Is Preply worth it?
I take English lessons on Preply myself. Here is what six weeks taught me, plus the rules, prices and alternatives you should know. Short answer: if you want to speak, yes.
If your goal is to speak, Preply is one of the most effective ways to get there. Six weeks in, it works for me.
- Best for: speaking practice, busy schedules, a specific goal (exam, work, move abroad).
- Less ideal if you want a fixed curriculum or group classes.
- Budget depends entirely on the tutor you pick.
Editorial score by Mathias C., not an average of user reviews.
My experience: six weeks of English lessons on Preply
I have been taking English lessons on Preply with my tutor, Ken, for about a month and a half (as of September 2026). I’m at B1 and aiming for B2 and beyond. My starting point is a common one: my passive English was good, I understood most of what I read or heard, but I struggled to express myself out loud.
That is exactly what the lessons work on, and I progressed faster than I expected. I put that down to one thing: I speak for most of every lesson instead of filling in exercises.
Between lessons, I practise out loud with ChatGPT in voice mode, in the morning, while I’m stuck in traffic. It doesn’t replace Ken: he corrects the mistakes I don’t hear and makes me rephrase until the sentence sounds natural. But it keeps me talking every day, so I show up to lessons already warmed up.
On the platform side, Preply was simple to pick up. Finding a tutor, booking a slot and joining the lesson took no learning curve, which matters when you only have a few free hours a week. That is the main reason my score is high: it gets out of the way and leaves the time for speaking.
- Language
- English
- Level
- B1, aiming for B2+
- Starting point
- Good passive English (reading, listening), hard to speak
- Tutor
- Ken, on Preply
- Time on Preply
- About 6 weeks (September 2026)
- Lesson time
- 12 hours a month in 50-minute lessons, about 3 hours a week
- What I pay
- About €34 an hour, roughly €408 a month (September 2026)
- Practice between lessons
- Talking out loud with ChatGPT in morning traffic
- What I noticed
- Fast progress in speaking, a platform that is easy to use
How does a Preply lesson work?
A Preply lesson is a one-to-one video call with the tutor you chose, in Preply’s own classroom, on a laptop or on the phone app. You start with a trial lesson of 25 or 50 minutes. If the tutor suits you, you pick how many lessons you want per week and Preply bills that plan every 28 days.
The tutor adapts each lesson to your goal. In practice that means conversation on topics you choose, corrections on the spot, and material shared in the classroom when you need to see a word or a rule written down.
Who is Preply best for?
Preply fits adults who want to speak, not just recognise words: people preparing an exam, a job interview, a move abroad, or who understand a language well but freeze when they have to talk (that was my case at B1). It also suits busy schedules, because you book slots that fit your week and can pause a cycle.
It is a weaker fit if you want a fixed course book and a classroom group, or if you can’t commit to at least one lesson a week. Private tutoring works because of regularity; one lesson a month won’t move much.
Is Preply worth the money?
Preply is worth it if you use the lessons to speak. The price depends entirely on the tutor, so the same weekly plan can cost very different amounts. What you pay for is speaking time with someone who corrects you: in a one-to-one lesson, most of that time is yours, which is rarely the case in a group class.
For reference, I pay about €34 an hour for 12 hours a month with Ken, roughly €408 a month (September 2026). That is an intensive pace, about three hours a week, with a rate at the top of the ranges third-party guides report. You can start for much less with fewer hours or a lower-priced tutor, and add hours once you know the format works for you.
The cheapest way to find out is the trial lesson. If the first tutor isn’t a fit, Preply lets you book up to two replacement trials with other tutors for free.
How to get the most out of Preply lessons
Book the same slot every week, bring the topics you actually need (your job, your trip, your exam), and ask your tutor to keep a list of your recurring mistakes. Review that list before each lesson.
Keep talking between lessons, even briefly. A voice conversation with an AI assistant, hands-free, is a cheap way to warm up; the tutor is still the one who spots what you get wrong.
Preply at a glance
- Format
- 1-on-1 video lessons with a tutor you choose, on laptop or phone.
- Trial lesson
- 25 or 50 minutes, paid. Not a fit? Up to 2 free replacement trials with another tutor.
- Billing
- Subscription charged every 28 days. Minimum plan: 4 lessons per cycle.
- Flexibility
- Pause once per cycle (up to 20 days), change the number of lessons, switch tutor or cancel anytime.
- Price
- Set by each tutor. Third-party guides report most general lessons around $10–25 an hour; exam and business specialists often charge more.
Sources: Preply Help Center: subscriptions · Preply Help Center: trial replacement · Brighterly: Preply cost in 2026. Policies and prices change: check on Preply before you pay.
How do we score Preply?
The score is an editorial judgement across five criteria, the same ones used in the comparison table below. It is not an average of user reviews.
- Real speaking practiceHow much of the lesson time you actually spend talking.
- Plan built around youWhether lessons adapt to your goal, level and weak spots.
- Flexible scheduleBooking, rescheduling and pausing when life gets busy.
- Feedback on mistakesCorrections you can understand and reuse.
- Fun factorWhether you look forward to the next lesson. That’s what keeps you going.
What does Preply do well?
- 1-on-1 lessons built around your goal
- Filter tutors by price, schedule and specialty
- Switch tutors anytime if the fit isn’t right
- Lessons on your phone or laptop
What are Preply’s downsides?
- Tutors set their own prices, so costs vary
- Results depend on practicing between lessons
- Choosing among many tutors takes a few minutes
Preply vs. the alternatives
| Criterion | Preply tutor | Apps | Group class | Solo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real speaking practice | ✓ | ✗ | ~ | ✗ |
| Plan built around you | ✓ | ~ | ✗ | ~ |
| Flexible schedule | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Feedback on your mistakes | ✓ | ~ | ~ | ✗ |
| Fun factor | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | ~ |
✓ yes · ~ sometimes · ✗ no
Other tutoring platforms worth knowing
italki
A marketplace of language teachers and community tutors, paid lesson by lesson.
Choose it if you want pay-as-you-go lessons without a subscription.
Lingoda
Structured courses by CEFR level, mostly in small group classes.
Choose it if you want a fixed curriculum and don’t mind learning in a group.
Cambly
On-demand English conversation with tutors, often with no booking needed.
Choose it if you only learn English and want spontaneous chats.
Questions people ask about Preply
Is Preply legit?
Yes. Preply is an established online tutoring marketplace with published help-center policies on trials, refunds and subscriptions. As with any platform, lesson quality depends on the tutor you pick.
Is the Preply trial lesson free?
No, it is paid. If the trial doesn’t meet your expectations, you can book a replacement trial with a different tutor for free, up to two times per account.
How does Preply billing work?
After the trial, you subscribe to a number of lessons per week. Preply charges every 28 days; the minimum plan is 4 lessons per cycle.
Can I pause or cancel Preply?
Yes. You can pause once per cycle for up to 20 days, change the number of lessons, switch tutors, or cancel at least one day before the next billing date.
How much does Preply cost per lesson?
Each tutor sets their own price. Third-party guides report most general lessons around $10–25 an hour in 2026, with exam and business specialists often higher. Check live prices on Preply.
Is Preply better than italki?
Preply suits learners who want a regular weekly slot with one tutor; italki suits pay-as-you-go lessons without a subscription. See our comparison table above.
Pick a tutor, book a trial lesson and get 50% off through our link.
- Pick any tutor, any budget
- Free tutor switch if the first isn’t a fit
- Cancel anytime