When comparing Lang-8 vs Ayni, the Slant community recommends Lang-8 for most people. In the question“What are the best sites for learning foreign languages?” Lang-8 is ranked 7th while Ayni is ranked 24th. The most important reason people chose Lang-8 is:
Where many programs will have you writing single sentences at most, Lang-8 encourages you to write short stories or diary entries. Having to actually write in the language rather than simply remember vocabulary is a really beneficial feature for improving real-world use of the language.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Gain experience writing in your target language
Where many programs will have you writing single sentences at most, Lang-8 encourages you to write short stories or diary entries.
Having to actually write in the language rather than simply remember vocabulary is a really beneficial feature for improving real-world use of the language.
Pro Get feedback from native speakers
Native speakers of the language you are learning will give you pointers on your writing, such as grammar corrections and advice on word choice/sentence structure.
Pro Self-directed learning
Write as much or little as you like, about the subject of your choice, at the level of difficulty of your choice, taking as much time as you wish. Intermediate and advanced learners can benefit the most from this, but beginners can still use the site to practice what they've learned elsewhere.
Pro Focuses on practice
It is focused on practice with penpals and it provides content about how to get the most out of language exchange.
Pro Engaging conversations
Writing a real person is much more engaging than repeating words from a program. You are more likely to continue with Ayni than other programs because you can actually have a conversation instead of simply learning words and phrases.
Pro Free
Pro Great to find an active penpal
This is a small community (+2000 active users) but active, as it does not look like a social network but more like a collaborative platform for matching.
Cons
Con New sign ups are currently put on hold
They are not accepting new registrations now, and it is not clear when will they accept them again.
Con Not a good starting place for beginners
The site doesn't teach you your language, instead it allows you to get advice on your writing in your target language. It's better if you have a basic understanding of the language at first.
Con Not a lot of users to interact with
It is very hard to find a Japanese or Korean pen-pal on Ayni. However even some of the more popular languages don't have many users to talk with.
Con Website has a lot of grammar mistakes
The website itself (English version) has quite a few grammar errors throughout. The lack of attention put into the site, especially language errors on a language site, are concerning.
Con Not recommended for beginners
There is no content if you start learning a language from scratch.