Last Updated 02 June 2026
In this age of globalization, learning a foreign language is no longer difficult, and many individuals are interested in learning new languages. According to reports, the number of language learners has steadily increased all over the world, with over 1.5 billion individuals actively learning a foreign language. This number is anticipated to grow even more in the future.
Online language learning platforms are gaining massive popularity among learners as they help them connect with expert native speakers in the comfort of their homes. Many language learning platforms, including Verbling, italki, Preply, Cambly, Livemocha, Babbel, Busuu, Memrise, Fluento, Mondly, LingQ, Anki, HelloTalk, Lingoda, and so on, have gained huge popularity in the industry.
Building a similar language learning platform presents lucrative opportunities for aspiring education entrepreneurs. In this blog, we provide a complete guide on how to build an online language-learning website like Verbling. But first, let’s gain information about the key players in the online language learning industry.
Verbling is an online language learning marketplace that acts as a bridge between students and professional language tutors. Unlike traditional language learning apps focused on self-paced lessons, Verbling puts emphasis on personalized instruction with native-speaking teachers across multiple languages. Learners can browse tutor profiles, compare pricing, schedule sessions, and take lessons directly within the platform. Additionally, the platform supports flexible learning schedules, customized lesson plans, and trial classes, making language education more accessible and personalized.
Students create an account, select the language they want to learn, define proficiency levels, and set learning goals. Similarly, tutors register by creating professional profiles, including expertise, certifications, hourly pricing, availability, and supported languages.
Learners browse tutor profiles using filters such as language, pricing, native speaker status, teaching style, availability, and ratings. This helps users find tutors aligned with their learning objectives and budget.
After selecting a tutor, students can schedule a free or discounted trial lesson to assess teaching compatibility and discuss learning goals before committing to paid sessions.
Students book lessons based on tutor availability through an integrated calendar system. Payments are processed securely through the platform before the session takes place.
Lessons are conducted via built-in video conferencing tools, eliminating the need for third-party platforms. Tutors can share learning materials, assignments, and personalized exercises during sessions.
Students track their learning progress, access previous materials, and continue booking recurring lessons with preferred tutors for long-term language improvement.
The primary channel of revenue generation for Verbling is commission. It charges a flat commission of 15% for all tutoring sessions. This means that if you set your hourly rate at $20, you will receive $17 (85%).
Beyond standard commission, Verbling often retains a higher fee, 30% or the entire payment, on the first lesson a student books with a new tutor.
Verbling uses this fee to cover initial marketing and matching costs.
Verbling allows tutors to set their base hourly rate for individual lessons. Once the single-lesson rate is set, the platform automatically applies discounted pricing to lesson packages, encouraging students to commit to longer learning programs and increasing retention.
The package pricing structure is outlined below:
| Lesson Package | Discount Offered |
| 1 Lesson | Price set by the tutor |
| 5 Lessons Package | 3% discount |
| 10 Lessons Package | 6% discount |
| 20 Lessons Package | 9% discount |
Headquartered in San Francisco, US, the company was founded in 2011 by Jake Jolis, Mikael Bernstein, and Gustav Rydstedt. The initial platform, Verbling Friends, connected users who were interested in learning each other’s language via video chat. It was backed by YCombinator,r and in 2015, the company raised $2.7 million in a series A round of funding.
In October 2016, Verbling Enterprise was launched. It is a platform that is designed for corporates to upskill their workforce, i.e., employees can take language lessons online. Further, in 2017, Verbling launched iOS and Android apps. Currently, the platform has over 10,000 teachers in more than 70 languages. Besides some common languages like English, French, Spanish, and so on, there are some not-so-common languages like Turkish, Portuguese, and more.
Verbling provides individuals looking to learn a language with unparalleled convenience, and for a fraction of the price that in-house tutors or brick-and-mortar schools provide. Mainly, Verbling involves one-to-one sessions with native speakers of the chosen language. Learners can use Google Hangouts-powered chat to resolve their queries.
The online language learning market is growing rapidly, driven by increasing demand for flexible and personalized education. Alongside Verbling, several platforms have gained popularity by connecting learners with tutors, offering interactive lessons, language courses, and innovative learning experiences tailored to diverse user needs.
Preply is an online language learning platform that successfully connects learners with language experts worldwide. More than 44,000 experienced tutors teach on this platform in 120+ subjects across 180+ nations.
Is another online language learning platform that connects native speakers with learners in a one-on-one learning environment. Italki offers one-on-one and group sessions in more than 150+ languages.
Lingoda provides online language learning classes by connecting learners with native speaker teachers in small group classes or private lessons.
An online platform that connects children with English-speaking tutors in real-time for immersive, one-on-one language learning sessions.
Cambly is an on-demand English tutoring platform that caters to learners of all levels. It connects them to native speakers via video chat.
Building and launching an online language learning platform like Verbling may seem to be a cumbersome task. However, with the right planning, strategy, and information, this can be done seamlessly. Follow the steps below to successfully build an online language learning website like Verbling.
Before you delve into the development process of building an online language learning platform like Verbling, it’s pivotal to understand the market by conducting thorough market research. Identify the potential competitors, their strategies, and potential gaps in the market that your language learning platform can fulfill. Also, determine your target audience based on:
Based on the market research, select a particular niche that your language learning platform will target. This could include a particular language catering to a specific type of learner, like beginners, advanced learners, business professionals, or individuals simply seeking to learn a particular language dialect. Additionally, you can decide on the type of sessions you are going to offer, like one-on-one tutoring, group classes, and so on,n to cater to different learning styles and preferences.
This is an essential step as selecting the right set of features will determine the usability of the online language learning platform. Here is the list of important features of an online language learning website.
There are some other impeccable features that enable learners to get trained in a versatile environment and increase productivity to a greater extent. Let’s discuss.
Identifying the right technology is crucial for the success of an online language learning platform. The technology you select will directly impact platform performance, user experience, development timelines, and long-term maintenance costs. Key considerations include front-end and back-end development frameworks, database architecture, video conferencing capabilities, payment integrations, and mobile compatibility.
Once the technical requirements have been defined, the next step is to select a development approach. Generally, businesses can choose between two options:
Custom development involves building your online language learning website from scratch. A team of developers and designers would implement your business idea and would launch your marketplace in the industry. In this development process, a high financial investment is required. Moreover, the time of development may vary from a few months to even years.
These are off-the-shelf software solutions that have built-in industry-specific features and functionalities. Ready-made software solutions are highly efficient and cost-effective. Moreover, they have a quick time-to-market and provide a competitive advantage in the industry. Yo!Coach is one such popular and reliable ready-made software available in the industry that you can consider to launch your online language learning website.
Before making a decision, compare the two development approaches based on cost, timeline, flexibility, and long-term scalability.
| Factor | Custom Development | Ready-Made Solution |
| Development Time | 6–18+ months depending on complexity | A few days to a few weeks |
| Initial Cost | High upfront investment | Significantly lower upfront cost |
| Time-to-Market | Slower launch due to lengthy development cycles | Faster deployment and market entry |
| Feature Availability | Features must be built from scratch | Comes with pre-built, tested features |
| Scalability | Can be tailored to specific scalability requirements, adding cost | Depends on the solution’s architecture and capabilities |
| Technical Expertise Required | Requires an in-house or outsourced development team | Minimal technical expertise needed for deployment |
| Maintenance & Updates | Managed internally, adding ongoing costs | Typically included or supported by the solution provider |
| Third-Party Integrations | Fully customizable, requires additional development | Common integrations are often included |
| Risk of Development Delays | Higher due to coding, testing, and revisions | Lower, as the solution is already developed and tested |
| Long-Term Cost | Higher due to development, maintenance, and upgrades | More cost-effective with predictable expenses |
| Best Suited For | Enterprises with highly specific requirements and substantial budgets | Startups, SMEs, and entrepreneurs seeking a faster and cost-effective launch |
Marketing after the launch of a language learning platform is pivotal. It helps in building brand awareness to attract both language tutors and learners. Several marketing channels can be utilized, such as:
Before actually starting to build a language learning platform, it is essential to keep in mind that the design of the platform is key to providing learners with the best learning experience possible. Discussed below are some prominent pages that should be included in the language learning platform, along with how they should be designed.
The homepage of a language learning website should have a simplified and intuitive design so that all the offerings are conveyed in an effortless manner. The best shot in this context is an eye-catching and informative first-fold area that allows visitors to navigate the website further. Some suggestions on how the home page should look:
Other than that, the footer area should feature quick links to various content-based pages like FAQs, about us, blog, and social media handles.
As for the layout and design of the Classes landing page, it should unlock a whole new range of options for learners. Below is a list of suggestions that you need to pay attention to while designing this page:
In addition to this, the language learning platform should support different types of classes. Here are the most common types of language learning classes.
This page will feature the tutors listed on the website. Like the classes page, the tutors’ page should also list tutors with a brief introduction and relevant filtering and sorting options. Here are the elements that the tutors’ page shouldn’t miss:
In addition to this, a tutor profile page in a language learning platform should offer detailed information about the tutor, helping learners make an informed decision while choosing a tutor. A tutor profile page should have elements somewhat similar to this:
The page for tutors to signup on a language learning platform should be simple consisting of the following elements:
The registration form for becoming a tutor should include the following details:
The language learning platform should have the following value-added features for the learners.
Most importantly, students should be able to edit/update their profile information, such as personal information, avatar, email, password, and much more.
In addition to the pages mentioned above, there should be powerful user-level dashboards as they act as a centralized place to see information such as progress, classes scheduled, classes completed, goals met, and so on. The three interactive dashboards include a learner dashboard (mentioned above), a tutor dashboard, and an admin dashboard.
The cost involved in building a language learning website like Verbling may vary depending on various factors such as development approach, feature requirements, customization requirements, UI/UX design complexity, third-party integrations, scalability requirements, and ongoing maintenance. Among these, the development approach plays the most significant role in determining the overall investment.
Businesses can either build the platform from scratch through custom development or leverage a ready-made software solution to accelerate launch. While custom development offers greater flexibility and control, it requires a substantially higher investment and longer development timeline. In contrast, ready-made solutions provide a faster and more cost-effective route to market with pre-built features and proven functionality.
The following table provides an estimated cost comparison for both approaches:
| Development Approach | Estimated Cost Range | Timeline | Best Suited For |
| Custom Development | $40,000–$300,000+ | 6–18+ months | Enterprises and businesses requiring extensive customization and unique features |
| Ready-Made Software | $5,000–$100,000 | A few days to a few weeks | Startups, SMEs, and entrepreneurs seeking faster deployment and lower costs |
Moreover, some other charges, such as hosting fees, application subscriptions, maintenance fees, and more may also be incurred by platform owners after the platform is launched. Therefore, businesses should evaluate both initial development costs and long-term operational expenses when planning their budget for a language learning platform.
Building a language learning marketplace like Verbling involves several technical and operational challenges that can impact user experience, platform growth, and long-term scalability. Some of the key challenges include:
A strong tutor network is the foundation of any language learning platform. Recruiting experienced language instructors, verifying their credentials, and retaining top-performing tutors can be challenging, especially during the early stages of platform growth.
Language learning platforms rely heavily on live video sessions. Ensuring stable video conferencing, real-time communication, screen sharing, and collaborative learning tools is essential for delivering seamless and engaging lessons.
Since learners and tutors often belong to different countries, coordinating lesson schedules across multiple time zones can become complex. Efficient scheduling systems and automated calendar management are crucial to prevent booking conflicts.
Learners have varying proficiency levels, learning goals, and preferences. Providing customized lesson recommendations, progress tracking, and personalized learning experiences requires sophisticated platform functionality and data management.
Handling online payments, tutor payouts, refunds, and commission calculations requires secure payment infrastructure. The platform must also support multiple currencies and maintain transaction transparency to build user trust.
As the platform attracts more learners and tutors, it must efficiently handle increased traffic, lesson bookings, video sessions, and data storage requirements. Building a scalable infrastructure is essential to maintain performance and support long-term growth.
While building a Verbling-like platform from scratch can involve significant costs, lengthy development cycles, and technical complexities, businesses can accelerate their launch with a ready-made solution like Yo!Coach. It is a fully customizable and highly scalable software that has served around 1000+ clients worldwide and has an overall rating of 4 out of 5 at various software advising platforms.
By eliminating many of the technical, operational, and financial challenges associated with custom development, Yo!Coach provides a cost-effective pathway for launching and growing a language learning platform similar to Verbling.
Yo!Coach has served 1000+ clients all over the world. It can cater to 10+ business models and 15+ online learning niches. Many education entrepreneurs have successfully entered this highly competitive industry by launching their online learning platform with Yo!Coach. Here are some of the successful online language learning platforms built with Yo!Coach.
WeYakYak is an online language learning marketplace designed to connect learners with language tutors from around the world. Built with Yo!Coach, the platform offers personalized language instruction, tutor discovery, lesson scheduling, video-based learning, and interactive collaboration tools. Since its launch, WeYakYak has successfully built a growing global community of language learners and educators while delivering an engaging virtual learning experience.
FluencyABC is a language learning platform launched using Yo!Coach to provide learners with access to experienced language instructors through an intuitive online environment. The platform incorporates advanced learning and communication features, helping learners book sessions, interact with tutors, and track their learning progress efficiently. Since launch, FluencyABC has successfully conducted hundreds of learning sessions while onboarding multiple language instructors.
TurkishMate is a niche language tutoring platform focused on Turkish language instruction for learners worldwide. Built on Yo!Coach, the platform enables students to find specialized Turkish tutors, schedule lessons across different time zones, and participate in interactive online learning sessions. Its streamlined user experience helps learners access personalized language education efficiently.
Syllable Space is an online language learning platform that helps learners connect with experienced language learning instructors. Leveraging the features such as advanced search filters, video conferencing, session booking and scheduling, discussion forum, and more, they could offer an intuitive experience on the platform.
Yo!Coach offers the best to its clients and it shows! Watch this video to know what Yo!Coach’s clients have to say about the software and services offered by them.
Building a unique language learning portal requires in-depth planning about key features. There is no need to compete with the already existing language learning businesses like Verbling, as they are already established in the market. All a new business needs to do is discover the untapped potential and create a solution for it. The best solution is to come up with an MVP and validate the business idea. This is where Yo!Coach can come into play.
Yo!Coach enables entrepreneurs to build an online language learning platform with all the advanced features mentioned above. The software is open to customization and can be tailored as per the business requirements. Its live demo is also available to get hands-on experience. Explore how Yo!Coach has helped its clients in transforming their business ideas into profitable ventures. View Portfolio
Ans. Some of the top platforms similar to Verbling are:
Yo!Coach is already a feature-rich ready-made software to launch your online language learning platform. However, if you have any specific requirements and need feature integration then Yo!Coach team can implement those enhancements seamlessly.
Ans. Indeed. Yo!Coach is a highly scalable software and it can efficiently cater to your future growth. Moreover, there is no limitation on number of users that you can onboard on your platform with Yo!Coach.
Ans. Yes. Yo!Coach provides source code ownership which helps platform owners easily make any future enhancements on their platform if required.
Ans. Yes, Yo!Coach offers a user-friendly, and feature-rich language learning app for learners that facilitates learning on the go.
Ans. Yes. Yo!Coach supports multiple learning formats, including one-on-one sessions, group classes, and online courses. This flexibility allows platform owners to cater to diverse learner preferences and expand their service offerings.
Ans. Absolutely. Yo!Coach can be customized to support various language learning niches, including Business English, exam preparation, pronunciation training, corporate language training, academic language learning, and industry-specific language education.
Ans. Yo!Coach offers a faster, more cost-effective alternative to custom development. It comes with pre-built language learning features, integrated APIs, customization capabilities, and lifetime ownership, enabling businesses to launch quickly while reducing development risks and costs.
All innovation starts with an idea to solve real-world problems. At FATbit Technologies we are passionate about driving digital transformation to prepare businesses for a digital-first tomorrow. Let’s discuss your BIG idea NOW.
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Sapna Sharma is a Senior Content Writer at FATbit Technologies. Through her blogs, she brings insightful information to help entrepreneurs and startup owners know about recent market trends and developments in the eCommerce industry. In her spare time, she likes to paint and read books.
Comments (5)
shahin naghizadeh
FATbit Chef
Web Designing Company Denver, CO
FATbit Chef
Joe
hi ,
i want an online language learning video chat platform for mobile applications (ios/android) and website .
can you help me ?
Hi Shahin,
Thanks for connecting with us.
Sure we can help you with this project.
Our expert will get in touch with you to discuss the project. Meanwhile, you can share your detailed requirements with us via https://www.fatbit.com/website-design-company/requestaquote.html
Regards,
FATbit Team
Thanks for sharing such an amazing blog. I must say you are doing a great job. Keep doing such hard work. Your blogs are really very informative. Keep posting! Good Luck for your upcoming updates.
Hello,
Thank you so much for appreciating. Stay tuned for more insights.
Regards,
Team FATbit
Different interfaces for different user types is a smart idea. Also, I have used CometChat so I believe that integrating it on your website can develop a viable online tutoring store (only if the tutors keep the pricing right).