Preply is a marketplace where you book one-to-one lessons with independent tutors, so the teacher, the schedule and the price all depend on the tutor you pick. Its homepage confirms a guarantee that lets you switch tutors for free if you are not satisfied. Its own blog says it takes the largest share of a tutor's earnings on that tutor's first lesson with each new student. Lesson prices are not shown on the pages we could check, so compare tutor profiles before you book.
How Preply works: a marketplace, not a fixed course
Preply does not sell a single course with a set path. You browse tutors, pick one by language, availability and profile, and book lessons with that person. That is the main difference from an app such as Pimsleur, where the lesson plan is fixed. With Preply, the quality of your learning depends heavily on the tutor you choose and on how much you prepare between sessions.
The model has clear advantages. You can change tutors, you can pick someone who teaches the exact goal you have, such as a business call or an exam, and you get live speaking practice with a person who can correct you in real time. It also has trade-offs. Tutor quality varies, and we could not confirm a single published lesson rate on the official pages.
What the official pages confirm for students
The Preply homepage we checked on November 4, 2026 does not list lesson prices. It does not describe a free trial lesson either. What it does say is 'Try another tutor for free if you're not satisfied.' That guarantee matters, because a poor first match is the problem it is designed to fix. The footer shows a copyright of 2012 to 2026.
Other details, such as the number of languages, the cancellation terms and how the free trial works, did not appear in the pages we could open. Read them in the booking flow before you pay. Do not rely on a review site for those numbers, including this one, unless you can see the same text on Preply.
What Preply's blog says tutors pay
Preply's blog article on tutor earnings, updated March 2, 2026, states that Preply takes a 100% commission on a tutor's first lesson with every new student. For later lessons, it says the commission runs from 33% down to 18%, and it falls as the tutor completes more lesson hours on the platform. The page puts it this way: the more a tutor teaches through Preply, the less commission they pay.
That structure matters to students for one reason. A new tutor has the highest fee burden on their first lessons with you. The blog does not say how tutors price for that, so do not assume that a new tutor is cheaper or more expensive. Compare the tutors you are considering on their profile, their reviews and their availability, and treat the price as one input among several.
Who Preply suits
Preply suits learners who want to speak with a real person on a schedule they pick, and who can set aside a regular lesson budget. It suits less well people who want a fixed course with a clear monthly price, because the official pages we checked show no fixed course and no monthly plan. If that is your need, compare Preply with an app that sells a set course before you sign up.
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Start Free →Pros and cons you can check
- Pro: a guarantee you can use. The official site offers a free switch to another tutor if you are not satisfied.
- Pro: a tutor for your exact goal. You can choose someone who works on the topic you need.
- Pro: live speaking with a person. A tutor can correct you as you talk, which an audio course cannot do.
- Con: quality varies. Profiles differ widely, so a good first lesson takes some screening.
- Con: the price is not on the official pages we checked. You see the cost per tutor, not a single rate, so you must compare profiles before you commit.
How to compare tutors before booking
Start with a short list of three to five tutors who teach your language and your goal. Open each profile and write down the lesson price, the lesson length and the cancellation rule, because those three details decide your real cost. Then read the reviews for recent lessons, not only the top rating, since a tutor's early reviews may come from a different type of student.
Next, do the arithmetic for your budget. If a lesson costs a certain amount and you plan to book a fixed number of lessons each month, multiply the two to get your monthly spend. Repeat the calculation for each tutor. A tutor with a higher rate but a clear method for your goal can cost less in time than a cheaper tutor who leaves you without a plan.
When you read reviews, look for comments that describe what happened in the lesson: whether the tutor corrected mistakes, kept the conversation on your goal, or let you talk most of the time. Those details tell you more than a star rating, which can reflect a single good experience with a different type of student.
A simple test for your first lesson
Before the lesson, write down two things you want to say and one thing you want to fix. In the lesson, ask the tutor to correct your sentences on the spot and to tell you what to practice before next time. After the lesson, check whether you can use the new phrases in a sentence without looking them up. If you cannot, the tutor may not be the right fit, and the guarantee gives you a way out.
Common mistakes
- Choosing only by the lowest price. A cheap lesson with no plan is still an expensive way to learn.
- Booking many lessons before the first one. Book one, evaluate it, then commit.
- Ignoring preparation. Tutors can teach much better when you arrive with a topic and a list of questions.
- Expecting tutoring to replace daily practice. One hour a week works best alongside your own reading, listening and review.
Preply and self-study together
A tutor gives you live feedback, but most of your hours will be spent alone. Use lessons to correct speaking and to plan the week, then use your own material for listening and reading. For ideas on building that second part, read content immersion vs. tutoring. If you want a cost-free way to practice listening with real shows between lessons, see learning languages with Netflix for free.
Related reading
FAQ
Is Preply good for beginners?
It can be, if you want speaking practice with a real person. Start with a short trial lesson, tell the tutor you are a beginner, and ask for a plan. If the tutor does not adapt to your level, use the free switch on the Preply homepage guarantee and try another one.
How much does a Preply lesson cost?
The official pages we checked on November 4, 2026 do not show a lesson price. Check the rate, lesson length and cancellation rule on each tutor's profile before you book, and multiply the rate by how many lessons you plan to take in a month.
What does Preply take from tutors?
According to Preply's blog, updated March 2, 2026, it takes 100% commission on a tutor's first lesson with each new student. For later lessons, the commission runs from 33% down to 18%, and it falls as the tutor completes more lesson hours on the platform.
What if I do not like my tutor?
The Preply homepage says you can try another tutor for free if you are not satisfied. Use this in the first lessons, when a poor fit is easiest to spot. Keep notes on what did not work so your next choice is better.
Is Preply cheaper than italki?
We could not verify a direct price comparison on the official pages of either service on 4 November 2026, so this guide does not make one. Compare the tutors you are considering on both platforms by the price per lesson and the length of the lesson, not by a headline rate.
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