Preply

What Preply Is

Preply is a two-sided tutoring marketplace: learners book 1-on-1 lessons with independent tutors, and tutors set their own hourly rates and build their own student base. It is mainly a place to learn a language with a personal tutor, and its About page says tutors teach 90 languages and 120+ subjects, from conversational English and Spanish to Japanese, Arabic, test preparation and business English. Learners pick a tutor by watching intro videos, reading reviews and comparing hourly rates, then book a trial lesson.

According to the About page, Preply launched in 2012, was founded in the US by Kirill Bigai and Dmytro Voloshyn with the early team and product built in Kyiv, and today has 100K tutors from 180 countries, 700+ employees and four global hubs in New York, London, Kyiv and Barcelona. The same page calls Preply "the world's leading platform in the $115B global language learning market" and says 1000+ companies use its B2B business to upskill employees. The learn page adds 300,000+ five-star tutor reviews and a 4.8 rating on the App Store.

The Learner Experience

Learners browse tutor profiles, watch intro videos, read verified reviews and book a trial lesson. The app page describes smart matching and filters for goals, learning style, budget and schedule. At the trial, learner and tutor set goals and start a personalized learning plan; after that, the learner subscribes to regular lessons and chooses how many lessons to take each week. Lessons can be rescheduled and tutors switched at any time.

The home page promises "Lessons you'll love. Guaranteed." and explains the terms: if a learner is not satisfied, they can try another tutor for free. That matters on a marketplace, because the first tutor a learner books is not always the right one.

Lessons take place in the Preply Classroom, the platform's live video space. The app page says a learner's lessons, messages, materials and progress all live in one place, so they can follow their growth from lesson to lesson. Live lessons need an internet connection, but parts of the app, such as reviewing Lesson Insights or completing exercises, also work offline and sync when the device is back online.

AI Tools Between Lessons

Preply describes itself as "human-led, AI-enabled": the tutor runs the lesson and AI tools support practice around it. The app page names three of them. Lesson Insights is a personalized summary after each lesson with feedback, key vocabulary and speaking metrics. Daily Exercises are short personalized activities for building a habit. Scenario Practice, marked Beta, offers real-world speaking practice. A progress dashboard tracks improvement over time.

The app page cites its 2025 Efficiency Study: learners who took at least 24 lessons improved their English 3x faster than typical learning timelines, 97% felt confident speaking English, and 99% said their learning path was personalized to their goals. Elsewhere on the same page the study is described as covering learners who took 24+ lessons over 12 weeks. These are the company's own figures, scoped to that study group.

Languages and Subjects

The learn page links to tutors for dozens of languages, among them English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Korean, Farsi, Russian, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese, plus less common choices such as Catalan, Lithuanian, Telugu, Tamil, Urdu and Armenian. For English the site lists conversation practice, business English, IELTS tutors, classes for kids and courses by level from beginner to advanced. The tutor FAQ says there are over 100 subjects on Preply, including languages, school and university subjects, hobbies and art, and the site links to math tutors.

Many tutors, the app page says, hold teaching certifications such as TEFL or DELTA, although the tutor FAQ is clear that no specific certification or teaching experience is required to join. A learner who wants a qualified teacher should check the profile rather than assume one.

Prices for Learners

There is no fixed price list, because tutors set their own hourly rates. The app FAQ says the average lesson price usually ranges from $4-$40 but can vary by subject and tutor experience. The tutor page adds that, on average, English tutors charge $15-25 per hour. A learner subscribes to regular lessons, and the site carries links to a student discount, Preply discounts and a refer-a-friend program.

Teaching on Preply

For tutors the economics are spelled out in the FAQ. Creating a profile is free, as are exposure to students and Preply's tools and materials. Preply charges a commission only on lessons taught: 100% on the trial lesson with each new student, then a rate that starts at 33% and decreases to 18% the more hours a tutor teaches on the platform. The company says the commission pays for bringing in students worldwide and for the video tool and learning materials.

Signing up means giving basic details, uploading a headshot, describing strengths, recording a video introduction of up to two minutes and choosing availability. The Tutor Success team reviews profiles within 3 business days. Profiles that mention contact details or lesson prices are sent back for changes. Tutors need a laptop or desktop, a stable connection, a webcam and a microphone.

Tutors choose their hours with no minimum commitment and can change their rate at any time; the FAQ suggests new tutors start lower to win first students faster. It says the most popular tutors earn up to $550 a week, with earnings depending on rate, lessons taught and how many students continue after the trial. Payouts go through PayPal, Payoneer, Skrill or Transferwise, and tutors get professional development webinars, live chat and email support.

Preply Business

Preply Business is the corporate side: personalized language training for teams with online tutors, booked through a demo. Footer links name corporate English and Spanish training, an English level test for companies, a francization program and language training for employee relocation. A refer-your-company page lets an employee pass on a contact in HR or management so Preply can pitch lessons as an employee benefit, and quotes a Learning & Development specialist at Delivery Hero on how happy their employees are with Preply.

Apps and Devices

The Preply app runs on iOS and Android, and learners can also use any web browser on a computer or tablet. Lessons, messages and progress sync across devices, so a learner can book on a laptop and review Lesson Insights on the phone.

Who It Suits

Preply suits adults and families who want 1-on-1 lessons in a language, often a less common one, with the freedom to set their own pace and budget. Conversation practice, business English, exam preparation such as IELTS, and kids' English classes are all covered by tutors on the marketplace. Learners who like structured follow-up between lessons get the AI exercises and lesson summaries on top.

It also fits tutors who want a steady flow of students without building their own site, provided they accept that the first lesson with every new student pays them nothing and that the commission falls only as their hours grow. Companies looking at language training as an employee benefit can start with a demo of Preply Business.

The caveat is the one every marketplace carries: tutors are independent, and no certification is required to join, so quality varies from profile to profile. Reviews, intro videos and the free tutor switch are the tools Preply gives learners to manage that, and they are worth using before settling into a subscription.