Preply review
Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
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.
Key facts
- Best for
- Live lessons with a tutor you pick and a price you set.
- Price from
- €2 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Lesson price from
- €2 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Free tier
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Languages
- English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, Turkish, Korean, Hindi, Indonesian (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Number of languages
- 90 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Lesson length (minutes)
- 25 to 50 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- AI conversation practice
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Offline use
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Kids version
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Preply Inc. (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Founded
- 2012 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Learning method
- Live 1to1, Mobile app
- Official website
- preply.com
Tutoring
- Lesson price from
- €2 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Median lesson price
- €26 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Number of tutors
- from 100,000 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Tutor vetting
- Screened (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Tutor background checks
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Cancellation notice
- 12 hours (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Satisfaction guarantee
- Free switch to another tutor or a full refund if the trial lesson disappoints (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Preply Inc. (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Founded
- 2012 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Subjects
- Math, English, Languages, School
- Lesson format
- 1to1, Mobile app
Pros and cons
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.
- 90 languages are covered, and a kids version lets a child learn in parallel with an adult.
- Lessons of 25 to 50 minutes suit short daily practice as easily as a full 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.
- Against €0 at Phase6 and £6.99 at Reading Eggs, Preply charges again for every lesson booked.
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.
Where it sits among rivals
On the cheapest lesson price, Preply ranks 1 of 6 compared brands, which places it first on that measure. The wider entry price ranking reads 8 of 35, so a low starting figure does not lift the brand up a broad price table. Lesson price is the measure where the ranking holds, and it is the first number to check before comparing plans.
What it does well
There is no free tier, so any trial has to be paid for. Coverage is the stronger side at 90 languages. Ai conversation practice sits alongside offline access to lessons, so study can continue on a day with no live session booked. A kids version is available too, which lets a child learn under the same account as an adult rather than through a separate app. The offering is broad, and the gap sits at the front door where nothing is free.
Who runs it
The service is run by Preply Inc., headquartered in the United States, and has been trading since 2012. For a platform billed lesson by lesson rather than term by term, the length of trading matters, because refunds and tutor changes depend on a support operation being in place. Support reaches learners on email, chat and help centre, which covers written help and a help centre rather than spoken support.
How Preply compares
Frequently asked questions
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.
How long are Preply lessons?+
Lessons run 25 to 50 minutes, so a short session and a longer class are both bookable. Payment is made per lesson rather than as a term subscription, and tutors set their own availability, which means the slots on offer shift with each search.
Which languages does Preply teach, and can children use it?+
Preply covers 90 languages, with English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch, Turkish, Korean, Hindi and Indonesian among the catalogue. A kids version is available, so a child can be taught in parallel with an adult on the same service.
How are Preply tutors screened?+
The tutor pool stands at from 100,000, and the vetting standard is described as screened, with background checks carried out on tutors. Screening means a review before a profile goes live rather than a teaching certificate, so a tutor with strong spoken skills can list without holding a formal qualification.
Can I change my tutor or cancel a lesson?+
If the trial lesson disappoints, you can switch to another tutor or take a full refund, and later lessons can be cancelled inside a 12 hours notice window. Because the tutor sets the price, moving to someone else also moves you to a different rate, so a switch can change what the next lesson costs.
What support does Preply offer?+
Support runs on email, chat and help centre, which means email, chat and a help centre. Written help suits questions about booking, rescheduling and refunds, though a learner who prefers talking a problem through has no voice channel listed. Ai conversation practice handles short questions between lessons in the meantime.
Is Preply cheaper than the self study options?+
Not at the start: $0 and €0 are both free at entry, and Reading Eggs begins at £6.99, while Preply's cheapest lesson is €2 and the median €26. The case for Preply is the live tutor rather than the price, and the refund or switch after a trial lesson.
Where is Preply based and who runs it?+
The service is run by Preply Inc., headquartered in the United States, and has been trading since 2012. Because you contract lesson by lesson rather than for a course, the company behind the marketplace is the counterparty for refunds, and it is the party to approach when a tutor does not answer.
Sources
- preply.com checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Legal entity, Languages
“2026 Preply Inc.”
- preply.com/en checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Subjects, Number of tutors
“120+ Subjects taught”
- preply.com/en/about-us checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Number of languages, Founded, Headquarters
“from 180 countries, teaching 90 languages”
- preply.com/en/app checked September 30, 2026
Backs: AI conversation practice, Free tier, Lesson format, Learning method, Offline use
“With Lesson Insights, Daily Exercises, and Scenario Practice”
- preply.com/en/how-it-works checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Cancellation notice, Satisfaction guarantee
“You will be able to cancel the lesson for free up to 12 hours before the scheduled time.”
- preply.com/en/online/english-tutors checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Kids version, Lesson length (minutes), Lesson price from, Median lesson price, Price from, Support channels, Tutor background checks, Tutor vetting
“English lessons for kids”
Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Price per month, Price per year, Free trial length, Money-back period.