Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team
Jicki vs Preply
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Jicki |  Preply |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €0Lower | €2 |
| Free tier | YesHas it | No |
| Languages | English, French, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Japanese, Russian, Greek, Croatian, German | English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, Turkish, Korean, Hindi, Indonesian |
| Lesson length (minutes) | 20 | 25 to 50 |
| Price per year | €83.40 | Not confirmed |
| Lesson price from | Not confirmed | €2 |
| Money-back period | 20 days | Not confirmed |
| Number of languages | Not confirmed | 90 |
| AI conversation practice | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Kids version | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Markets | DE, AT, CH | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Offline use (Yes).
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Key differences
- Price from is lower at Jicki: €0 vs €2.
- Free tier: only Jicki.
- Support channels: only Jicki offers Phone.
- Support channels: only Preply offers Chat.
- Founded is lower at Preply: 2012 vs 2017.
- Languages: only Jicki offers Swedish, Russian, Greek.
- Languages: only Preply offers Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese.
- Learning method: only Jicki offers Audio.
- Learning method: only Preply offers Live 1to1.
Our verdict on each
Jicki
Jicki suits families and busy adults in Germany, AT and CH who want short daily app and audio sessions without a big upfront cost. A free tier plus an annual plan at €83.40 keeps the commitment light, though the DE, AT and CH footprint makes it a regional pick rather than a global one.
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 | Jicki | Preply |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.5Entry price of €0 against a €35.08 median, and an annual plan of €83.40 against phase6 at €35.99 to €59.99. | 9.8HigherEntry sits at €2, ranking 8 of 35 brands compared, with a 12 hours cancellation window. |
| Offer | 9.2A free tier, offline use and a 20 day refund window, with sessions of 20 minutes in the app and audio. | 9.2from 100,000 tutors, 90 languages, ai conversation practice, offline lessons and a kids version on one account. |
| Trust | 8.4Jicki GmbH trading since 2017 in DE, with support on email, phone and help centre and a 20 day refund period. | 9.3HigherScreened 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 Jicki if price from and free tier matter most.
Pick Preply if cost and trust matter most.
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Jicki | Preply |
|---|---|---|
| Language learning apps | 15 of 46 | 3 of 46 |
What we checked
Jicki
- jicki.de: 13 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Preply
- preply.com: 14 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Jicki | Preply |
|---|---|---|
| Learning method | App, Audio | Live 1to1, App |
| Legal entity | Jicki GmbH | Preply Inc. |
| Headquarters | Germany | United States |
| Founded | 2017 | 2012Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centre | Email, Chat, Help centre |
Tutoring
| Fact | Jicki | 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 | Jicki | Preply | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | €0lowest quarter | €2below the median | €8.25 |
| Price per year | €83.40below the median | Not confirmed | €91.20 |
| Money-back period | 20 daysbelow the median | Not confirmed | 30 days |
| Number of languages | Not confirmed | 90above the median | 41 |
| Lesson length (minutes) | 20lowest quarter | 25 to 50below the median | 30 |
Median across 33 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Jicki
Pros
- Entry price of €0 ranks 1 of 35 brands compared on price from.
- Offline use is supported, so lessons run on a commute or a flight with no connection.
- A free tier lets a household test the habit across several members before paying.
Cons
- The annual plan runs €83.40 a year, above phase6 at €35.99 to €59.99.
- The catalogue is fixed to English, French and Spanish, so a household studying something outside that set has to look elsewhere.
- The money-back period of 20 days ranks at 18 of 29, leaving the refund offer in the middle of the group.
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
Jicki
Who it suits
- Families in Germany, AT and CH who want a free tier to try before committing to a year.
- Learners who study where reception is poor, since offline use is supported.
- Short-session learners: sessions run 20 minutes through the app and audio.
Who should look elsewhere
- phase6 first for anyone shopping on the annual bill, since it lists €35.99 to €59.99 a year against €83.40 here.
- Reading Eggs for households happy to pay from the start, at £6.99, rather than beginning at €0.
- Bunpro for learners who want billing in dollars, with an entry price of $0.
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
Jicki
Does Jicki have a free version?+
Yes. Jicki runs a free tier, so you can open the app and work through early material without paying, and the entry price is €0. Free access is the quickest way to see whether the short daily sessions match your routine before you commit to an annual plan.
What does Jicki cost to start and over a year?+
Entry is €0, so the first step costs nothing. The annual plan is €83.40 for a year, priced as a single payment rather than a rolling bill. Readers who shop mainly on renewal cost should weight the yearly figure, because the free start and the annual charge are two different numbers.
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.