In short
Neither is cheaper across the board, and anyone telling you otherwise has not read both fee tables. italki's commission depends on how many lessons a student buys at once: as published on 11 May 2026 it was 21% for a single lesson, falling to 15% for a 15 or 20-lesson package, and 0% on trial lessons. TutorBoost charges 10% on Pro on every regular lesson regardless of package size, and 50% on a trial. So TutorBoost is cheaper on single lessons, italki is cheaper on large packages, and italki is dramatically cheaper on trials because it charges nothing for them and we do not.
Side by side
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Where these figures come from
Every claim about italki on this page is taken from their own published material, quoted where they state it plainly, and dated. Nothing here is inferred from a third-party blog.
italki commission by lesson type, as published on 11 May 2026: trial and instant trial lessons 0%, a single lesson 21%, a 5-lesson package 19%, a 10-lesson package 17%, a 15-lesson package 15%, a 20-lesson package 15%, and a group class 30%.
“Trial & Instant Lesson (trial) 0% | Single Lesson 21% | 5-Lesson Package 19% | 10-Lesson Package 17% | 15-Lesson Package 15% | 20-Lesson Package 15% | Group Class 30%”
As published on 11 May 2026, italki charged no commission on trial lessons, so the teacher kept the full price of a trial.
“italki does not charge a commission fee for trial lessons.”
italki charges its Platform Service Fee when the student confirms the lesson was completed, and states it may change the fee at any time.
“italki charges Platform Service Fees upon the student confirming the successful completion of a Lesson.”
italki Teacher Policy · checked
What this comparison does not tell you
- These italki percentages are dated rather than current. support.italki.com refuses automated requests, so the fee table was read from the Internet Archive capture of their own help article dated 11 May 2026. italki has moved this number before, taking the single-lesson rate from 15% to 21%, and their teacher policy says they may change the fee at any time. Treat the figures as what their page said in May, and check the live page before making a decision on them.
- italki is a far larger and more established language marketplace with real student demand today. TutorBoost is early and its directory is not yet open. A better rate on a lesson you do not get is worth nothing.
- On trials and on large packages italki is cheaper than us, and on group classes we have no offering at all. We are not the cheaper option for every teacher and this page is not arguing that we are.
Common questions
How much commission does italki take?
It depends on what the student buys. As published on 11 May 2026: 0% on trial lessons, 21% on a single lesson, 19% on a 5-lesson package, 17% on a 10-lesson package, 15% on 15 and 20-lesson packages, and 30% on group classes. italki states it may change these at any time, so check their help centre before deciding on it.
Does italki charge for trial lessons?
No. Their fee table listed trial and instant trial lessons at 0%, with the note that italki does not charge a commission fee for trial lessons, so the teacher keeps the full price. This is the clearest way italki beats us: TutorBoost charges 50% on a trial.
Is TutorBoost cheaper than italki?
On a single lesson, yes: 10% against 21%. On a 10-lesson package it is close, 10% against 17%. On a 15 or 20-lesson package italki is cheaper at 15%. On trials italki is far cheaper, because they charge nothing and we charge 50%. Which is better therefore depends entirely on how your students buy.
Which suits a teacher who sells big packages?
italki, on the commission alone. Their rate is designed to reward exactly that, and at 15 lessons it drops below what we charge. A teacher whose students book one lesson at a time is in the opposite position.