Preply Review 2026: Best Platform for Learning a New Language?

Preply at a Glance

Overall rating: 4.8/5 Best for: Language learning through 1-on-1 tutoring Price: From $5/hour | Languages: 50+ | Tutors: 32,000+

We took 20 lessons across Spanish, Norwegian, and Mandarin over 6 weeks. Here is what we found.

How It Works

Search tutors by language, price, availability, and specialization. Each profile includes video introduction, reviews, experience, and time slots. Book a trial lesson at a discounted rate. Sessions are 50 minutes via built-in video platform.

Tutor Quality

Budget ($5-15/hour): Native speakers without formal credentials. Good for conversation practice, limited structured grammar.

Mid-range ($15-30/hour): Certified teachers with structured lesson plans. Consistently good quality.

Premium ($30-60/hour): University-educated instructors with years of experience. Best learning outcomes.

Our recommendation: always start with a trial lesson to test fit.

Learning Outcomes After 20 Lessons

Spanish (8 lessons): Noticeable improvement in conversational fluency and listening comprehension. Norwegian (6 lessons): Achieved basic conversational ability — introductions, ordering food, asking directions. Mandarin (6 lessons): Learned ~100 characters and basic patterns. 1-on-1 format essential for tone correction.

Pricing

Prices set by individual tutors. Packages of 5-20 lessons offer 5-15% discounts.

Typical rates: Spanish $8-25/hr | French $10-30/hr | German $12-35/hr | Norwegian $15-40/hr | Mandarin $10-30/hr

Regular study (2 sessions/week at $15/hr) costs $120-130/month — competitive with language schools.

Pros and Cons

Pros: Truly personalized instruction, flexible scheduling, 50+ languages, trial lessons, built-in video, tutor reviews Cons: Quality varies by tutor, per-session cost adds up, no structured curriculum, limited group options

FAQ

Is Preply better than Duolingo? Different purposes. Duolingo for vocabulary and grammar practice (free). Preply for live conversation with feedback. Combine both for best results.

How many lessons to learn a language? 40-60 hours total for basic conversational ability (A2 level). With 2 Preply lessons/week plus daily practice: 4-6 months for easy languages, 8-12 months for hard languages.

Can I get a refund? If unsatisfied with your trial, Preply offers a free replacement or full refund.

Suitable for children? Yes. Many tutors specialize in teaching kids. Filter by "teaches kids" when searching.

Can I learn business language? Yes. Many tutors specialize in business language. Search "business [language]" to find them.