Whether you want to start learning a new language from scratch, or you already know the basics and you’re looking to brush up on your conversational skills, you might be looking for an online language learning platform.
If that’s the case, you may have come across Preply. It’s not a learning tool in the same way as apps like Duolingo or Babbel, but more of a human-led alternative to automated apps. Preply connects wannabe language learners with a network of tutors, and then facilitates virtual sessions with your chosen tutor.
The question is: how good is Preply? In this honest assessment of the platform from someone who’s actually used it, our reviewer breaks down how Preply works, weighs up its pros and cons, and reveals whether the platform is worth using as a language learner.
Preply Review 2025: Is It Worth the Hype for Language Learners?
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What is Preply?
Let’s start with what Preply isn’t. It’s not one of those language learning apps everyone became obsessed with when they had extra hours to kill during pandemic-era lockdowns. It’s also not a translation tool or an AI chatbot designed to teach you key phrases in other languages.
Preply is more of a facilitator than a learning tool in itself. By that I mean it connects you to language tutors registered with the platform (there are literally thousands of them) and allows you to book one-on-one lessons with your chosen tutor. Sessions are then conducted through Preply’s virtual classroom, which is a bit like a Zoom call but with added interactive features like whiteboards and sticky notes.
But it’s not just about picking a tutor from a list of thousands. Preply’s AI-powered matching system helps you find the perfect tutor based on your individual needs and preferences. For example, you might be a complete beginner who can barely say “hello” in French, or an intermediate Spanish speaker who’s looking to become fluent. Either way, Preply takes into account factors like your knowledge level and budget, and suggests tutors it thinks would be most suitable.
Ultimately, Preply offers language tutoring with more of an emphasis on building confidence. While gamification-based apps like Duolingo focus on things like vocabulary drills and streak-based learning, Preply is about building real-world communication skills and language confidence through personalized tutoring.
What features does Preply include?
The platform itself doesn’t have tons of fancy features, since Preply is more about connecting learners with tutors than acting as a language learning tool itself. But there were quite a few elements I was impressed with, particularly in terms of how flexible and personalized the whole process is. Preply is built around efficient, goal-based language learning. I always felt like I was making real progress and was in control of my own learning journey.
Here are some of the features I found especially useful:
- Tutor filtering: You can filter tutors by language, availability, price per hour, country of origin, and even specialties like business language. This makes it super easy to narrow down your options and find someone who matches your goals.
- Trial lessons: Preply offers a trial lesson with any tutor so you can get a feel for their teaching style before committing to more sessions. If it’s not a good fit, you can simply try someone else.
- Flexible scheduling: You can book lessons based on your own availability, and many tutors offer same-day or next-day bookings. Rescheduling or canceling lessons is easy too, which is great if you have a busy or unpredictable routine.
- Interactive virtual classroom: The built-in classroom includes tools like a shared whiteboard, text editor, file uploads, and chat, which makes lessons feel more engaging and personalized compared to a standard video call.
Is Preply easy to use?
It’s really easy. To get started, you simply pick the language you’re interested in learning, and then answer a few questions to help Preply’s AI recommendation engine determine what you’re looking for. It’ll ask about your knowledge level, learning preferences, availability, and budget, for example. This part will only take a couple of minutes.
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Using the information you provide, Preply will then suggest a number of available tutors. You can review each tutor by viewing a short intro video, checking their credentials, and reading reviews from their previous students.
Next, you can schedule a “trial run” with a chosen tutor. The aim is to help you decide whether the tutor is right for you, and vice versa, before you decide to book in “proper” sessions. If you opt not to continue after the trial lesson, Preply simply lets you book another.
However, if you click with the tutor and decide you’d like to have further lessons with them, you typically pay for a month up-front. Your lessons are based on a weekly schedule, and you can be pretty flexible in terms of how many sessions you have and how often you have them. You might have one or two sessions a week, for instance.
Lessons are conducted through Preply’s in-built virtual classroom. It’s just like having a one-on-one video call, really (which many of us are likely now accustomed to), but there are a few more interactive features, like a virtual whiteboard and a document-sharing tool.
Overall, the process of finding a tutor, booking a trial, and then scheduling lessons is really straightforward (although I had to compare quite a few tutors before I landed on one I liked), and the video interface is easy to navigate and use.
How much does Preply cost?
There’s no fixed cost because prices vary by tutor. The average price is somewhere around $20 an hour for a reasonably high-quality tutor, while some charge much less. Some of the more experienced tutors may charge $30 or more. It really depends on your budget and the type of tutor you’re looking for.
The flexibility and breadth of the platform really help here, though. Because there’s such a range of tutors to choose from, it tends to be quite easy to find a tutor that a) you can afford, and b) meets your learning requirements.
What makes Preply great?
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- There are literally thousands of tutors available, covering dozens of languages at various price points.
- The platform is based around personalized, human-led tutoring. Lessons can be tailored to your goals and preferred learning pace.
- The scheduling side is really flexible. It’s simple to book, reschedule or cancel lessons as needed.
- You can trial a tutor before booking a course, so you don’t have to commit straight away.
- The virtual classroom makes the lessons feel interactive and engaging, rather than just a straightforward video call.
- If you’re not interested in learning a language, Preply also covers subjects like math, business, computer science, and even acting!
Potential downsides to consider
- There’s no structured “curriculum” as such, so success largely depends on your tutor’s approach and your own self-motivation.
- You typically have to pay for a month’s worth of lessons in advance (so there’s quite a bit of commitment involved), although this can help you stay dedicated.
- The quality of tutors can vary (you tend to get what you pay for) and it may take a few tries before you find one you like.
The verdict: Is Preply worth it for language learners?
Yes. I’d recommend Preply over language learning apps like Duolingo because the experience is human-led and so much more personalized. Of course, it’s a slightly more expensive way to learn a language, but you get a one-on-one learning experience and your own chosen tutor. You can really tailor your learning journey to your needs, and it’s totally flexible because you essentially pick your own lesson schedule.
It can take a while to find the perfect tutor, but the fact you can have a trial lesson with one or more potential tutors means you don’t have to commit right away; you can get a sense of their personality and teaching style before you book your first batch of sessions. It requires quite a bit of self-motivation because it doesn’t have the gamification elements of many learning apps; but if you’re willing to put the work in, Preply is definitely worth it.
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