Preply reviews: the real cost, and whether it fits.
Preply is an online language-tutoring marketplace where tutors set their own rates. This page pulls the verified price range, real Trustpilot reviews and honest comparisons, so you know what you're paying for before you book a lesson.
What Preply is
Preply is a marketplace for one-to-one language lessons over video. Tutors are independent, they set their own hourly rate and their own schedule, and Preply takes a cut plus a one-time fee the first time you book each one. There is no curriculum and no fixed timetable, so what you get depends almost entirely on which person you pick.
Read the full verdict →Is it legit
Yes, on every measure that can be checked. Preply has traded since 2012, took a $150 million funding round in January 2026, and holds 4.4 out of 5 from more than 25,000 Trustpilot reviews. Legitimate is the easy question though. Whether it suits you is the one worth spending time on, and it turns on how much effort you will put into choosing a tutor.
What it costs
Preply is not one price. Tutors set their own hourly rate, from $3 to $40+ an hour, and Preply charges an 18% one-time platform fee on your first lesson with each new tutor. After that first lesson, you pay only the tutor's own rate. Billing runs on a 28-day cycle, and a Premium add-on ($24.99/month) knocks 3-20% off lesson packages.
See the full pricing breakdown and calculator →What reviewers actually say
Real reviews, sourced from Preply's public Trustpilot page. Each one links back to where it came from.
“My tutor Nora is fantastic. She explains things very clearly and makes lessons enjoyable.”
“Amazed to find how effective online tuition in playing the piano can be. Huge choice.”
Criticised the review system after a tutor blocked them, preventing feedback submission. [our summary]
How it compares
Preply isn't the only option. See how it stacks up against italki, Cambly, Lingoda and AmazingTalker on price and structure.
Compare Preply to alternatives →By language
The tutor pool, and therefore the price you can actually get, moves with the language. Spanish and English have the deepest pools and the widest range of specialties; a less commonly taught language means fewer tutors and less room to negotiate on rate or timing.
Browse Preply by language →