I super recommend it! I’ve been using it for probably about two years 1-2 hours every week and the results were obvious when I went to Japan and was able to speak to people without that much hesitation (understanding their replies are my weakest point, but that too has gotten a lot better).
I also find it very helpful to actually have someone you can just pay to schedule the time with, I first tried using a HelloTalk partner, but she was often busy so it didn’t really take off after the first two conversations.
As a bonus you might even make friends (or at least acquaintances). I got to visit a former italki teacher last time I went to Japan, for instance.
The rates vary, but if all you want is a conversation partner I would recommend getting a community tutor (i.e. a regular dude/dudette, not a qualified teacher). These are easy to find at below $10 per hour, which I find to be quite reasonable for an hour of someone’s time.
They’re also more likely to just act as patient conversation partners, not actually try to rope you into a formal lesson (if you want a formal lesson they might not be the best option).
I would also recommend using the three trial sessions you get on three half hours with different people, just to shop around a bit before committing to a full hour, since chemistry is so important.
Well… that got me all excited, but I hope it was informative 