Updated October 1, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team
italki vs SpeakBrit Academy
What sets them apart
| Compare |  italki |  SpeakBrit Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $5 | £89.99 |
| Lesson price from | $5 | £89.99 to £199.99 |
| Free tier | YesHas it | No |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Korean, ArabicCovers more | English |
| Lesson length (minutes) | 30 to 90 | 30 to 60 |
| AI conversation practice | YesHas it | No |
| Price per month | Not confirmed | £89.99 |
| Free trial length | 30 days | Not confirmed |
| Money-back period | Not confirmed | 14 days |
| Family subscription | Not confirmed | No |
Same on both: Kids version (Yes).
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Key differences
- italki scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 8.5.
- Free tier: only italki.
- AI conversation practice: only italki.
- Support channels: only italki offers Help centre.
- Support channels: only SpeakBrit Academy offers Email, Chat.
- Languages: only italki offers Japanese, Spanish, Chinese.
Our verdict on each
italki
italki suits learners who want live tutor time rather than self study app drills, and its 30 day trial gives room to try teachers before paying. The trade-off sits in pricing: lessons start at $5, and regular sessions cost more than that entry figure.
SpeakBrit Academy
SpeakBrit Academy suits families and adults who want live English classes with native British teachers rather than self-paced material. Group plans start at £89.99 a month, and a free assessment plus a 14-day cooling-off window in the UK keep the first step low risk.
Score breakdown
| Area | italki | SpeakBrit Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.4HigherLessons start at $5, and that lesson price ranks 2 of 6 brands among tutor platforms. | 8.3Monthly subscription with group plans at £89.99, plus a 14-day cooling-off window in the UK after you join. |
| Offer | 9.1HigherA free tier, a 30 day trial and the live formats in live 1to1 and live group cover most ways learners begin. | 8.6Live English tuition with native British teachers across 9 program stages from 4, starting with a free assessment. |
| Trust | 9.8Founded in 2006 and run by italki HK Limited with its base in HK, italki has a long trading record. | Not confirmed |
Licences and countries
| Country | italki | SpeakBrit Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Hong Kong | United Kingdom |
How they place
| Ranking | italki | SpeakBrit Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Online language tutors and classes | 1 of 25 | 15 of 25 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | italki | SpeakBrit Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Learning method | Live 1to1, Live group | Live 1to1, Live group |
| Legal entity | italki HK Limited | SpeakBrit Academy |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong | United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2006 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Help centre | Email, Chat |
Online courses
| Fact | italki | SpeakBrit Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Platform type | Not confirmed | Subscription |
| Subjects | Not confirmed | Languages |
| Certificate types | Not confirmed | Completion |
| Number of courses | Not confirmed | 9 |
| Course languages | Not confirmed | English |
| Graded assessments | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Offline downloads | Not confirmed | No |
Tutoring
| Fact | italki | SpeakBrit Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription price | Not confirmed | £89.99 to £199.99 |
| Trial lesson | Not confirmed | Free |
| Lesson format | Not confirmed | 1to1, Group |
| Number of tutors | Not confirmed | 7 |
| Tutor vetting | Not confirmed | Screened |
| Tutor background checks | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Minimum age | Not confirmed | 4 |
| Cancellation notice | Not confirmed | 24 hours |
| Satisfaction guarantee | Not confirmed | Free 20-minute assessment before enrolment; 14-day cooling-off period, full refund if cancelled before the first lesson, pro-rata refund for lessons not yet taken |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | italki | SpeakBrit Academy | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial length | 30 dayshighest quarter | Not confirmed | 7 days |
| Money-back period | Not confirmed | 14 daysbelow the median | 30 days |
| Lesson length (minutes) | 30 to 90at the median | 30 to 60at the median | 30 |
Median across 33 listed providers.
Pros and cons
italki
Pros
- A free tier and a 30 day trial let you test the platform before paying, and the trial length ranks 1 of 21 brands.
- Lessons start at $5, and that entry lesson price ranks 2 of 6 brands among tutor platforms.
- Tutors cover English, Japanese and Spanish, so most learners find a teacher for the language they are studying.
Cons
- Support runs on help centre only, so an urgent booking problem waits in a queue rather than reaching a person on the phone.
- The $5 entry price is above ErsteNachhilfe's €1.99 start and SpanishPod101's $4, so it is not the cheapest opening offer here.
- The $5 figure is a floor: the middle lesson price across the brands we price sits at €44.31, so regular sessions cost more than the headline number.
SpeakBrit Academy
Pros
- Entry starts with a free no-obligation assessment, and placement is confirmed by consultation and assessment rather than a self-declared level.
- A 14-day cooling-off period in the UK, with a full refund if you cancel before your first lesson.
- Group plans hold £89.99 a month, and the subscription means that same figure is what renews.
Cons
- There is no free tier, so the only no-cost step is the free assessment before enrolment.
- Moving a class needs 24 hours' notice, which is awkward around work and school runs.
- Classes are live on Zoom at set times, so there is nothing to download and watch later.
Who each suits
italki
Who it suits
- Learners who want live speaking practice with a tutor instead of self study drills.
- Learners working on English, Japanese and Spanish, who prefer teacher feedback to app exercises.
- People starting small, since lessons begin at $5 and a free tier is available to try the platform first.
Who should look elsewhere
- Shoppers chasing the lowest entry price, since SpanishPod101 and FrenchPod101 list $4 and $4 to start.
- Learners who want help on the phone or in live chat, because support runs on help centre only.
- Anyone budgeting on a single flat monthly fee, since italki prices each lesson from $5 instead.
SpeakBrit Academy
Who it suits
- Families with children from 4 who want live British English classes with a named, vetted teacher.
- Adults working towards IELTS or everyday fluency who prefer speaking with a person to working through material alone.
- Learners who want to test the fit before paying, since a free assessment comes before enrollment.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants recordings or downloads to work through on their own time; classes are live on Zoom and never pre-recorded.
- Anyone studying a language other than English, since the teaching here is English.
- Learners who want to place themselves by a self-declared level; a consultation and assessment set the placement.
Questions about each
italki
How much does a lesson cost on italki?+
italki bills per lesson rather than by subscription. Entry pricing starts at $5, and the cheapest single lesson on the platform is listed at $5. Because each tutor sets their own rate, a first session at $5 is a floor rather than a typical bill.
Is there a free trial, and how long does it last?+
Yes. italki offers a free tier, so you can look through teachers and the platform before paying, and its trial runs 30 days. That trial length ranks 1 of 21 brands in our comparison, which is longer than most tutor and app trials.
SpeakBrit Academy
How much does SpeakBrit Academy cost each month?+
Courses are sold as a monthly subscription, so one figure covers entry and renewal. The Adult Group plan sets the entry figure at £89.99, Teen Group and The Social Learner also sit at £89.99, and the individual Private Scholar plan sits at the top of a range running £89.99 to £199.99. Each booking is a live session of 30 to 60 minutes.
Is there a free trial or a free tier?+
There is no free tier. Instead, every learner starts with a free assessment that carries no charge and needs no payment details, and final placement is confirmed afterwards through a consultation and assessment. Group and individual lessons then begin on a paid monthly plan.