Preply vs Lingoda: private tutor or structured classes?

Preply vs Lingoda is a choice between two formats: Lingoda runs 60-minute live classes that follow a set curriculum, mostly in small groups, while Preply connects you with one tutor who plans lessons around your goals. If you want a course to follow, Lingoda is the closer fit; if you need to speak for a job, an exam or a move, Preply usually is.

Lingoda's prices and rules below come from its own pricing page and FAQ, checked on 18 October 2026 from Europe. Preply's rules come from its help center, and its prices from our dated tutor sample.

How do Lingoda and Preply compare at a glance?

Lingoda is a language school online: you buy class credits every four weeks and book 60-minute classes taught from Lingoda's own materials, with 3 to 5 students or alone with a teacher. Preply is a marketplace: each tutor sets a price, you choose one after a trial, and you subscribe to their lessons in 28-day cycles.

Verdict: Lingoda wins on structure and price per hour in a group; Preply wins on speaking time, teacher continuity and language choice.

Is Lingoda cheaper than Preply per hour?

Lingoda group classes are cheaper than most Preply tutors per hour; Lingoda private classes are not. On 18 October 2026, a Lingoda group class cost €10.99 to €17.99 and a private class €23.99 to €39.99 for 60 minutes. Spanish and French tutors in our Preply sample had a median of €31 per 50 minutes, about €37.20 an hour.

Lingoda's price per class falls as the plan grows, so the plan you pick matters more than the platform. Here is everything converted to one hour.

Lingoda prices were shown with French selected and euros as the currency. Preply prices come from our guide to what Preply really costs, sampled on 7 October 2026, and Preply adds a processing fee and taxes at checkout.

The verdict on price: if a group is fine for you, Lingoda gives more hours for the money. Count talking time too. A 60-minute class shared by five students leaves each of them 12 minutes if the teacher splits the hour evenly, and the teacher talks as well.

Why does Lingoda suit learners who want a course?

Lingoda suits learners who want a course because the path is decided for you. Every class follows Lingoda's CEFR-aligned material, so you move from one lesson to the next without planning anything, and you get a certificate for each level you complete. The classes are also small: 3 to 5 students, with classes on the calendar around the clock.

What does the Lingoda Sprint add?

The Lingoda Sprint is a two-month challenge: you commit to 15 or 30 group classes a month, and if you attend all of them, you get part of your money back or extra class credits. The Sprint page advertises "up to 100%" back, while its FAQ describes 50% cashback or class credits, and the rules change with each start date. A class you miss for a reason on your side is not refunded and ends your cashback, so read the rules for your start date before joining.

What are Lingoda's real limits?

Lingoda's biggest limit is the teacher. The FAQ says you can change teachers every class and most students do, which means nobody follows your recurring mistakes over weeks. You can rebook a teacher you like, but only into their scheduled classes.

The cancellation window is the second trap. The pricing page says you can cancel a class 3 days in advance on the monthly plan and get your credit back, while the FAQ still says 7 days, and rescheduling isn't offered. Plan your week before booking. The third limit is range: six language options, and Italian stops at A2.

Why does Preply suit learners who need to speak?

Preply suits learners who need to speak because the lesson is yours alone. A 50-minute Preply lesson is 50 minutes with one tutor, so you can do most of the talking, and you keep that tutor from week to week. You choose them by price, background, accent and specialty, such as interviews, medical Spanish or an exam.

What has a Preply subscription been like for me?

I take English lessons on Preply with my tutor Ken, since early August 2026: 50-minute lessons, 12 hours a month, at about €34 an hour, roughly €408 a month (September 2026). My level is B1 and I'm aiming for B2+. My reading and listening were fine; speaking out loud was the problem. I progressed fast, and I put that down to speaking for most of every lesson, which a group class can't give you.

What are Preply's real limits next to Lingoda?

Preply's main limit next to Lingoda is structure. There is no shared curriculum: a good tutor brings a plan, a weak one just chats, so the choice of tutor decides everything. Our 10-minute method for choosing a tutor helps you avoid the second kind.

The rules also bite. The trial is paid, while Lingoda's is free. Lessons you haven't scheduled expire at the 28-day renewal, and a lesson cancelled less than 12 hours before it starts is lost (Preply Help Center, checked October 2026).

Preply vs Lingoda: which rules cost you credits?

The rules that cost money on Preply and Lingoda are the ones about time you don't use. They are short to read and decide whether a month is good value.

• Lingoda: cancel a class at least 3 days ahead on the monthly plan (the FAQ still says 7), or you lose the credit.
• Lingoda: unused credits roll over, but you can't use them after your last payment cycle ends.
• Lingoda: a pause lasts up to 4 weeks, once per billing cycle.
• Lingoda: cancel within 14 days of subscribing for a refund, minus the classes you took.
• Preply: unscheduled lessons expire at each 28-day renewal, so book the whole cycle early.
• Preply: a pause lasts up to 20 days, once per billing cycle, applied before the next billing date.
• Preply: one subscription covers one tutor, and up to 2 replacement trials are free.

If you study for work, our page for learners who need a language at work shows how to bring real meetings into lessons. Buying for a whole team instead? Our Preply Business review compares it with Lingoda for Business.

Should you choose Preply or Lingoda for your goal?

Choose Lingoda if you want a structured course, enjoy learning with classmates and can plan classes days ahead. Choose Preply if you need to speak for a specific goal, want the same teacher every week, or learn a language Lingoda doesn't teach. Skip both for now if you can't give the language one hour a week: an unused plan costs more than a free exchange.

• Pick Lingoda for a German or English course from A1 to C1 at a low price per hour in a group.
• Pick a Lingoda Sprint only if you can attend every class for two months.
• Pick Preply for an interview, a promotion, a move abroad or an official exam such as DELE or SIELE for Spanish.
• Pick Preply for Italian beyond A2, or for Korean, Japanese and Russian.

The full Preply review covers the platform in more detail, and the Preply and italki comparison helps if you prefer pay-as-you-go lessons. Not sure where you stand? The level quiz takes two minutes.