discounted price. And you should keep in mind that not all teachers provide trial lessons.
Nonetheless, each new user has three trial lessons that need to be taken with three different teachers.
And how does Verbling work?
Well, Verbling is awesome because you can pay per lesson, one at a time, using whichever payment method is most convenient for you.
Classes cost between $5 to $50. Some tutors on Verbling also offer bundles.
Teachers set their own rates, so the system is the same as on italki.
Verbling, on the other hand, offers free trial lessons. They are 30-minutes long, and you can later decide if you want to continue with regular lessons.
Every student gets one trial lesson for free. You can take trial lessons with other teachers, but you’ll have to pay $6 (which is very cheap.)
A free trial lesson is good news for students but not so much for teachers.
Nevertheless, italki and Verbling have the same commission fee for teachers. So, both platforms are teacher-friendly, at least compared to some other platforms.
If you’re planning to teach, italki would be a slightly better option though.
But what does italki actually include?
Structure and Features
Italki is actually a very versatile website. Besides finding an online tutor, you can join italki community and meet fellow learners or find a language partner.
The italki website is very easy to navigate, and you can easily find a teacher you like.
You can use many filters in the search bar: lesson price, lesson type (reading, speaking practice, grammar, etc), languages, and so on.
You can also look for different types of teachers.
Community Tutor is a native or advanced speaker who can help you learn a new language through informal tutoring or practice.
Professional Teacher, on the other hand, is a highly-skilled and experienced teacher who can help you achieve your goals and gain intricate language skills. They usually have learning materials such as textbooks, PDFs, Powerpoint slides, and videos.
There’s also a business section on italki. You can find a qualified teacher who will help you focus on vocabulary useful for job interviews, presentations, meetings, and so on.
And there are teachers who can prepare you for exams like IELTS, Goethe Certificates, DELF, and JLPT.
As you can see, there’s a large number of teachers on italki. And every teacher has their own strengths.
On a teacher’s profile, you can see their hourly rate (and 30 minutes trial rate), their calendar, and a short video introduction.
You can also check the statistics as well as students’ reviews.
There’s also an Instant Teacher feature, so you can find a teacher who’s available right now.
If your trial lesson goes well, you can start with your regular lessons.
It’s important to find a teacher with a good approach, methods, and energy. Of course, the majority of italki tutors are experienced and good at sharing knowledge, but you also need to ‘click’ with them.
The thing is some people like teachers who are talkative and who will keep them motivated. And others prefer calmer, more serious tutors who will help them focus on their goals.
Everyone has unique learning habits and preferences. Luckily, there are so many teachers to choose from, and we’re sure you’ll find someone you like.
Finding a teacher on Verbling is almost exactly the same as on italki.
Verbling is a popular platform with qualified teachers in over 70 languages.
You can search for tutors by availability, language, price, and popularity.
You can also search for specific courses like exam preparations (for IELTS, ESOL, TOEFL, CAE, etc.)
You can also see who is online right now.
And on each teacher’s profile, you can see their resume and video introduction and check their schedule, expertise, current number of students, statistics, and average rating.
You can also see their attendance rate which is pretty useful.
They will also describe what their lessons include. Some teachers offer lesson plans, homework, learning materials, exercises, quizzes, and tests.
They also cover different subjects like grammar, vocabulary, and speaking practice.
And there’s one very helpful feature – specific ratings of a teacher. You can see if they’re great with beginners or if they’re perhaps a grammar expert or motivation gurus.
One thing is for sure: Verbling made sure to make everything very clear and straightforward. On their website, there’s all the info you need.
But even if you’re not sure if you’ve found the right teacher, there’s a free trial lesson option. As we mentioned earlier, every student gets one trial lesson for free.
All in all, Verbling is a great website that can help you find a perfect language tutor.
It’s very practical and easy to use.
Their integrated video platform is very convenient.
There’s also an option to make your own flashcards and share files with your teacher.
But is Verbling a better choice than italki?
Benefits
It’s true that Verbling has many advantages.
It has a well-designed user interface and an engaging website.
You can pay per lesson and use different payment methods.
Teachers are professional and experienced. You don’t have to worry about learning from someone inadequate.
All teachers on Verbling will help you improve your language skills. You can focus on a specific skill or topic of interest, or you can ask them to create a curriculum and guide you through the process.
Either way, you’ll benefit a lot from a website like Verbling.
The truth is, that conversational practice is a crucial part of learning a foreign language. And is there a better way to practice than talking to a fluent speaker?
And last but not least, Verbling has an integrated video platform so you don’t have to use different platforms for your video calls.
But the platform has fewer teachers and is slightly more expensive than italki.
And italki is, after all, the most popular platform that connects students and language teachers.
Also, italki doesn’t take a commission on teacher’s trial classes. So it’s better for teachers as well.
And since it’s better for teachers, you can expect better quality.
Yes, teachers on Verbling are very qualified. But sometimes that’s not the most important thing.
In other words, someone can be educated in teaching languages, and that’s amazing, but some learners prefer a more natural, spontaneous approach.
On italki, you can opt for a community tutor, and have relaxed, casual practice. That doesn’t mean that the tutor is not experienced or good. It just means they don’t necessarily have a degree in teaching languages (and maybe they do.)
The thing is, with a native or fluent speaker, you’re more likely to focus on what you really want. You don’t have to delve deeper into grammar. You can simply learn how to communicate, build practical vocabulary, and talk about stuff you’re actually interested in.
If you like art, why not talk about that?
And if you want to travel to Spain, why not learn some Spanish slang?
In many cases, italki tutors will provide you with structured conversation. And that’s a great way to improve your language skills.
Also, when you feel ready, you should ask your tutor to stick to the target language as much as possible. For example, if you’re learning a new word, it would be cool if they describe it in a language you’re learning. That’s a more natural way to learn a new language.
And that’s why live one-on-one lessons are so effective.
Yes, language apps and online courses are great, but this is how language learning should look – immersive, engaging, and efficient.
Plus, you’ll get immediate, personalized feedback. And that’s something that most language learning apps lack.
But let’s go back to the advantages of italki.
Besides being very affordable and accessible, italki offers some free features. You can also take a free language assessment.
Then there’s the italki community we mentioned earlier, and the possibility to take italki Challenges.
As a student on italki, you will feel like you’re going to a real virtual school. You will be connected, involved, and inspired to keep learning.
And your teacher will provide you with a customized and flexible study plan. There’s no pressure on italki – it’s just you and your wishes.
Some people don’t want to join italki because they’re afraid to make a mistake or sound bad. Well, of course, you’ll make mistakes now and then, especially in the beginning.
But learning a new language takes time, and tutors know that. After all, their only goal is to help you improve your language skills. They’re here for you, and you should remember that.
However, for many people, it does take some time to feel completely relaxed during their lesson time. But the more you learn the more confident you will feel. And with time, you won’t feel worried or stressed about making a mistake at all.
What Do Users Say?
But what do other people say about their experience with italki and Verbling?
Fortunately, that was easy to find out because both platforms have hundreds of reviews on Trustpilot.
In fact, italki has thousands of user reviews. And 83% of people rated it as excellent. That’s a really high percentage.
Users seem to be very satisfied with how everything works. Many of them say that italki offers great value for money.
And they love italki’s community, resources, and language partners option.
Of course, there are some bad reviews as well, but most of them are centered around specific situations where a teacher had to reschedule a few times, etc.
Here are some reviews displayed on italki’s website:
People are also generally satisfied with Verbling.
They say that everything runs smoothly and that they love the flexibility of booking lessons.
Some users complained about their customer service though. On the other hand, some learners said that they got help from their support group and received a refund when they accidentally paid for more lessons.
Generally speaking, it’s good to take a peek at users’ reviews, but you should keep in mind that people have different expectations and learning habits.
At the end of the day, you need to choose a platform that fits your own learning style and goals.
Final Verdict
We hope our Verbling vs italki comparison article made it easier for you to make a choice.
Regardless of what you choose, we’re sure you’re going to have a wonderful experience.
However, italki has a wider range of teachers and it’s slightly less expensive than Verbling. All things considered, italki seems to be one of the most popular language-learning platforms for a good reason.
The italki website is very easy to navigate, and the app is very neat as well.
Plus, there are so many great fluent speakers who can help you improve your language skills in a very casual and friendly yet productive atmosphere.
More importantly, platforms like italki will allow you to actively work on your goals.
And if you don’t have specific goals, your teacher will guide you through the whole learning process and put you on the right track.
Either way, you can’t go wrong with italki classes!
