Both TOEFL and IELTS exist to prove the same thing to universities — that you can study in English. Most schools accept either one. So the real question isn't "which is easier," it's "which format suits how you actually work."
The format difference that matters most
TOEFL iBT is entirely computer-based. You type your Writing responses and speak your Speaking responses into a microphone, alone, in a test-center room with other candidates also speaking at the same time. It's scored 0–30 per section (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing) for a total out of 120.
IELTS Academic mixes formats. Listening, Reading, and Writing are on paper or computer (your choice, at most centers), but Speaking is a live, face-to-face interview with a real examiner in a separate room. It's scored 0–9 per section, averaged to an Overall Band Score.
If the idea of speaking into a microphone next to a room full of other people talking sounds worse to you than a live conversation, that alone might decide it. If live interviews make you more nervous than typing, TOEFL's format may suit you better.
Integrated tasks vs standalone tasks
TOEFL leans heavily on integrated tasks — you read a passage, then listen to a lecture or conversation that responds to or complicates it, then write or speak about both together. This tests a skill IELTS doesn't directly test in the same way: synthesizing multiple sources under time pressure.
IELTS tasks are more standalone — a Reading passage is just a Reading passage; Writing Task 2 is an opinion essay on its own prompt. If you're a strong synthesizer but get flustered juggling multiple sources at once, that's a real difference in difficulty between the two, independent of your raw English level.
Where each is more commonly required
This shifts by country and by individual institution, so always check the specific program's requirements rather than assuming — but as a general pattern, IELTS has historically been more standard for UK, Australian, and Canadian institutions and for immigration/visa purposes in those countries, while TOEFL has been more common for US institutions. Many schools in all of these countries now accept both, so "which one does my target school prefer" is worth confirming directly rather than guessing from national trends.
The practical decision
If you're applying to multiple schools with different requirements, or you're just not sure yet, it's worth doing one full timed practice test of each before committing — the section-order and interaction-style differences are large enough that most students have a clear preference once they've actually tried both, not just read about them.
Edrizz has full mock exams and skill-building practice for both TOEFL and IELTS, including AI-assessed Writing and Speaking feedback for each — so you can try a real diagnostic of both before deciding which one to commit your prep time to.