Best IELTS AI Tutor (2026)
- Checked 2026-09
- 3 tools compared
How this list is actually scored
What we compared them on
Does it teach you what to say, or only grade what you already said?
Part 2's 1-minute prep + 2-minute cue card, not generic conversation.
Per-phoneme, or none?
What's usable before paying?
The 3 that actually fit
Praktika
The most tutor-like of the three — guided AI-avatar lessons with IELTS-themed content that walk you through what to practise, not just score a finished answer.
- Price
- Free (3 AI avatars); paid plans from ~$8/mo
- Free tier
- Yes — 3 AI avatars free; paid plans typically start with a trial (card requirement reported inconsistently by users)
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, Web
ELSA Speak
A structured lesson path toward IELTS content plus CEFR prediction — more curriculum than open coaching.
- Price
- Free; Pro from ~$13.33/mo billed annually
- Free tier
- Yes — limited daily lessons
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, Web (placement assessment)
sayit
Less a tutor, more an examiner-adjacent scorer: real Part 1/2/3 timing and a pronunciation/fluency band estimate on whatever you say, without teaching you what to say.
- Price
- Free; Pro $9/mo, Max $13.50/mo (see pricing)
- Free tier
- 1 guest take, then a free account with 30 min/mo
- Platforms
- Web (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox), Chrome/Edge extension, iOS (waitlist)
Compare at a glance
| Praktika | ELSA Speak | sayit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (3 AI avatars); paid plans from ~$8/mo | Free; Pro from ~$13.33/mo billed annually | Free; Pro $9/mo, Max $13.50/mo (see pricing) |
| Free tier | Yes — 3 AI avatars free; paid plans typically start with a trial (card requirement reported inconsistently by users) | Yes — limited daily lessons | 1 guest take, then a free account with 30 min/mo |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web (placement assessment) | Web (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox), Chrome/Edge extension, iOS (waitlist) |
| Feedback depth | AI-avatar conversation practice across 1,000+ lessons, including IELTS/TOEFL prep | Per-phoneme percentage scores across 8,000+ fixed lessons | Per-phoneme heatmap, target IPA vs. your sound, articulation tips |
| Exam fit | IELTS/TOEFL-themed lesson content (not a scored mock exam) | IELTS/TOEFL-oriented lesson content + CEFR level prediction | IELTS + TOEFL speaking practice with a band estimate from 2 of 4 criteria |
| Privacy | Standard cloud app (no public on-premise option found) | Standard cloud processing (no public on-premise option found) | Processed for feedback only; not sold or shared; raw audio not kept long-term |
Match the tool to your actual goal
You don't know what to say yet and want guided content
Praktika or ELSA Speak
Both walk you through IELTS-themed material as part of a structured course.
You know what to say and want to know how it sounds
sayit
It runs the real timing and scores pronunciation/fluency on your actual answer.
You want both
Pair a tutor (Praktika/ELSA) with a scorer (sayit)
Content guidance and sound-level feedback solve different problems.
Straight answers
Is sayit an IELTS tutor or a scoring tool?
It's closer to a scoring tool: it runs the real Part 1/2/3 exam timing and estimates the pronunciation/fluency side of your band, but it doesn't teach content or vocabulary the way a guided tutor does.
What does an IELTS AI tutor actually teach?
Typically vocabulary and phrasing for common topics, and a sense of how to structure a Part 2 answer within the one-minute prep — not something a bare scoring tool provides.
Where these facts came from
- praktika.ai — homepage (pricing, platforms) — checked 2026-09
- Praktika Help Center — free plan (3 avatars) — checked 2026-09
- elsaspeak.com — pricing & platforms — checked 2026-09
- SoftwareFinder — ELSA Speak pricing (third-party; saasworthy.com 403'd this session) — checked 2026-09
Facts about sayit come from its own pricing, features and product pages, not a third party, so they carry no separate source link above. Every competitor fact was checked 2026-09; prices and features change, so treat this as a snapshot, not a guarantee.
See exactly which sound to fix
Record one sentence — free, no card — and get the per-phoneme verdict most of the tools above can't show you.