Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team
Drops vs Preply
Where Drops and Preply differ
| Compare |  Drops |  Preply |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $5 | €2 |
| Free tier | YesHas it | No |
| Languages | Ainu, American English, Arabic, Basque, Bosnian, Brazilian Portuguese, British English, Cantonese, Castilian Spanish, Catalan, Chti, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Egyptian Arabic, Esperanto, Estonian, European Portuguese, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Greenlandic, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Maori, Mexican Spanish, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Sanskrit for Yoga, Serbian, Swahili, Swedish, Swiss German, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Welsh, Yoruba | English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, Turkish, Korean, Hindi, Indonesian |
| Lesson length (minutes) | 5 | 25 to 50 |
| Price per month | $11 | Not confirmed |
| Price per year | $69.99 | Not confirmed |
| Lifetime price | $150 | Not confirmed |
| Lesson price from | Not confirmed | €2 |
| Free trial length | 7 days | Not confirmed |
| Money-back period | 14 days | Not confirmed |
| Number of languages | Not confirmed | 90 |
| AI conversation practice | Not confirmed | Yes |
Same on both: Offline use (Yes), Kids version (Yes).
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Key differences
- Free tier: only Drops.
- Support channels: only Preply offers Chat.
- Languages: only Drops offers Ainu, American English, Basque.
- Languages: only Preply offers English, Spanish, Chinese.
- Learning method: only Preply offers Live 1to1.
Our verdict on each
Drops
Drops suits self directed learners who want the same app for a whole household, with lessons of 5 minutes and a free starting point. It scores 9.2 overall, and readers who need a phone line or a long refund window will find a narrower offer here.
Preply
Preply suits learners who want live lessons with a tutor they choose, and parents learning alongside a child. Each tutor sets their own price, so the €2 entry point says little about the bill you run up over a term. There is no free tier, so the first lesson is a purchase.
Score breakdown
| Area | Drops | Preply |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.4Entry at $5, a yearly plan at $69.99 and a lifetime payment of $150 keep both horizons affordable. | 9.8HigherEntry sits at €2, ranking 8 of 35 brands compared, with a 12 hours cancellation window. |
| Offer | 8.9A free tier leads into a 7 day trial, with a 14 day money-back window on the paid plans. | 9.2Higherfrom 100,000 tutors, 90 languages, ai conversation practice, offline lessons and a kids version on one account. |
| Trust | Not confirmed | 9.3Screened tutors with background checks, a switch or full refund if the trial lesson disappoints, and support on email, chat and help centre. |
Which one suits you
Pick Drops if free tier matter most.
Pick Preply if cost and offer matter most.
What we checked
Drops
- languagedrops.com: 15 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Preply
- preply.com: 14 facts, checked September 30, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Drops | Preply |
|---|---|---|
| Language learning apps | 12 of 46 | 3 of 46 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Drops | Preply |
|---|---|---|
| Learning method | App | Live 1to1, AppCovers more |
| Legal entity | PlanB Labs OÜ | Preply Inc. |
| Headquarters | Estonia | United States |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2012 |
| Support channels | Email, Help centre | Email, Chat, Help centreCovers more |
Tutoring
| Fact | Drops | Preply |
|---|---|---|
| Median lesson price | Not confirmed | €26 |
| Subjects | Not confirmed | Math, English, Languages, School |
| Lesson format | Not confirmed | 1to1, App |
| Number of tutors | Not confirmed | from 100,000 |
| Tutor vetting | Not confirmed | Screened |
| Tutor background checks | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Cancellation notice | Not confirmed | 12 hours |
| Satisfaction guarantee | Not confirmed | Free switch to another tutor or a full refund if the trial lesson disappoints |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Drops | Preply | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per month | $11below the median | Not confirmed | $13.24 |
| Price per year | $69.99lowest quarter | Not confirmed | $95.99 |
| Free trial length | 7 daysat the median | Not confirmed | 7 days |
| Money-back period | 14 daysbelow the median | Not confirmed | 30 days |
| Number of languages | Not confirmed | 90above the median | 41 |
| Lesson length (minutes) | 5lowest quarter | 25 to 50below the median | 30 |
Median across 33 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Drops
Pros
- The catalogue runs to Ainu, American English and Arabic, spanning regional variants and smaller languages alongside the major ones.
- Offline downloads are part of the service, so practice works on a flight or a commute.
- A kids version sits in the same app, and family profiles are the most common arrangement on the comparison, at 100% of the brands listed.
Cons
- The introductory price of $5 is a low entry point, but renewal lands on the monthly plan at $11 or the yearly plan at $69.99.
- The trial is short at 7 days against a 7 day median for language apps, and Drops places 8 of 21 brands on trial length.
- The money-back window of 14 days falls short of the 29 day median, and Drops sits 20 of 29 brands on that measure.
Preply
Pros
- You choose the tutor from a pool of from 100,000, so a weak match is a change rather than a commitment.
- A trial lesson that disappoints can be swapped for another tutor or refunded in full, and the cancellation window is 12 hours.
- Ai conversation practice and offline lessons mean study continues on days with no live session.
Cons
- There is no free tier, so nothing can be tried before paying.
- Tutors set their own prices, so the €2 entry is not the bill: the median lesson is €26.
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre, so there is no phone line when a booking goes wrong.
Who each suits
Drops
Who it suits
- Learners who want to try a language at no cost before choosing a paid plan.
- Households with children, since a kids version runs in the same app.
- People who would rather pay once, at $150, than keep a subscription alive.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for readers chasing a free entry price: one of the compared alternatives lists its entry price at €0.
- Not for buyers who want a long refund window, since the money-back period runs 14 days and the trial lasts 7 days.
- Not for cautious triallers who need longer to decide: the trial runs 7 days, shorter than the 7 day median for language apps.
Preply
Who it suits
- Learners who want live speaking practice and are happy to interview tutors until the match works.
- Parents who want adult lessons and a kids version under the same account, with 90 languages available.
- Anyone who values a switch or a full refund after a trial lesson more than a fixed course.
Who should look elsewhere
- Bunpro, because it costs $0 and suits anyone unwilling to pay per lesson from the first booking.
- Phase6, because a course at €0 is a smaller commitment than lessons at the €26 median.
- Reading Eggs, because one entry payment of £6.99 is easier on a fixed budget than a per lesson bill.
Questions about each
Drops
What does Drops cost at the start and at renewal?+
The entry price is $5, an introductory figure. From there the monthly plan runs $11 and the yearly plan $69.99. A lifetime option at $150 replaces both with a single payment, and the money-back window of 14 days covers a change of mind.
Is there a free plan, and how long is the trial?+
A free tier is available, so the opening stretch of a course costs nothing. The paid trial that follows runs 7 days, which is shorter than the 7 day median across language apps. Anyone who upgrades has the money-back window of 14 days as a fallback.
Preply
How much does a Preply lesson cost?+
The cheapest tutor on Preply is €2 for a lesson, and the median lesson is €26. Every tutor sets their own rate, so what you pay depends on who you book and rises as you move toward experienced teachers. Preply ranks 1 of 6 compared brands on the cheapest lesson price.
Is there a free tier or a free trial lesson?+
There is no free tier, so nothing on Preply is free to use. What stands in its place is cover on the opening lesson: if the trial lesson disappoints, you can switch to another tutor or take a full refund. With lessons of 25 to 50 minutes, the first booking is small enough to treat as a test.