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78/100

Tandem

Tandem Italian Review

Mar 30, 2026 · 18 features · 11 languages · iOS, Android, Web

  • Tandem scores 7.8/10; strongest area: User experience, weakest area: Course quality.
  • Best suited for: Learners who want to practice Italian with real people
  • Main upside: Large and active user base; main tradeoff: Not suitable for beginners.
tandem home

Score

78/100

  1. Course quality

    60/100

  2. User experience

    85/100

  3. Pricing

    85/100
  • Easy to find conversation partners Conversations can feel overwhelming Great for real practice Not ideal for beginners Some users misuse it socially

Pros

  • Large and active user base
  • Easy to find Italian partners
  • Useful correction and translation tools
  • Free version is very functional
  • Multiple communication options

Cons

  • Not suitable for beginners
  • Can feel like a dating app
  • Too many incoming messages
  • Learning depends on partner quality
  • Limited translations in free version

At a glance

Made by
Tripod Technology GmbH
Concept
Language exchange app to practice with native speakers via chat
Platforms
iOS, Android, Web
Levels
(A1) Beginner, (A2) Elementary, (B1) Intermediate, (B2) Upper-intermediate, (C1) Advanced
Languages taught
Italian, English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Others
Best suited for
Learners who want to practice Italian with real people

Pricing

Monthly
14.00US$
Yearly
80.00$

Free trial: Available; Credit card needed; 7 days

Refunds: Available; 14 days

Feature checks

  • Spaced repetition

    20/100

  • Customization

    70/100

  • Focus on learning

    60/100

  • Personalization

    65/100

  • Sentence accuracy

    80/100

  • Sentence relevance

    85/100

  • Variety and depth

    75/100

  • Audio quality

    80/100

  • Speaker's quality

    75/100

  • Speaking practice

    90/100

  • Ease of use

    90/100

  • Interface and design

    90/100

  • Performance

    85/100

  • User-generated courses

  • Grammar notes

  • Learning path

  • Speech recognition

  • Offline access

Conclusion

Yes, mainly to practice Italian conversations with native speakers, but not as my main learning tool.

Use it alongside structured Italian learning resources and focus on consistent conversations with a few reliable partners.

Alternatives

SpeakTwice

SpeakTwice is the only app that gets your to speak Italian all the time. It comes with hundreds of grammar lessons and readings to listen and repeat, plus an AI tutor to review the courses and practice conversation. See the full review.

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Compare Tandem with other Italian learning apps

See the published side-by-side comparisons that include Tandem for Italian learners, or browse the full comparison hub.

All comparisons

Walkthrough

Hi everyone! In this video, I'll be reviewing Tandem, a language exchange app that connects learners from all over the world. If you're interested in practicing Italian with native speakers, this is one of the popular platforms that people often try out.

Getting Started

When I first downloaded Tandem, the setup felt very similar to a social app. You upload a photo, fill in your profile, and mention which languages you speak and which ones you want to learn. For me, I set Italian as my learning goal. After the profile was approved, I was able to jump into the community and start exploring.

It's worth noting that if you want to use Tandem on the web, you first need to set up your account on the mobile app. Once that's done, you can log in on the web and continue from there.

Tandem app community tab showing language partner profiles

Community & Finding Partners

The Community tab is where you find your language partners. I could browse profiles, see who was a native Italian speaker, and also check their interests and goals. One thing I noticed is that new users appear at the top, which is why I got a lot of messages almost immediately after signing up.

If that feels overwhelming, there's an option to appear offline so you can manage the flow of conversations.

Chat Features

The heart of Tandem is the chat. I could send text messages, voice recordings, or even start a video call with Italian speakers. What stood out to me were the built-in tools:

  • Translate — though limited in the free version, it helps when I don't understand a phrase.

  • Correct — super useful when practicing, because partners can directly correct my Italian sentences.

  • Speak — the app reads text out loud, which helps with pronunciation.

These tools made conversations more interactive and productive, even when I was still making a lot of mistakes.

Tandem chat interface with correction and translation tools

Extras & Pro Features

Tandem also offers certificates for language proficiency and has a Pro subscription. Pro gives unlimited translations, an ad-free experience, and the option to find people near you or in specific cities. For my needs, though, the free version was enough to connect with Italian speakers and practice regularly.

Tandem Pro subscription features and extras

Final Thoughts

Overall, Tandem is a helpful way to practice Italian with native speakers in a casual setting. On the positive side, the community is huge, the chat tools are simple to use, and the free version already gives a lot of value. On the other hand, it's not designed to teach Italian from scratch—it works best if you already know some basics. Also, the number of incoming messages can be overwhelming, and sometimes people use it more like a dating app than a learning platform.

Still, if your goal is to practice real conversations in Italian, Tandem can be a useful tool. And while it has its pros and cons, there is another tool that I would also recommend checking out…