If you’re looking to feel more confident speaking in front of groups, thinking on your feet, or communicating more naturally, you may be deciding between Toastmasters and improv classes.

Both are respected, effective options. They just focus on different parts of the communication puzzle. This page lays out the similarities, differences, and trade-offs—so you can decide which one best matches your goals.

What Toastmasters Does Well

Toastmasters has helped millions of people become better speakers, and it has a strong, time-tested structure.

Toastmasters is especially good if you want to:

• Practice delivering prepared speeches

• Improve organization and clarity

• Receive specific, thoughtful feedback

• Build confidence giving a speech in front of a group

• Develop leadership and facilitation skills

If your goal is to give better presentations or formal speeches, Toastmasters can be an excellent fit.

What Improv Classes Do Differently

Improv classes start from a different place: instead of preparing ahead of time exactly what to say, you practice being comfortable when you don’t know what’s coming next.

In an improv class, you work on:

• Speaking confidently without notes or scripts

• Responding calmly to surprises

• Listening and building on others’ ideas

• Staying present instead of overthinking

• Recovering quickly when things don’t go as planned

These skills show up constantly—in meetings, conversations, interviews, and everyday interactions.

A Few Key Differences

Prepared vs. Real-Time Communication

Toastmasters focuses on planned speeches—like delivering a talk at a conference. Improv focuses on real-time communication—like presenting in a meeting and answering questions. Most people use both in real life, but many people find they have fewer chances to practice the unscripted moments. That’s where improv shines.

Evaluation vs. Experience

Toastmasters provides clear evaluations and goals. If you like having a scorecard to know exactly how you did, Toastmasters will feel comfortable. In contrast, improv builds confidence through repetition, play, and experience. There’s no “right or wrong” answers in improv. One is more analytical; the other is more felt.

Individual vs. Collaborative

Toastmasters centers on individual speakers. Improv is collaborative by design—you’re always working with others, not in front of the group all alone.

What Each One Feels Like

This is often the deciding factor, even more than the skills themselves.

What Toastmasters Feels Like

Toastmasters tends to feel:

• Structured and organized — meetings follow a predictable format

• Professional and focused — clear roles, goals, and evaluations

• Individual — most of the time is spent on one person speaking at a time

• Quietly supportive — encouragement comes through feedback and progress

Many people appreciate this clarity and order. If you like knowing exactly what’s expected, enjoy preparing in advance, and want a calm, business-like environment, Toastmasters can feel comfortable and reassuring.

That said, it can also feel:

• A bit formal

• More like practice than play

• Less social outside of scheduled speaking roles

What Improv Classes Feel Like

Improv classes feel very different.

Most students describe improv as:

• Fun and energetic — laughter is common, even when you’re learning

• Collaborative — you succeed together, not alone

• Low-pressure — mistakes are expected and shared

• Human — you’re talking with people, not presenting to them

Because everyone is participating at the same time, improv tends to build connection quickly. You’re listening, reacting, supporting one another—and that naturally leads to camaraderie.

It’s common for people to:

• Make friends in class

• Look forward to sessions as a highlight of their week (no prep required)

• Feel less like they’re “working on themselves” and more like they’re enjoying the process

Why This Feeling Matters

Confidence doesn’t only come from repetition—it comes from emotional safety.

Toastmasters builds confidence through structure and evaluation.

Improv builds confidence through play, trust, and shared experience.

If your goal is to become more comfortable speaking in front of others, the environment you’re practicing in can make a big difference in how quickly that comfort shows up.

Which Is a Better Fit?

You may prefer improv classes if you want to:

• Feel more relaxed speaking in front of others

• Think more quickly and clearly in the moment

• Worry less about saying the “right” thing

• Improve everyday communication, not just speeches

• Learn in a supportive, low-pressure environment

You may prefer Toastmasters if you want to:

• Practice structured speeches

• Get detailed feedback on presentations

• Work toward specific speaking goals

• Focus on formal or professional speaking situations

Many people find that improv builds comfort and confidence first, while Toastmasters helps refine structure later.

Why People Often Start with Improv

Improv lowers the stakes. Because mistakes are expected—and even useful—people tend to relax faster than they expect. Confidence grows naturally, without the pressure to “perform well.”

For many students, that comfort carries over into presentations, meetings, and public speaking situations they care about most.