Comparison

Ludi or italki: a comparison for language tutors

If you are looking for an italki alternative for tutors, start with where your students come from. This comparison shows how much each platform keeps from a lesson, how the money reaches you and what each one lets you do with students who are already yours, using official pages checked in October 2026.

By the Ludi team · Published October 15, 2026 · 7 min read

In short

As of October 2026, italki keeps 21% of a single lesson, 19% to 15% of package lessons and 30% of a group lesson; trial lessons carry a 0% commission.
On Ludi, teachers receive the price they set: a 3% fee (students they bring) or 10% fee (students who come through Ludi) is added on top and paid by the student.
italki's terms forbid off-platform lessons and payments with students met there; Ludi is built for the students a teacher already has or wins on their own.
In the week of October 12–18, 2026, italki was not accepting new English, Portuguese, Spanish and seven other language teachers; the list changes every week.

The difference in one sentence

italki is a language-lesson marketplace: students search for and book teachers inside it, and italki takes a commission that depends on the type of lesson. Ludi is the teacher's workspace: you bring most of your students, charge your own price and teach with your own tools, with the public directory as an extra storefront. One solves demand; the other solves the daily work of a teacher who already has students.

How italki charges teachers

Teachers set the price of each lesson type. italki deducts its commission when the student confirms the lesson took place.
Trial lesson: 0% commission.
Single lesson: 21%. 5-lesson package: 19%. 10-lesson package: 17%. 15- and 20-lesson packages: 15%.
Group lesson: 30%.
Under the Excellence Reward program, teachers with a performance score of 95 or higher get 2% back.
Your balance is held in US dollars. The minimum withdrawal is US$30, requested on the 15th or the last day of the month and paid within 10 days.
italki does not charge for withdrawals, but the provider does: 2% on PayPal and 1.5% on Hyperwallet, for example.

italki information checked in its help center and official terms in October 2026; it may change. The teacher policy notes that commission can vary by lesson type, package and performance.

How Ludi charges teachers

Free plan: up to 3 active students and 24h of live lessons a month, no card needed.
Paid plans from R$99 a month (Brazilian reais) with Essential, which covers up to 10 active students and 80h of live lessons. Your public directory profile starts on this plan.
Lesson packages: a 3% fee for students you bring yourself and 10% for students who find you through your Ludi profile or a partner's coupon, in effect since October 1, 2026. The fee is added on top of your price and paid by the student: you receive the amount you set.
Currency: you build packages in reais, dollars or euros.
Material sales through your storefront: a 5% Ludi fee, taken from the price.
Payment provider fees (card, Pix or Wise) are separate.

Prices as of October 2026. All limits and add-ons are on plans for teachers.

Side-by-side comparison

Point	italki	Ludi
Model	Marketplace: students search for and book teachers on italki	The teacher's workspace, with a public directory
What the platform keeps	0% on trials; 21% on single lessons; 19% to 15% on packages; 30% on groups	Nothing comes out of your price; 3% or 10% on packages, paid by the student; monthly fee on paid plans
Who sets the price	The teacher	The teacher, in reais, dollars or euros
Who brings the student	italki	Mostly you; the directory is an extra storefront
Students who are already yours	Off-platform lessons and payments with italki students are forbidden	The main use case: direct invitation, under your brand
Payouts	USD balance; withdrawals from US$30, twice a month, with a provider fee	Card via Stripe or Wise transfer (abroad); Pix or card (Brazil)
Classroom and materials	Its own classroom with AI that records the lesson for a summary; we found no materials or games library	Live classroom with whiteboard, interactive worksheets, slides, 6 game templates and AI activities
Teacher admissions	By language; English, Portuguese and Spanish were closed on Oct 12–18, 2026	Open sign-up, with a Free plan

Running the numbers: 10 lessons at US$20

Example: a student takes 10 one-hour lessons with you at US$20 each, with no package discount. That is US$200 gross. Here is how it splits:

Scenario	Student pays	Platform keeps	You receive
italki, 10 single lessons (21%)	US$200	US$42	US$158
italki, 10-lesson package (17%)	US$200	US$34	US$166
Ludi, a student you brought (3%)	US$206	US$6, paid by the student	US$200
Ludi, a student from the directory (10%)	US$220	US$20, paid by the student	US$200

Both sides still lose the payment provider's cut: on italki, the withdrawal provider (2% on PayPal, for example); on Ludi, the card, Pix or Wise fee. Ludi also has the plan fee: R$0 if this student is one of the 3 on the Free plan, or R$99 a month on Essential, the lowest plan that lists you in the directory. The math is only fair if the student is already yours: italki's commission pays precisely for bringing them in. To work out your hourly rate, see how much to charge for private lessons.

Where italki is stronger

Ready demand: students are already there looking for a language teacher. If you are starting from zero, that is worth more than any difference in fees.
Commission-free trials: the first lesson with each new student is all yours, at the price you set.
Lower commission on packages: the bigger the package, the smaller the cut, down to 15% on 15- and 20-lesson packages.
Cancellation rules built in: students can only cancel more than 24 hours ahead, and a no-show is paid to the teacher.
Its own classroom: italki has a classroom with AI that records the lesson to produce a summary.

Ludi is a new platform and its directory is still growing. If you have no students and need demand right now, a marketplace like italki solves a problem that Ludi does not currently promise to solve at the same volume. See also how to find private students and the Ludi or Preply comparison.

Before you apply to italki

italki opens and closes teacher applications by language. In the week of October 12–18, 2026, according to italki's help center, they were closed for English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Arabic, while German, among others, was open. There are two profile types: Professional Teacher, which requires a certificate, degree, license or school employment and charges US$10 to US$120 per lesson, and Community Tutor, from US$5 to US$120. In the classroom, AI records the lesson to produce the summary, and the teacher policy warns that turning it off may lower your visibility on the platform.

The list of languages open for applications changes every week. Check italki's help center before you build your profile.

Can you use both?

Yes, as long as each student stays in the right place. italki's terms of service forbid teaching or taking payment off the platform from students you met there: anyone who bypasses the rule owes the fees and can have their account suspended. The teacher policy also bans contact details on your profile and allows credits to be forfeited. So an italki student stays on italki. Use Ludi with students who came through you, through referrals, social media or your profile in the teacher directory.

Frequently asked questions

How much commission does italki take from teachers?

According to italki's help center, checked in October 2026: 0% on trial lessons, 21% on single lessons, 19% on 5-lesson packages, 17% on 10-lesson packages, 15% on 15- and 20-lesson packages and 30% on group lessons. Teachers with a performance score of 95 or higher get 2% back.

Is italki accepting English and Portuguese teachers?

Not in the week of October 12–18, 2026: the help center listed applications as closed for English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Arabic. The list changes every week, so check before you apply.

Can I move my italki students to Ludi?

No. italki's terms forbid off-platform lessons and payments with its students, and anyone who bypasses the rule owes the fees and can have their account suspended. Ludi is for the students you won on your own.

Does Ludi take a commission per lesson?

Nothing is deducted from the teacher's price. On packages, the fee is 3% for students you bring and 10% for students who come through your Ludi profile or a partner coupon, added on top of the price and paid by the student. Paid plans have a flat monthly fee, from R$99 (October 2026).

Does Ludi bring students the way italki does?

Not at the same volume. Ludi has a public directory, on plans from Essential up, where students find teachers and contact them directly, but it is a new platform. Treat it as an extra storefront, not your only source of students.

Sources

Third-party figures and rules checked on these pages as of the last update.

Who writes this

Ludi's guides are written and reviewed by the Ludi team. Third-party figures go out of date, so we review the sources every quarter. Ludi is a Brazilian platform for language teachers to teach online: a live classroom, interactive materials and games, AI, scheduling, payments and a public directory where students find a private teacher. About Ludi

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