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Carna vs italki
italki connects you with tutors by the hour; Carna puts practice on a path, with no booking.
Where Carna falls short, its column says so The italki column checked May 2026, and dated on this page Carna: eight skills scored from 0 to 100, on the CEFR scale from A1 to C2 Schools and teams run on Carna today; individuals join the early-access list
| Question | italki | Carna |
|---|---|---|
| Use italki when you want a specific human tutor's expertise and paying per hour suits you. | ||
| Real conversation practice Carna: Assigned practice in Carna for Schools, in beta | Yes | Partly |
| Live human teachers | Yes | No |
| Use Carna when you want a structured A1 to C2 curriculum with eight skills scored, without booking and paying per session. | ||
| All eight skills | No | Yes |
| Full A1 to C2 curriculum | No | Yes |
See all 8 rows Checked May 2026
— SIDE BY SIDE
Feature by feature.
The same questions, asked of italki and of Carna. Where Carna falls short, its column says so.
| Feature | italki | Carna |
|---|---|---|
| What you learn | ||
| All eight skills | No | Yes |
| Full A1 to C2 curriculum | No | Yes |
| Real conversation practice | Yes | Partly . Assigned practice in Carna for Schools, in beta |
| Pronunciation feedback | Yes | Partly . One of the eight scored skills, not accent drills |
| Essay & writing evaluation | Yes | Partly . A teacher marks essays; 9 of 11 types auto-score |
| IELTS / TOEFL exam prep | Yes | Partly . An IELTS band on a practice grading, not a course |
| How you get it | ||
| Live human teachers | Yes | No |
| Free tier, no credit card | No | No . Individuals join the early-access list |
Running in schools today
A record of every attempt.
A tutor marketplace gives you a person for an hour; Carna keeps the record. In Carna for Schools, which runs today, one student's report lists every course with its latest score, how many attempts it took and whether it came in late, and a teacher reads the same page.
One student's report in Carna for Schools, course by course: the latest score, the attempts it took and what came in late. Carna School London is a sample school; the names, courses, levels and scores are demo data.
FAQ
Common questions.
Straight answers about italki and Carna, including how this comparison was built and what the individual tutor cannot do yet.
Is Carna cheaper than italki?
On italki you pay per lesson at rates each tutor sets. Carna has no individual plan to buy yet, so there is no per-lesson figure to compare; the early-access list is the way in, and schools and teams book a demo.
Does Carna replace a human tutor on italki?
No, and it is not built to. Carna is built for scored practice on a levelled path; a tutor still does the parts that need a person, and the table gives italki the conversation, writing and exam rows for that reason. Some learners will want both.
Does Carna give structure italki lacks?
Yes. italki is a marketplace of individual lessons. Carna provides a structured A1 to C2 path, so you always know what is next.
How did you build this comparison?
Each row asks the same question of both columns. The italki column reflects the plans and features italki publishes, as we checked them in May 2026. Carna is held to the same standard, so where it falls short we say so: individual learners join an early-access list today. "Partly" means a feature exists with a limit, and the limit is named under the row. Products change quickly, so check italki's own site for the latest.
EARLY ACCESS
Get in first.
Carna's personal tutor is still in build: no individual sign-up and no plan to buy yet. Leave your name on the early-access list and we write once, when it opens. Schools and teams can book a demo today.