Comparison
The all-in-one IELTS platform: free practice in all four skills, which Cathoven keeps behind Premium, and a full month for less than Cathoven charges for a week.
Compared feature by feature against Cathoven's own website, checked on 17 October 2026.
The verdict
IELTS Studio lets you prepare for all four skills for free, every week, with no card: unlimited Reading and Listening, plus a Writing test, a full Speaking interview and a complete mock test with AI band feedback. When you want unlimited practice, a month costs USD 9.99, paid once. Cathoven keeps its IELTS preparation behind Premium, which starts at USD 21 a week, so a week of Cathoven costs twice what a month of IELTS Studio does.
Every IELTS Studio app, side by side with Cathoven. Cathoven's column is taken from its own website on 17 October 2026; "Not listed" means its site does not mention it. Features and prices change, so check both before you decide.
| Feature | IELTS Studio Winner | Cathoven |
|---|---|---|
| Writing feedback | Task 1 and Task 2 marked against the official band descriptors, a band per criterion, notes on your own sentences and sample essays | Task 1 and Task 2 scored on the four criteria (Premium) |
| Speaking practice | Full Parts 1 to 3 interview with a recorded video examiner, feedback against the official band descriptors and sample answers | AI scoring of Parts 1 to 3 (Premium) |
| Ideas when you're stuck | Idea Bank inside Writing and Speaking tests: points, reasons, examples and phrases to save | Text Rewriter to upgrade your sentences |
| Reading tests | Unlimited free; every answer explained with the exact evidence highlighted in the passage | IELTS-format passages with explanations |
| Listening tests | Unlimited free; every answer explained at the exact moment in the audio | IELTS-format audio with explanations |
| Full mock test | All four skills in one sitting under real exam timing, with Speaking first or last as on real test days; one a week free | 50+ mock tests (Premium) |
| Question-type drills | Reading and Listening, one question type at a time (Pro) | Not listed |
| AI conversation practice | AI chat on real IELTS topics at your level, with translation from your language and phrase explanations | Catbot AI tutor (Premium) |
| Learn from real English | Turn articles, videos and podcasts into IELTS-style reading quizzes, dictation, shadowing, writing and speaking practice | Reading and listening resources, English news |
| Vocabulary | Quizzes from your saved words, your own sentences checked by AI, and spaced-repetition flashcards | Text Rewriter and CEFR tools |
| Browser extension | Free Chrome extension turns any article or YouTube video into practice | Not listed |
| Study planner | Calendar on your dashboard to schedule tasks, synced with Google Calendar | Personalised study plan (Premium) |
| Progress tracking | Dashboard analysis of your weak points by question type and criterion; band trends and an error log with Pro | Progress tracking and a personalised study plan (Premium) |
| Free plan | No card. Unlimited Reading and Listening, plus one Writing, one Speaking and one full mock with AI feedback every week | General English tools with daily limits; IELTS preparation is Premium |
| Price | USD 9.99 for 1 month, 24.99 for 3 months, 39.99 for 6 months | USD 21 a week, 67.50 a month, or 172.80 for 3 months |
| Billing | One-time payment, never renews automatically | Weekly and monthly plans renew; the 3-month plan is one-time |
| Your answers | Private to your account and not used to train AI models | Not listed |
Every IELTS skill, real English and AI feedback in one place, from USD 9.99.
Start free today: unlimited Reading and Listening, plus Writing, Speaking and a full mock with AI feedback every week. No card.
The most complete IELTS preparation you can get in one account: every part of the test, and the English behind it. All of it starts free.
Task 1 and Task 2 in a timed test screen, with detailed AI feedback.
A full interview with a recorded video examiner, in the real test order.
Academic and General Training tests, timed or in practice mode.
All four parts under exam conditions, with answers tied to the audio.
Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking in one sitting, exactly like test day.
Turn real English you enjoy into IELTS practice.
Make saved words part of your active English.
Talk through real IELTS topics with an AI partner at your level.
Plan your preparation and see exactly where you lose marks.
Other platforms test you. IELTS Studio raises your English and your band together, with help at exactly the moments candidates get stuck.
01
Sit a full mock, a Writing test and a Speaking interview with AI feedback every week for free. When you want more, a month is USD 9.99, paid once, less than half the price of a week of Cathoven Premium.
02
Mock tests, Writing and Speaking feedback, Reading and Listening practice, vocabulary, real English and a study calendar synced with Google Calendar all live in one account, so every session builds on the last.
03
Stuck on a Task 2 question or a Part 3 follow-up? Open the Idea Bank inside the test for ready points with reasons and examples, plus phrases you can save. In Speaking you can play example responses, and sample essays and answers show what a high band looks like.
04
AI chat lets you discuss real IELTS Speaking and Writing topics at your own level. Type what you mean in your own language to see how to say it in English, and tap any phrase for its meaning in context.
05
Turn articles, videos and podcasts into IELTS-style reading quizzes, dictation, shadowing, writing and speaking practice. Saved words come back as quizzes and in your own sentences, checked by AI, until you can use them.
06
Writing and Speaking are marked against the official band descriptors with notes on your own words. Reading and Listening answers point to the exact evidence in the passage or audio, and your dashboard breaks down your weak points by question type and criterion, with an error log of repeated mistakes on Pro.
IELTS Studio is an online IELTS preparation platform for all four skills, in Academic and General Training. Writing is scored on the four official criteria with notes on your own sentences. Speaking is a full interview with a recorded video examiner. Reading and Listening answers are explained against the passage or the audio, and a full mock test gives a band for every skill. Around the test sit vocabulary flashcards, real articles and videos with shadowing and dictation, and a free Chrome extension.
A free account needs no card. Pro is USD 9.99 for a month, 24.99 for three or 39.99 for six, paid once. AI bands are estimates, not official IELTS scores, and IELTS Studio is independent of the British Council, IDP and Cambridge.
FAQ
For most learners, yes: IELTS Studio's free plan covers all four skills every week with no card, and full access is USD 9.99 for a month, paid once. Cathoven's IELTS preparation starts at USD 21 a week on a subscription.
Yes. A free account needs no card and includes unlimited Reading and Listening tests, plus one Writing test, one Speaking test and one full mock with AI band feedback every week.
No. Plans are one-time payments for one, three or six months. When your time ends, access ends; you are never charged again unless you choose to buy another plan.
Writing and Speaking are scored against the same four criteria examiners use, with notes on your own sentences and answers. The band is an estimate to aim at, not an official IELTS score.
Start today with one essay or one Cambridge test. Ten minutes is enough.
