# italki vs Tutor Lily

The clearest difference is ads: Tutor Lily at none against italki's shown. italki's advantage is ratings volume (9.8K vs 239) and review sentiment (68% vs 50%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. italki sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Tutor Lily sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

italki holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: italki has 9.8K ratings behind it against 239, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of italki's written reviews are positive against 50% of Tutor Lily's.

italki ships an update weekly, Tutor Lily fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | italki | Tutor Lily |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (9.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/italki-language-learning/id1140000003/reviews)** | [4.6 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tutor-lily-ai-language-tutor/id6448189123/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.8K** | 239 |
| Positive reviews | **67.6% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 306 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [italki HK Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/569299241) | [Tutor Lily Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1683846536) |

## What reviewers say

### italki

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/italki-language-learning/id1140000003)

Connect with qualified native teachers for personalized language lessons. Learn Spanish, English, French, and over 150 other languages at your own pace and schedule. Practice conversation, master grammar, and immerse yourself in new cultures.

**Highlights:** Private tutoring with native teachers, Learn over 150 languages, Customizable lesson plans, Flexible class scheduling, Pay-as-you-go pricing, Video call tutoring

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| italki Plus - 1 Month | $5.99 | per month |
| Plus Monthly Plan with Trial | $5.99 | per month |
| italki Plus - 1 Year | $59.99 | per year |
| Plus Yearly Plan with Trial | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great platform to connect with native speakers
- 🚀 Flexible scheduling and easy to use
- 💰 Affordable lessons
- 🎓 Helpful for improving language skills
- 🤝 Positive learning experience with great teachers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with glitches and connectivity issues
- 💳 Concerns about pricing changes and fees
- 🕰️ Unreliable teachers who cancel or don't show up
- 🤖 Poor customer service and lack of support
- 📆 Difficulty with scheduling and calendar integration

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes
- Inaccurate teacher availability information
- Issues with login and account management
- Problems with video/audio quality during lessons
- Syncing and integration problems with other platforms

**Requested features**

- Improved calendar and scheduling functionality
- Better notification system for lessons
- Ability to search for and connect with language partners
- More transparency around teacher availability and cancellations
- Streamlined payment and refund process


### Tutor Lily

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tutor-lily-ai-language-tutor/id6448189123)

Engage in natural conversations to build real language fluency. This AI tutor remembers your progress and interests, adapting sessions to your goals and mistakes. Practice real-world scenarios and receive gentle corrections for effective learning.

**Highlights:** Natural conversation practice, Personalized learning based on goals, Real-time, gentle corrections, Smart vocabulary building, Adaptive difficulty levels, Practice real-world scenarios, Pronunciation coaching

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly PRO $1 | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly PRO Membership | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly PRO Membership | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly PRO Membership | $11.99 | per month |
| Monthly PRO Membership | $19.99 | per month |
| Monthly PRO Membership | $29.99 | per month |
| Annual PRO Discount | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual PRO Discount | $49.99 | per year |
| 6-Month PRO Membership | $56.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual PRO Membership | $69.99 | per year |
| Annual PRO Discount | $71.99 | per year |
| Annual PRO Membership | $83.99 | per year |
| Annual PRO Membership | $83.99 | per year |
| Annual PRO Membership | $89.99 | per year |
| Annual PRO Membership | $169.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for language practice
- 👍 AI is personable and engaging
- 👍 Provides corrections and explanations
- 👍 Wide range of language options
- 👍 Natural sounding AI voice

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitches
- 🐛 Freezes often
- 🐛 Hands-free mode is glitchy
- 🐛 Incorrect translations at times
- 🐛 Robotic and artificial voices

**Reported bugs**

- App settings change and can't contact support
- Recent update removed roleplay/topics
- App is buggy
- Makes users answer same questions each time
- App locked behind paywall without notice

**Requested features**

- Option to watch ads for more messages
- Ability to see pre-corrected version of messages
- Add Icelandic language
- Improve hands-free mode
- More natural sounding voices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is italki free?

italki is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Tutor Lily free?

Tutor Lily is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, italki or Tutor Lily?

italki is rated higher. italki averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9.8K ratings, while Tutor Lily averages 4.6 from 239 ratings.

### Do italki or Tutor Lily have ads?

italki shows ads; Tutor Lily does not.

### Which is updated more often, italki or Tutor Lily?

italki ships an update weekly, and Tutor Lily fortnightly. Most recently, italki was updated on September 25, 2026 and Tutor Lily on September 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*