The Ultimate 2024 Preply Review

Updated on: January 2, 2024
Preply review

In this Preply review, we will look at the dynamic online language-learning platform revered by language learners globally. Beginning with a detailed overview, we will go through the platform's foundation, diverse language options, private tutors offering personalized guidance, flexible scheduling, and an array of teaching methods. 

An insightful analysis of Preply's pros and cons to empower you to make informed decisions. We will compare Preply with popular language apps and pit it against other language-learning heavyweights like Lingoda, Baselang, and Pimsleur. 

Preply Overview

Preply is an online education platform that connects learners with private tutors for personalized one-on-one lessons. Catering to diverse subjects, Preply is primarily known for language learning, offering instruction in Spanish to Mandarin. The platform allows users to choose tutors based on factors like expertise, availability, and pricing, fostering a flexible and tailored learning experience. 

Preply employs various teaching methods, including conversation-based approaches, structured lesson plans, and interactive exercises, allowing students to choose the style that best suits their learning preferences. With a global network of tutors, Preply provides a convenient and accessible platform for individuals seeking to enhance their skills or acquire new ones through personalized online tutoring sessions.

Preply Features 

These features collectively create a comprehensive and user-friendly language learning experience on the Preply platform.

Diverse Language Options

Preply is a language learning app that offers courses in over 50 languages: 

Russian, Turkish, Greek, Vietnamese, Danish, Ukrainian, Hindi, Catalan, Slovak, Czech, Punjabi, Bengali, Hungarian, Dutch, Telugu, Lithuanian, Finnish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Swedish, Italian, Arabic, Thai, Japanese, Croatian, German, Hebrew, Tagalog, Persian (Farsi), Serbian, Chinese, Spanish, English, Tamil, Norwegian, Portuguese, French, Urdu, and Armenian.

Private Tutors

Preply has over 32,000 experienced tutors from 185 countries, and students can choose from native speakers and certified private tutors. The app offers a wide range of options to choose from, allowing students to search for tutors based on their qualifications, availability, and teaching style. 

The tutors conduct a background check to ensure their credentials are legitimate and that students get the highest quality online lessons. Preply makes online tutoring affordable by allowing tutors to set their own prices, and students can narrow their search by setting their budget and availability.

Flexible Scheduling

Preply offers flexible scheduling options for both students and tutors. Students can change their monthly subscription plan from month to month, allowing them to adjust their classes to fit their schedules and goals. Additionally, students can pause their subscription if they or their tutor cannot continue lessons, and they can pause the subscription for as long as they want or need to. Preply encourages students to keep a weekly cadence for their lessons, as sticking to a regular schedule has been observed to support effective learning.

For tutors, Preply allows them to set their own schedule, decide on pay, and take time off when they want to. This flexibility enables tutors to manage their workload according to their availability and preferences, providing a balanced teaching and personal time approach.

Preply's emphasis on flexibility in scheduling benefits both students and tutors, allowing for a tailored and convenient learning experience for all parties involved.

Varied Teaching Methods

Preply offers a variety of teaching methods through its diverse pool of tutors. These methods are tailored to create engaging, effective, and relaxed learning experiences for students: 

  • Translation Method: This method involves translating words and phrases from the target language to the native language and vice versa. It can be a helpful tool for understanding vocabulary and sentence structure.
  • Audio-Lingual Method: This method emphasizes the use of audio and repetition to reinforce language patterns and structures. It focuses on listening and speaking skills, making it a practical approach to language acquisition.
  • Direct Method: The direct method encourages the use of the target language in teaching, avoiding translation and emphasizing oral communication. It aims to develop natural language acquisition through immersion and conversation.
  • Total Physical Response (TPR) Method: This method involves using physical movement and response to language input. It is particularly useful for beginners, creating a non-stressful and rewarding language learning experience.
  • Engage-Study-Activate (ESA) Method: This method is a flexible and practical approach to language learning, especially in the context of English teaching. It involves engaging students, studying language concepts, and activating their skills through practice and real-life situations.

Preply also provides a robust teaching guide for tutors, offering resources to help them prepare for classes more efficiently and create a better learning experience for their students. This emphasis on varied teaching methods and comprehensive support reflects Preply's commitment to delivering high-quality, individualized lessons to its students.

Tutor Reviews and Ratings

Preply, a platform for online language learning, has received positive reviews and ratings from both students and tutors. 

Students Reviews

  • Students have praised the platform's flexibility, allowing them to find tutors conveniently and switch tutors if needed.
  • The quality of tutors, variety of subjects, and customer support have received high ratings, with scores ranging from 4.7 to 4.9 out of 5.
  • Students appreciate the personalized learning plans created by tutors and the overall freedom and professional guidance Preply provides.

Tutor Reviews

  • Tutors have highlighted the ease of teaching on the platform, with features like access to student schedules and professional development resources.
  • However, some tutors have expressed concerns about unpaid trial lessons, high commission, and resulting low earnings.
  • The platform has been commended for providing information about schedules and handling administrative tasks, allowing tutors to focus on teaching.

Lesson Packages and Pricing

Preply offers a range of pricing packages for students, with prices starting from as low as $5 per hour. The platform offers a subscription-based model, where students can subscribe to a weekly or monthly plan, depending on their needs and budget. 

  • The weekly projects range from 1 to 5 lessons per week. 
  • The monthly plans offer more flexibility, allowing students to choose the number of lessons they want each month. 
  • Preply offers a 15% discount on monthly subscriptions for active university students.

The pricing for tutors on Preply is flexible, with tutors setting their own hourly rates. However, Preply charges a commission fee on each lesson, which varies depending on the tutor's experience and the number of lessons they have taught on the platform.

Trial Lessons

Preply does not provide free lessons but offers trial lessons as part of its 100% satisfaction guarantee policy. During a trial lesson, students can assess whether the tutor is a good match for them, and they can expect to engage in activities such as introductions, goal sharing, language skill assessment, and collaborative learning plan creation. 

It's important to note that trial lessons are not free, and students must pay for them, as they utilize Preply's equipment and materials to provide a feel for the lessons.

Preply's teaching guide emphasizes the importance of perfecting trial lessons and offers resources to help tutors prepare for classes more efficiently, creating a better student learning experience. Additionally, Preply provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee policy, allowing students to request a free tutor replacement or a refund if the lesson does not meet their expectations.

Learning Materials

Preply offers a variety of learning materials for both students and tutors. The app has a platform where tutors can upload and share learning materials with their students. These materials might include PDFs, documents, images, links to external resources, and more. Students can access these materials during or after lessons, providing supplementary resources to aid their language learning journey.

Preply also provides free teaching materials for English and Spanish tutors created by pedagogical experts designed to meet students' needs. These materials include conversation starters, homework assignments, and progress tests to track students' achievements. 

Preply also offers free continuing professional development resources for tutors, including hundreds of free courses to help tutors work with different types of students, improve their teaching skills, and succeed on the platform. Additionally, Preply hosts weekly webinars and an annual tutors conference, where tutors can watch webinars created and delivered by other Preply tutors.

Progress Tracking

Preply offers various methods for tracking language learning progress for individual learners and corporate teams. 

  • Progress Tests: Preply offers regular progress tests linked to specific learning modules, allowing learners to track their progress accurately. These tests provide a straightforward way to measure where learners started and how much they have progressed, helping them understand their advancement in the language they are learning.
  • Speaking Tracker Tool: The speaking tracker tool provided by Preply analyzes speaking activity during lessons and shows statistics based on it, motivating students to speak more, which is essential for language development.
  • SMART Goals: Preply recommends using SMART goals as a popular way to track progress on an individual level. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, providing guidelines for setting goals and monitoring progress.
  • Technology-Based Tracking Tools: Preply's corporate dashboard allows management or program coordinators to track each employee’s level, attendance, and progress in one place, providing a big-picture understanding of the program's effectiveness and results.
  • Feedback and Level Tests: Learners can track their progress through their tutor's feedback, the results of level tests, and Preply's level tests, which can show learners where they started and how much they've progressed in a transparent way.

These tracking methods and tools provided by Preply aim to involve learners in the tracking process, helping them stay motivated and engaged in their language learning experience. For corporate teams, Preply offers tools to track employees' progress, ensure that language learning programs function well, and deliver results.

Secure Online Platform

Preply is a reputable and secure platform for online language learning, as evidenced by positive user reviews and the platform's commitment to privacy and security; it can be trusted as a legitimate and safe platform for online language learning, as supported by user testimonials, platform security measures, and the platform's privacy policy.

Platform Security

  • Preply utilizes secure protocols to protect user data and transactions, ensuring the confidentiality of user information and following privacy laws and regulations.
  • The platform uses advanced encryption technology to safeguard financial information during transactions, providing a safe environment for making online payments.
  • Preply's virtual classroom offers a high-quality and secure online learning environment for students and tutors, ensuring a safe and reliable space for educational interactions.

Privacy Policy

Preply's privacy policy outlines the processing of personal data and the platform's commitment to protecting user information, including collecting specific data for providing information regarding Preply Business Services and using third-party payment providers for secure transactions.

Customer Support

Preply offers customer support through various channels, including live chat, email, and a support center within the app. The customer support team is available 24/7 and aims to respond to queries within 10 minutes through live chat and within 2 hours through email.

Preply does not provide customer support by phone or video calls. However, the platform's customer support team is available to handle requests from students and tutors and aims to provide timely and practical solutions to any issues that may arise.

Preply Pros & Cons

Preply is a reliable and secure platform for online language learning, with occasional concerns about commission rates and support offset by positive reviews and a commitment to privacy and security; let’s see: 

Preply Pros

  • Students can set their own schedules, providing a personalized and adaptable learning experience.
  • Preply offers many tutors, increasing the chances of finding the most suitable tutor for individual needs.
  • The platform is user-friendly and straightforward, making it comfortable for users, even those less confident with technology.
  • The 1-on-1 learning format allows tailored lessons to meet individual needs and habits.
  • Preply offers opportunities for tutors to choose whom they work with, providing financial benefits.
  • New users receive reduced rates and the option to take a trial lesson before committing to more hours with a tutor.
  • Tutors are responsive and helpful, contacting students before lessons to establish class plans and determine the best program.
  • The platform ensures secure payment processes and lessons, providing a trustworthy learning experience.

Preply Cons

  • Some tutors have expressed concerns about high commission rates, which can result in low earnings.
  • Issues regarding unpaid trial lessons and difficulties acquiring students34 have been reported.
  • Some users have reported challenges with Preply's support team, citing long wait times and unhelpful responses.
  • There have been reports of platform glitches affecting the user experience.
  • There is pressure on teachers to sell Preply packages, and there are more adult students than children.
  • Some tutors have reported instances of student accounts being blocked without reason.

Preply VS Language Apps

Preply, Lingoda, Baselang, Italki, Pimsleur, and Babbel are all language learning platforms that offer different features and benefits. Take a look at this comparison of some of the key differences between these platforms:

Preply VS Lingoda

We are looking here at two platforms with totally different approaches: one focused on personalization and the other on course structure, let's see more differences: 

PREPLYLINGODA
Preply is a teacher marketplace that offers personalized lessons.Lingoda is an online language school that provides structured courses with certified teachers.
Preply offers a wider range of languages and tutors.Lingoda focuses on fewer languages but guarantees the qualifications and experience of its teachers.
Preply offers more flexible scheduling options.Lingoda offers more structured courses with set schedules.

Preply VS Baselang

Preply and Italki are two similar platforms in terms of connection with native teachers, you should thoroughly explore which application best suits your needs and possibilities. 

PREPLYITALKI
Preply offers a more user-friendly platform with features such as Preply Space, which allows for transparent exchanges between teachers and students.Italki offers a wider range of languages and tutors.
The platform has a diverse pool of tutors worldwide, allowing learners to connect with instructors who understand cultural nuances.iTalki has a strong community aspect with discussion forums, language partners, and a sense of belonging for enthusiasts.
Preply connects students with private tutors, allowing users to choose instructors based on expertise, availability, and pricing.iTalki offers professional teachers, community tutors, and language exchange partners for a more informal learning experience.

Preply VS Baselang

This is the case where we can compare an application that is very strong in a specific language - like Baselang in Spanish; so if you want to learn this language, we recommend you look for the best ones for your learning. 

PREPLYBASELANG
Preply is an online tutoring service that connects language learners with private tutors worldwide, offering a wide range of subjects, including languages.Baselang specializes in Spanish language learning and offers a set curriculum to help learners become fluent in Spanish.
It provides personalized lessons with individual tutors, allowing students to set their own schedules and choose their preferred tutors based on their needs and preferences.It provides unlimited one-on-one lessons for a monthly subscription fee, focusing on providing a structured approach to language learning.
Preply offers a user-friendly platform and has received positive reviews for its affordability and ability to connect students with diverse tutors.Baselang offers hundreds of tutors and a set curriculum to help learners become fluent in Spanish, and it is known for its focus on consistency in lessons.

Preply VS Pimsleur

When we compare Preply and Pimsleur, we can be talking about big differences in terms of learning and teaching methodology, since Pimsleur has a very organized and linear structure.  

PREPLYPIMSLEUR
Preply offers personalized lessons with individual tutors.Pimsleur provides audio-based language learning courses.
Preply offers a broader range of languages and tutors.Pimsleur focuses on fewer languages but provides a structured learning approach.
Preply's pricing varies depending on the tutor and lesson.Pimsleur's pricing is based on purchasing audio courses.

Preply VS Babbel

Babbel is a very popular platform and well organized in terms of its lessons; Preply focuses more on tutoring and one-on-one learning. 

PREPLYBABBEL
Preply offers personalized lessons with individual tutors.Babbel provides interactive language learning courses.
Preply offers a broader range of languages and tutors.Babbel focuses on fewer languages but provides a structured learning approach.
Preply's pricing varies depending on the tutor and lesson.Babbel's pricing is based on purchasing access to courses.

Conclusion

As you navigate the vast landscape of language learning platforms, consider this exploration of Preply as your guide in making a wise decision. With its diverse language options, personalized tutoring, and flexible features, Preply is a compelling option for language enthusiasts. Delve into the pros and cons, compare it with alternative platforms, and let your individual learning style guide you. 

We aim to empower you to make an informed decision, ensuring that your chosen platform aligns seamlessly with your language learning goals. Take this opportunity to embark on a smart and fulfilling language learning journey, with the insights to make the most of your educational experience. Whether you're a beginner seeking foundational knowledge or an advanced learner pursuing fluency, your language-learning may be enriching and rewarding.

FAQ

How does Preply ensure the quality of its tutors?

Preply maintains a rigorous tutor selection process, verifying credentials and conducting interviews to assess teaching skills. Additionally, user reviews and ratings provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of each tutor.

Can I try a lesson before committing to a package on Preply?

Absolutely! Preply offers trial lessons, allowing you to experience a tutor's teaching style before making a commitment. It's a fantastic opportunity to ensure compatibility and assess the value of the learning experience.

Are there learning materials provided by Preply?

While Preply itself doesn't generate standardized learning materials, tutors often upload resources like PDFs, documents, and links. You'll have access to these materials during and after lessons, enhancing your overall learning experience.

How does Preply compare to other language-learning apps?

Preply offers personalized one-on-one lessons with private tutors, providing a tailored learning experience. It differs from language learning apps by emphasizing real-time interaction, conversation, and customized lesson plans.

What support options are available if I encounter issues on the Preply platform?

Preply provides dedicated customer support to address any issues or queries you may encounter. Whether you need technical assistance, have payment concerns, or require clarification, their support team is ready to help ensure a smooth language learning journey.

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Carolina is a skilled content strategist and storyteller with over 7 years of experience in language education and the development of engaging learning materials. Leveraging her background in linguistics and scriptwriting, she crafts immersive stories and content that help language learners grasp new concepts. Carolina's work in the film and media industries allows her to bring a creative lens to language instruction and utilize multimedia tools to connect with diverse learners.