italki in 10 slides
The largest language tutoring marketplace, with professional teachers and community tutors across 150+ languages. Teachers set their own rates and schedules.
- Language tutoring marketplace
- Tutoring platforms
- Based in Hong Kong
What you do on italki
How the money is made: teaching and tutoring
- Set up a teaching profile
- Students book lessons
- Teach online
- Get paid
When a lesson or package is completed, italki charges a commission on the teacher's listed price. A trial lesson is 0%. A single lesson is 21%. A 5-lesson package is 19%, a 10-lesson package is 17%, and 15-lesson and 20-lesson packages are 15%. A group class is 30%. italki says it does not charge a commission on trial lessons, and that the commission figure is rounded. It also says it does not charge a fee to withdra…
Founded 2007 · next to 37 other tutoring platforms
Work and topics
Good for
What italki takes
21% on single lessons, 15-19% on packages, 30% on group classes, trial lessons commission-free
From the published fees, before payment-processing, currency or withdrawal charges. Work out your own amount →
How the money reaches you
From sign-up to payout
- Sign upFree
- Application and vettingIncludes an ID check
- Do the work
- Earnings clearOn request, Payoneer bank transfers are batched on the 15th and last day of each…
- Withdraw4 ways to withdraw
$30
4 ways to withdraw
Can you join?
Yes, if you pass its application.
You need a computer, a webcam, reliable internet and native-level language skills. You have to verify your ID.
What you need
- A computer
- A webcam
- Reliable internet
- Native-level language skills
- An ID checkBefore you can work or withdraw
- Free to joinSign-up cost
- Application and vettingHow sign-up works
What people actually earn
italki had about 5,000 teachers and more than 3 million users from 100+ countries as of July 2017, per Wikipedia (dated figure, no newer official data found).
Source: en.wikipedia.org ↗How it scores
Strong on access. Weaker on fees.
- Fees2.5
- Getting paid3.5
- Access4.5
- Track record3.5
- Proof of earnings3.0
- Verified earnings
- Open worldwide
- Free to join
- Clear fees
- Payment protection
- 10 years running
- Fully documented
italki against its peers
Guess: next to the 7 other tutoring platforms that charge a percentage, is italki…
The cut of all 8 tutoring platforms that charge a percentage
| Platform | Fee |
|---|---|
| TutorOcean | 12.5% |
| Verbling | 15% |
| Studypool | 20% |
| TutorBees | 20% |
| italki | 22.5% |
| Wyzant | 25% |
| Outschool | 30% |
| MyTutor | 49% |
- At 15%–30%, italki sits near the middle — the median fee across the 8 tutoring platforms we track that charge a percentage is 21.3%.
- italki is the only one of the 34 tutoring platforms we track that pays out via Hyperwallet.
- Founded in 2007, italki has been running for about 19 years — longer than 29 of the 38 tutoring platforms we track with a known launch year.
How much we know
We have 13 of the 17 things we track for every platform. Fees, payouts, join rules, countries and real earnings count most.
What we have
- Plain-English overview
- What kind of platform it is
- Year founded
- Headquarters
- Fees
- Minimum payout
- How fast you get paid
- Withdrawal methods
- Payment protection
- Join requirements
- Countries it accepts
- Real earnings figures
- Wikipedia or reference page
Still missing
- Review ratings
- Support channels
- Mobile apps
- Social accounts