italki vs Preply for Learning Japanese
Some links here are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Only our Preply links earn a commission; the italki links don't. That doesn't change what we write: every fact below comes from each site's own pages.
italki suits learners who want to book lessons one at a time and try several teachers: italki lets you pay per lesson or buy credits, with Professional Teachers and cheaper Community Tutors, and group classes. Preply suits learners who will take lessons every week with one tutor: Preply bills a fixed number of lessons every 28 days, and has over 5,400 Japanese tutors to pick from (its tutors page). On both, each tutor sets the price, so compare a few trial lessons before you commit.
italki and Preply side by side
| Feature | italki | Preply |
|---|---|---|
| Trial lessonA first lesson at a lower price to try a tutor. | Yes 50% off | |
| Pay for one lesson at a timeBook and pay for single lessons, with no plan. | No Subscription only, per its help page | |
| Subscription planA plan that renews and bills you on a schedule. | No No lesson subscription: pay per lesson or package (italki Plus covers tools, not lessons) | Yes 28-day cycles, 4+ lessons |
| Lesson packagesBuy a set number of lessons with one tutor up front. | Yes 5, 10 or 20 lessons, valid 6 months | No Lessons come in the subscription instead |
| Filter tutors by priceSearch by what a lesson costs. | ||
| A cheaper non-professional tierTutors marked as conversation partners rather than certified teachers. | Yes Community Tutors next to Professional Teachers | Not found None found: tutors set their own prices |
| Group classesClasses with other students, not only 1-on-1. | Yes Group Class tab | Not found None found on its tutors page |
| Free switch to another tutorChange tutor without losing what you paid. | Partly Credit refund for up to 2 trial lessons if a teacher didn't meet your expectations | Yes "Free tutor replacement until you're fully satisfied" |
Checked on each product's own pages. Click a mark to see where. Swipe sideways on a phone to see every column.
Pick them if
Pick italki if
Learners who want to book lessons one at a time and try several teachers: italki lets you pay per lesson or buy credits, with Professional Teachers and cheaper Community Tutors, and group classes.
- Pay for one lesson at a time, with no plan to cancel
- Cheaper Community Tutors for conversation, Professional Teachers for structured study
- Group classes as well as 1-on-1
Not for: Anyone who wants the platform to keep them on a schedule: lessons aren't sold as a subscription, so the rhythm is up to you.
Pick Preply if
Learners who will take lessons every week with one tutor: Preply bills a fixed number of lessons every 28 days, and has over 5,400 Japanese tutors to pick from (its tutors page).
- Many more Japanese tutors to choose from (over 5,400 on its tutors page)
- Free switch to another tutor if the first isn't right
- A fixed weekly rhythm with one tutor, which helps people keep going
Not for: Anyone who wants to pay for a single lesson now and then: Preply says standalone one-time lesson purchases are not available.
Pick Japanese from Japan if
Beginners who want free, short lessons, an English post about real Japanese news most days with the vocabulary in it, and quick tools: the romaji converter and kana, particle and JLPT quizzes.
- A post on real Japanese news most days, in plain English, with the words and grammar from the story
- Free tools beginners use daily: romaji converter, kana, kanji, particle and JLPT quizzes
- Everything is free with no account
We don't teach live lessons. Between tutor sessions, use our free material to keep going:
Where we're weaker
- vs Preply: We have no live lessons at all: for speaking practice with a person, use a tutor site like this one
And in general:
- No full course: 58 lessons, not a path from zero to fluent
- No app and almost no listening practice (5 podcast episodes)
- No reading practice written in Japanese: our news posts are in English
- No teacher and no spaced-repetition review
Prices side by side (as of Nov 2026)
italki as of Nov 2026
- Single lessons: Set by each teacherEvery teacher offers 60-minute lessons; some 30, 45 or 90
- Trial lessons: USD 5 to 15 on the first teachers listed1,218 Japanese tutors available
- Packages: 5, 10 or 20 lessons, "usually at a discounted price"Prepaid, valid 6 months, one teacher
Preply as of Nov 2026
- Japanese lessons: From US$4, average US$19 a lessonTutors set their own rates; search filter US$3 to US$40+
- Subscription: Billed every 28 daysOne tutor per subscription, at least 4 lessons a cycle; change, pause or cancel any time
- Trial lesson: 50% offShown on tutor cards, "No code needed"
FAQ
Is italki or Preply cheaper for Japanese?
On both, each tutor sets the price, so the tutor matters more than the site. Compare a few tutors' trial and lesson prices on each; the price section above shows what each site lists.
Can I take one lesson on Preply without a subscription?
No, per Preply's help page. One tutor per subscription, at least 4 lessons a cycle; change, pause or cancel any time
Which is better for a beginner?
Either works: choose a tutor who teaches beginners and explains in your language. If you're not sure you'll keep going, a site that sells single lessons is easier to stop; if you need a routine, a weekly plan helps.
Do you earn money from these links?
Yes, from Preply: if you buy lessons through our link we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Our italki link is a plain link: we don't earn from it.
We checked every fact on this page on each product's own site in Nov 2026. Spotted an error? Email support@sblocktechnologies.com and we'll fix it within a week.