The facts side by side
| As of 7 Nov 2026 | BandCheck | IELTS International |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 for 1 month · $9.99 for 3 months [source] | $5.99/month · $15 Exam Pass for 8 weeks · Starter Pack (one-time; the page says “from $2.99”) [source] |
| How you pay | One-time pass, no auto-renew. Fair use: 50 Writing/Speaking reviews per 30 days; Reading & Listening unlimited [source] | Monthly Pass renews monthly until cancelled; Exam Pass and Starter Pack are one-time [source] |
| Free tier | 2 Writing/Speaking checks at signup, first 2 Reading and 2 Listening tests, first full mock test, 1 casual Live Speaking conversation a day [source] | 1 essay a week; first Speaking diagnostic free without an account [source] |
| Writing | Yes — Task 1 and Task 2, a band for each of the 4 criteria [source] | Yes — 20 AI-scored essays on the Monthly Pass [source] |
| Speaking | Yes — live conversation or recorded Parts 1–3; pronunciation scored from audio [source] | Yes — 8 sessions of 15 minutes on the Monthly Pass [source] |
| Reading | Yes — full tests, auto-scored [source] | Yes — 40 Reading + Listening exercises on the Monthly Pass [source] |
| Listening | Yes — full tests with audio, auto-scored [source] | Yes — shared with Reading (40 exercises) [source] |
| Live voice AI examiner | Yes — Turna, a voice AI examiner (beta) [source] | Not stated [source] |
| Feedback languages | English, Russian, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Arabic, French | Not stated (the site itself is in 27 languages, including Russian) [source] |
| Payment methods | Visa/Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay (Dodo Payments). In Uzbekistan also Payme, Click or card transfer — arranged by hand for now [source] | Card checkout via Stripe, billed in USD (specific methods not listed) [source] |
“Not stated” means the competitor's own site did not say, as far as we could find on 7 Nov 2026. Prices are in US dollars as shown on each site. Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected] and we'll fix it.
Where IELTS International is stronger
- A free essay every week and a free Speaking diagnostic that doesn't even need an account.
- All four skills: the Monthly Pass includes 20 AI-scored essays, 8 Speaking sessions of 15 minutes and 40 Reading/Listening exercises.
- A fixed 8-week Exam Pass for $15, paid once.
- Site in 27 languages, including Russian.
Where BandCheck is stronger
- No auto-renew. Both BandCheck plans are one-time; ielts.international's Monthly Pass renews until you cancel.
- Higher allowances: up to 50 Writing/Speaking reviews per 30 days and unlimited Reading and Listening, versus 20 essays, 8 sessions and 40 exercises on the Monthly Pass.
- A live voice examiner with pronunciation scored from audio. ielts.international doesn't describe a live conversation.
- Feedback explicitly in Russian, Uzbek and four more languages; ielts.international doesn't state its feedback language.
- Apple Pay, Google Pay and local Uzbek payment (manual for now). ielts.international lists Stripe checkout in USD.
BandCheck's honest weaknesses
- It's young. BandCheck grew out of a Telegram bot and is a small, independent service. There are few public reviews of it yet — none on AlternativeTo at the time of writing — so you have less social proof to go on than with older tools.
- Live Speaking is in beta. Turna, the voice examiner, works, but it is newer than the Writing grader and can still have rough edges.
- Local payment in Uzbekistan is manual for now. Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay are instant; Payme, Click and card transfers are arranged by hand.
- It's an estimate. Like every AI checker on this page, BandCheck can't give an official band — see how we grade.
Which one should you choose?
Pick ielts.international if one free essay a week is all you need, or the fixed 8-week Exam Pass suits your timeline. Pick BandCheck if you'd rather not have a renewing subscription, want more checks per month, or want to practise Speaking as a live conversation.
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