Preply vs italki for Farsi Tutors (2026): Key Differences

Level: A1-C2 | Time: 25-60 min/session | Cost: set by each tutor (Preply's Farsi average: $16/hour) | Best for: Anyone choosing between italki and Preply for Persian lessons

Should you book Farsi tutors on Preply or italki? Both work, and the deciding factor is how you want to pay: italki sells lessons one at a time, with optional packages. Preply runs on a lesson plan you subscribe to and can pause. Preply also has more Farsi tutors listed right now. Every figure below was checked on the platforms' own pages on 8 October 2026; tutor counts and prices change week to week, so treat them as a snapshot.

The Quick Verdict

Pick italki if you want to pay per lesson; pick Preply if you want a regular weekly slot and the bigger tutor list. Preply lists 327 Farsi tutors to italki's 186, and italki needs 24 hours' notice to cancel a lesson; Preply needs 12.

Platform Comparison

Category-by-Category Breakdown

1. Tutor numbers

italki: 186 Persian tutors listed on italki, split into community tutors and professional teachers. You can filter by where a teacher is from and what else they speak.

Preply: 327 Persian tutors listed on Preply. Profiles show a video, reviews and lesson counts, and you can filter by price, country of birth and specialty.

2. Pricing and how you pay

italki: Each teacher sets their own price. Trial lessons are cheaper than regular ones, and the trial prices on the first page of Farsi results ran from $5 to $18. After the trial you can book single lessons one by one, or buy a package of 5, 10 or 20 lessons, usually at a discount. Packages expire after six months.

Preply: Preply publishes its Farsi range: $3 to $100 an hour, with an average of $16. After the trial you subscribe to a lesson plan, which you can reschedule, pause, or move to a different tutor.

3. Trials and switching tutors

italki: You get three trial lessons, each with a different teacher, so you can compare before you commit. Not every teacher offers a trial.

Preply: Trials run 25 or 50 minutes. If the first tutor isn't a match, Preply lets you try two more for free.

4. Cancelling

italki: Cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before the lesson. Inside 24 hours, the teacher is paid in full.

Preply: Cancel up to 12 hours before and the lesson goes back to your balance. Inside 12 hours, it doesn't. The same rule covers trial lessons.

italki vs Preply: Who Should Pick Which

Choose italki if:

• You prefer paying per lesson with no subscription
• You want three discounted trials to compare teachers
• You want professional and community tutors clearly separated

Choose Preply if:

• You want the largest list of Farsi tutors to choose from
• You want a fixed weekly slot on a lesson plan
• You want a shorter cancellation window (12 hours)
• You want free tutor switches if your first trial isn't right

Where ZabanYar Fits

If you're a true beginner, learn the alphabet and some first vocabulary before you book, then add tutoring sessions once you can hold a basic conversation. Our app, ZabanYar (coming soon), is built to help with that first stage.

The Verdict

Neither platform is better at Farsi in general; italki suits learners who want to pay per lesson and try several teachers cheaply. Preply suits learners who want more tutors to choose from and a weekly routine. Both list tutors from Iran and Afghanistan, so either way you can find a native speaker.

Read our full reviews: italki Farsi review | Preply for Farsi tutors | All Farsi learning resources ranked

FAQ

Get it wrong and the worst that happens is a warm laugh and a story they’ll tell for years. Get it right — refuse the tea twice, accept on the third — and you’ll watch a face open up. You didn’t just speak Persian. You played the game.