Strengths
- Low average hourly rate at around $50
- There are more or less 47 000 tutors to choose from
- Users can access a trial lesson which is 100% refundable
Weaknesses
- You cannot transfer time or money between tutors
- The bulk lesson plans are not flexible nor customizable.
Key Details
YEARS IN BUSINESS
7
BBB RATING
C+
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
MOBILE APP
Yes
TYPES OF TEST PREPS
SAT, ACT, TEFL, CAE
FREE TRIAL
Yes
Companies like Preply have made major strides in moving learning tools to new platforms. Through this, they have made educational resources more accessible.
Preply was founded in 2012 and was praised as one of the most promising startups in Ukraine.
While the company initially focused on SAT and ACT tutoring, due to high demand, they transformed into a marketplace focused on online language learning with extra subjects.
Below we compiled a detailed Preply.com review for 2020 to help you figure out if you can benefit from their services. So, read on to learn about their pricing, courses, and summaries of other Preply reviews
How does Preply compare to other online course platforms?
Preply Key Features
Preply is above all focused on providing classes and educational support for people who live in remote areas. That said, the platform can work brilliantly for anyone who wants to learn more about a subject or skill.
Preply’s long list of subjects and a vast community of tutors put the company in a class of its own. Check out the main features:
- Preply boasts over 47 000 registered tutors.
- They offer lessons on over 40 topics, including 27 languages. While many of the courses are about academic subjects and programming, they can also help you with hobbies like music.
- The search results on the site are incredibly accurate. Users can fill in a detailed form that includes everything from the location to the subject.
- Preply stands out far above the competition in its use of machine learning and algorithms to recommend the most suitable tutors for each user.
- The preferred platform for lessons is through Skype.
- Unlike many of its competitors, the platform has tutors that can help you with conversational language as well as business terminology. We found more than one Preply language courses review that suggests this is especially useful for anyone that is learning a language to move abroad for work.
- Luckily, Preply has an easy-to-use function that allows you to schedule lessons with a tutor in your timezone when it suits you.
- Additionally, the platform has a specialized program called Preply Enterprise. This is a package that is tailored for corporate language training in businesses, teams, and organizations.
- Preply Enterprise gives users access to a dashboard that can help you keep an eye on your team’s progress.
- The organization has a manual process where they verify tutors by double-checking their identity.
Plans & Pricing
On Preply, tutors can choose how much they want to charge for their lessons per hour. This price varies between $1 and $100 based on the individual’s experience, education, and so on.
Our research shows that most tutors charge around $50.
The e-learning has a trial system, although most Preply customer reviews suggest that it isn’t ideal. Users can pay for the first lesson with a tutor either via Mastercard/Visa, or PayPal. The funds, however, are not transferred immediately — they are only released when the user confirms that they are satisfied with the lesson.
If not, you can get a 100% refund.
You then need to buy lessons in bulk. The plans are as follows:
- 5 hours
- 10 hours
- 15 hours
- 20 hours
Generally, there will be a discount on these packages which scales as the number of hours go up. The 100% refund policy still applies.
The pricing structure is quite different for Preply Enterprise. where the costs depend on a number of factors, including the number of students.
Preply tutors also have more than one option to withdraw their money. They can choose PayPal, Payoneer, or Skrill. Unfortunately, the site charges a steep commission. The company takes 100% of the payment for the first lesson.
Thankfully, the commission charge does go down. After this, they take 33%. The rates continue to decrease the more hours you teach until it reaches 18%.
Usability
Usability is a critical aspect of any online platform and Preply doesn’t disappoint on this count.
Their website might not be the most exciting, and the navigation system might not always be the clearest. But overall, it is quite pleasing to the eye, and generally very accessible. The design is minimalistic.
All in all, the best feature of the site is its extensive, yet easy-to-use search system.
The search parameters include the following:
- The subject the tutor teaches
- Price range per hour
- Country of origin
- The days and times they are available
- Whether they are a native speaker or not
- You can filter the tutor’s specialty. One Preply English course review particularly praised this feature as it allows you to choose between options such as TEFL and CAE.
You can also access Preply Space on your mobile phone and tablet too. From here, you can use a host of functions such as file sharing, video calls, and messaging.
Help & Support
Who can you call when things do go wrong?
Generally, Preply is easy to reach when you need a helping hand. First of all, they have a comprehensive library of FAQs both for tutors and students where you can find assistance on a variety of general topics.
If that’s not enough, you can also talk to someone on their customer support team. All the pages on the site have a “Contact Us” button at the bottom of the page that opens up a live chat.
You can also send them an email. The team is available from 6 am to 11 pm on weekdays and between 8 am and 6 pm on weekends. The Preply.com customer service reviews we found praise the company for getting back to users in a matter of minutes.
Keep in mind that they don’t provide any support through phone calls.
Pros & Cons
Low average hourly rate at around $50
Users can access a trial lesson which is 100% refundable
There are more or less 47 000 tutors to choose from
Customers can select not tutors with subject specialties.
Preply doesn’t perform detailed background checks on their tutors
You cannot transfer time or money between tutors
The bulk lesson plans are not flexible nor customizable.
Preply User Reviews & Testimonials
To get a more comprehensive idea of the platform, we researched Preply course reviews by real students as well as Preply tutors reviews.
The Preply ratings are generally high even on well-known sites like Glassdoor and Trustpilot. Most of the scores are five stars.
The legit Preply positive reviews we found praised the platform’s scheduling features and usability. Users also value the ability to choose a tutor that suits their needs.
On the downside, people have found reasons to complain about Preply too. Tutors especially often grumble about the high commission rates and technical issues.
At the same time, customer reviews indicate that people sometimes struggle to find good tutors as their qualifications and experience levels vary widely. Although many of the positive reviews mention their customer service, there are also some who note that it can be inconsistent.
In some of the Preply negative reviews we came across, users are adamant that the bulk lesson plans are too inflexible.
Preply Alternatives
Now that we’ve given an overview of Preply reviews, it’s time to move on to discussing alternatives. Overall, the e-learning site receives rave reviews and provides high levels of service. But one platform isn’t necessarily suitable for everyone.
Preply vs Italki
Italki is one of Preply’s main competitors in terms of language learning. On this platform, you also pay in advance for lessons by buying credits. Their rates are slightly lower, and their trial is more friendly for tutors. On the flip side, Italki doesn’t offer lessons in subjects other than languages.
Preply vs Verbling
The best feature of Verbling is that you don’t need to pay in advance. Instead, you pay for each lesson separately. They also offer a free trial lesson, which is good for students but may not be so favorable for tutors. Verbling, however, only offers language lessons.
Summary
Preply is one of the most well-known online marketplaces for language tutoring. And they are not limited to this. Unlike many rivals, you can find tutors for a whole host of other subjects too. Their convenient scheduling system further helps them to stand out from the pack.
You, however, have to buy lessons in bulk and they aren’t transferable between tutors. Tutors meanwhile are sometimes disgruntled by the site’s steep commissions.
All things considered, as Preply reviews show, they offer great value for money.
FAQ
Does Preply use Skype?
Yes, Preply uses skype as its video calling service. Therefore, this is also where lessons will be hosted. Users find this very beneficial since the software is free and very accessible.
How many hours of tutoring are recommended?
When it comes to education, there is no one size fits all solution. The number of hours you need depends on your knowledge and experience and the tutors' style and specialization. It is recommended that you discuss this with the specific tutor you want to hire.
How good is Preply?
One of the most efficient ways to measure that is based on what users have to say about the platform. Generally, the majority of Preply reviews are on the positive side. Both customers and tutors have had beneficial experiences with the platform.