Head-to-head comparison
OBRI vs italki (2026) — Own Your Language Students
italki takes ~15% commission. OBRI is the tutor CRM for language teachers with their own book — homework, scheduling, flat fee.
Best for: Language tutors who already have students and want a CRM, not another marketplace.
In short
OBRI is the best italki alternative for managing your own students: homework portal, scheduling, payment tracking, and no commission on direct payments.
OBRI
Free up to 3 students. Paid from $6.99/mo. No commissions.
italki
Free to teach. italki takes ~15% commission on completed lessons.
FeatureOBRIitalki
No commission on direct payments
Global student marketplace
Homework assignment portal
Recurring lesson schedule
Lesson notes per studentPartial
Parent portal
Free CRM planMarketplace only
Ukrainian + English UI
Works for any language taught
Export student data anytimeLimited
Why tutors switch from italki to OBRI
- You pay italki commission on students you could manage directly.
- You need structured homework, not only conversation sessions.
- You want CEFR-level progress notes in one place.
- You teach bilingual UA/EN students needing Ukrainian UI.
Quick answers
- What is the best italki alternative for language tutors?
- OBRI is the best italki alternative for managing your own students: homework portal, scheduling, payment tracking, and no commission on direct payments.
- Does OBRI find students like italki?
- No. italki is a marketplace; OBRI is operations software. Use italki for discovery, OBRI for running your practice.
- Is OBRI free?
- Yes — free forever for up to 3 students, no credit card required.
Other comparisons
Helpful resources for tutors
Ready to try OBRI?
Free plan forever for up to 3 students. No credit card. Set up in 2 minutes.
Start free