Pick italki for 1-on-1 lessons with a human teacher, more than 150 languages, paying per lesson, lesson summaries with spaced-repetition practice, or Android and the web. Pick Smort for AI conversation on any topic without a lesson first, one flat subscription, or to bring your Anki decks.
Publisher disclosure: Smort publishes this page and is one of the two apps in it. We say where italki is the better pick. Smort’s status: Private beta. It requires an iPhone with iOS 26 or later.
Smort vs italki, side by side
How each app gets you talking, what you keep, and how you review it.
| Topic | italki | Smort |
|---|---|---|
| How you talk | 1-on-1 video lessons of 30 to 90 minutes with a teacher you choose, plus group classes. Book ahead, or take an Instant trial lesson that starts 5 minutes after you buy it. italki Plus adds AI Roleplay based on a lesson. | Live Voice Chat on a topic you pick or type, with captions and translations. Tap Help me or ask Smort to slow down. Up to 100 minutes a month. |
| Languages for English speakers | italki lists teachers for more than 150 languages, including Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, French, and Korean. | Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, French, German, and more. |
| Feedback when you speak | Your teacher builds each lesson around your needs and weak spots. With italki Plus, the Lesson Summary adds error corrections from the lesson. | Checks what you said, not your accent. Kana or kanji both count in Japanese. Simplified and traditional characters count as the same word in Mandarin. |
| What you keep after a chat | After a lesson in italki Classroom with audio recording on, a Lesson Summary lists the topics, vocabulary, and grammar. You can also write a summary from your own notes. | Pick up to 10 words. Smort drafts the flashcards, and you edit them before you save. |
| How you review | Practice turns your lesson summaries into vocabulary and phrase exercises, and uses spaced repetition to bring them back. | Say or type each card from memory before you see the answer. Spaced repetition brings it back when it’s due. |
| Your own material | Some teachers use their own materials, such as books, videos, and cards. You can write a Lesson Summary from your own notes and text. | Make cards from a topic, your notes, or a screenshot. Import Anki .apkg decks. |
| Price | Teachers set their prices: $10 to $120 a lesson for professional teachers, $5 to $120 for community tutors. Packages of 5, 10, or 20 lessons. 3 trial lessons at a lower price. italki Plus is an optional subscription with a 30-day free trial. | Subscription required: $7.99/month or $79.99/year (USD). One plan, with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. |
| Devices | iPhone and iPad with iOS 15.1 or later, Android, and a web browser. Lessons need a camera, and italki recommends headphones and a microphone. | iPhone with iOS 26 or later. |
When italki is the better pick
- You want a real teacher
- italki has 1-on-1 lessons of 30 to 90 minutes with professional teachers and community tutors, plus group classes. Smort’s conversation partner is AI.
- You want a less common language
- italki lists teachers for more than 150 languages. Smort’s Voice Chat speaks Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, French, German, and more.
- You don’t want a subscription
- On italki, you pay per lesson or buy a package of 5, 10, or 20 lessons. italki Plus is optional. Smort is a subscription.
- You use Android or a computer
- italki runs in a web browser and in its apps for Android and iOS. Smort needs an iPhone with iOS 26.
When Smort is the better pick
- You want AI conversation on any topic, without a lesson first
- italki Plus’s AI Roleplay is a simulated conversation based on a lesson you took. Smort’s Voice Chat talks about a topic you pick or type, with no lesson or teacher needed.
- You want one flat price
- italki teachers set their own prices, from $5 to $120 a lesson. Smort is one subscription with up to 100 minutes of Voice Chat a month.
- You have Anki decks
- Smort imports your .apkg decks. italki’s Practice builds its exercises from your lesson summaries.
Methodology and sources
Criteria: How each app gets you talking, what you keep afterward, how you review, your own material, price, and devices. italki facts come from its own pages, and Smort facts from its App Store description.
What we did not do: We didn’t score either app. italki changes often, so check its own pages for the latest.
Primary sources: italki help: What is Practice?italki help: Lesson Summary and Lesson Practiceitalki help: What is italki Plus?italki help: Professional Teacher and Community Tutoritalki help: trial lessonsitalki help: Instant Lessonsitalki help: packagesitalki help: devices and softwareitalki on the US App Store