Preply connects learners with over 100,000 private tutors across 180 nationalities, covering 120+ subjects from conversational Spanish to IELTS exam preparation. Tutors start from as little as £2 per lesson, with trial sessions available for every booking so learners can switch if the match is not right. Before you book, check BudgetFitter for a verified Preply promo code or Preply gift card to reduce the cost of your first lessons.
The platform has attracted over 300,000 five-star reviews, and Preply’s own studies report that learners on structured one-to-one plans progress three times faster than those using self-study apps alone. Whether you are after Business English for a job interview, Mandarin for a client trip, or French for a move abroad, the tutor marketplace lets you filter by price, certification, native speaker status, and speciality — then book a 25- or 50-minute session around your schedule. A Preply gift card makes it straightforward to gift lessons to someone else, or to top up your own balance ahead of a busy revision period.
How Preply Works and Whether It Is Worth It
The Booking and Lesson Experience
Signing up takes a few minutes. After creating an account, you search the tutor directory using filters for language, budget, availability, and teaching style. Each tutor profile shows a short introduction video, learner reviews, and a live calendar. You request a trial lesson — typically at a reduced rate — and if the chemistry is not there, Preply lets you swap to a different tutor at no extra charge. Lessons take place inside Preply Space, the platform’s built-in virtual classroom, which supports screen sharing, interactive whiteboards, and real-time text chat alongside the video feed. Between sessions, an AI vocabulary tool lets you practise the words and phrases introduced by your tutor, so progress carries over rather than resetting each week.
Subjects, Languages, and Pricing
Preply is best known for language tuition but the catalogue extends well beyond that. Maths, science, coding, music, and academic writing are all on the platform. For languages, English tutors alone number more than 40,000, with Spanish, French, German, Arabic, and Mandarin each running into the thousands. Tutor rates reflect experience and demand: entry-level tutors might charge £8–£15 per hour, while CELTA-certified professionals teaching advanced Business English can charge £50 or more. The flexible pricing model means a learner on a tight budget can find genuine quality at the lower end — use the Top Language Learning App Finder on BudgetFitter to compare Preply against other platforms and find the best fit for your goals and budget.
Preply vs Other Language Learning Platforms
Preply sits in a different category to gamified apps. Where Duolingo builds vocabulary through short daily exercises, Preply delivers live conversation practice with a real person — a meaningful difference when the goal is fluency rather than streak maintenance. Busuu offers a middle ground with community corrections and structured courses, but lacks the accountability that comes from a scheduled session with a tutor you have committed to. For a marketplace model similar to Preply that focuses on informal conversation exchange and budget hourly rates, italki is the closest alternative — both platforms are worth comparing before committing to a subscription plan.
Saving on Preply Through BudgetFitter
Preply regularly offers first-lesson discounts, and BudgetFitter tracks the current verified deal on this page. The standard welcome offer applies to your initial package, making it a low-risk way to trial a tutor before committing to a recurring subscription. Preply gift cards are available for purchase on the platform itself — they load credit to a Preply account balance and are redeemable against any tutor booking. If you are buying lessons as a gift, the card format avoids tying the recipient to a single tutor or schedule. For teams and corporate learners, Preply Business provides custom pricing and progress reporting; the same BudgetFitter deals section shows any active business-tier offers alongside the individual plans.
Preply’s refund policy on trial lessons is one of the stronger guarantees in the sector: if the first session with a tutor does not meet expectations, learners can request a replacement lesson or a credit rather than absorbing the cost. Tutors are rated after each session, and profiles with consistently low scores are removed from the marketplace, which keeps quality in check without requiring learners to do extensive vetting themselves. Lesson packages lock in a rate with a chosen tutor, so committing to a block of four or eight lessons is often cheaper per hour than booking ad hoc — a worthwhile saving when preparation for a specific goal like a language exam or a job interview is involved.
BudgetFitter members can also earn BudgetFitter Ally Rewards when signing up to Preply — visit the BudgetFitter Preply rewards page for the current offer.