Preply Review: Is It Any Good For Online Teachers?

If you’ve ever looked into teaching English online, you’ve probably heard of Preply or seen a preply.com review. 

Preply is an online learning marketplace founded in 2012 by three Ukranian entrepreneurs. 

You can teach subjects other than languages on Preply. But language learning, especially English, has by far the most tutors on the site. 

You may have seen mixed Preply reviews. Some tutors appreciate the flexibility the site offers, but many are unhappy with the unpaid trial lessons, high commission and resulting low earnings. 

This Preply review investigates those issues while offering an alternative perspective from a tutor who has made the platform work for her. 

What Is Preply?

Preply is a learning platform based in the US, but it was initially co-founded by three Ukrainian entrepreneurs: Kirill Bigai, Dmytro Voloshyn, and Serge Lukyanov. The company now operates in 30 countries with over 400 staff. 

The platform connects tutors with students looking to learn languages as well as other skills such as maths, university preparation, or art. In fact, Preply offers online tutoring in 100 subjects. 

How Does Preply Work?

Preply connects language teachers with students from all over the world. The platform is designed around the learner's needs, giving them complete control over what and when they want to learn their target language.

One of the main features of Preply is the trial lesson. It’s an hour-long session that allows students to discuss their level and focus areas with potential tutors.

Preply also offers three package types (casual, determined, and unstoppable) that allow learners to buy lessons in bulk and commit to their studies.

The classroom is similar to Zoom or Skype but is a built-in feature of Preply's desktop and app versions. This means that learners don’t need to download any additional software.

Within the Preply classroom, learners have access to a note and chat section, interactive whiteboard, and homework tab, all of which help to structure their learning and encourage engagement.

With a range of price brackets, students can easily find a tutor that matches their budget. Additionally, tutors can send attachments and lesson plans, which appear in their own area, making learning easily accessible wherever learners are.

Preply Review: A Summary 

Teachers have mixed feelings about working for Preply. Some tutors enjoy working there, and others criticise the company and its practices. 

Certainly, the trial lesson concept and high commission rate can mean working a lot for little pay.

Other teaching platforms, such as LanguaTalk, offer lower commissions and limit the number of tutors on the site. 

However, suppose you don't have credentials or much experience teaching language skills. In that case, Preply can be an excellent place to get your feet wet, as you can start tutoring without qualifications or experience. 

Also, if you initially ignore Preply’s advice to price your lessons at 12 USD, you can earn more. But this will only work if you specialise in a particular aspect of English teaching. More on that later. 

The Good 

• Even if you have no experience as a language tutor, no credentials, or no degree, you can start teaching on Preply. Non-native speakers of English can also apply.
• Preply provides materials so you don’t have to create lesson plans from scratch. 
• Preply's videoconferencing software, Preply Classroom, means that students can log into lessons in the app, and you don’t have to use an alternative like Zoom or Skype (although you can). Be aware that the classes are occasionally recorded! 
• Preply has a big marketing budget meaning it’s everywhere on the web, but potential students may have trouble finding your profile on the actual site.
• Set your own hours and cancel lessons with up to four hours’ notice. 

The Bad 

• A Preply tutor doesn’t get paid for trial lessons and trial lessons last 60 minutes. 
• Preply takes an initial lesson commission of 33% which is reduced to 18% after 400 hours of completed lessons on the platform (including trial lessons).
• Students have complained about the new subscription pricing model. 
• If you miss trial lessons, Preply will hide your profile.
• The quality of the lesson plans Preply provides may be lacking. 
• Whilst Preply claims it will offer you “a steady stream of language learners”, it will take time to build up your profile, and full-time hours are not guaranteed.
• The platform has a lot of English tutors (over 12,000 at the time of writing), so it can be hard to stand out.  

How Much Does Preply Pay?

According to Preply, online English tutors typically charge 15 – 25 USD per hour before commission. But you can command significantly higher rates if you offer more specialised lessons. 

Later in this post, you’ll hear from a tutor who initially ignored Preply’s advice to charge 12 USD and started at 40 USD. As you can imagine, she doesn’t teach general English or conversation lessons. 

How To Rank Up On Preply

Most bookings on Preply go to tutors on the first few pages of the search results. To get your profile onto these three pages, you will need to improve your ranking and increase the number of hours you receive.

The following criteria determine your placement:

• Your availability on Preply.
• Your success in converting a trial lesson into a paying student.
• The number of students that contact you.
• The number of students that attend 100% of your classes.
• The number of high ratings you receive from student reviews.

Preply Review: The Verdict 

You can make Preply work for you if you have teaching credentials and a teaching niche that allows you to charge more for your lessons. If you have little experience and can only offer general English, your earning potential will likely be capped at 25 USD. 

If you want to teach on a platform with lower commission rates, you can apply to become an English tutor at LanguaTalk, but it has a much more stringent selection process.

Similarly, you could become a professional tutor on iTalki, but again, you need credentials and experience. 

If you’re looking for a way to get certified, obtain teaching experience, and learn how to build your online tutoring business, I recommend CeOLT. 

Is Preply Legit ? 

If you’ve seen Preply all over the internet, it may be because the company has benefited from $100 million in funding from investors. 

Preply claims to offer the “world's largest selection of language tutors”. With over 32,000 teachers, that sounds about right. 

Preply offers one-to-one tutoring, group classes (for English only at the time of writing), and corporate language training. 

So it’s certainly a “legit” platform, even if some of its practices have been called into question. 

Preply Review: What’s Included In Preply For Teachers 

Preply offers many tools inside the platform to support online tutors, such as lesson materials and professional development. 

Although you can teach on that platform without experience or qualifications, the Preply teacher login portal offers some professional development tools. 

In the Preply Tutors Academy (hosted on Thinkific), you’ll find the following courses for tutors:

• How to create a profile that gets students
• 8 steps to an awesome first lesson
• Preply Classroom for your lessons
• Preply Methodology for English subject tutors

Preply Classroom is a video conferencing platform built directly into Preply’s website and app. You can share your screen, talk with your student using the chat function, and share documents. 

There’s a vocab flashcard tool that you can use in the lesson, and your students can continue to use it outside of classes. 

You’ll also find a library of courses to cover needs such as exam preparation, business English, grammar, speaking practice, and more. Courses include activities to use within the lesson as well as self-study activities. 

Be aware that when you agree to the Preply terms of service, you also agree to your lessons in the Preply Classroom being recorded occasionally! 

How Much Can You Earn On Preply? 

As mentioned above, according to Preply, English teachers typically charge 15 to 25 USD before commission. The company suggests starting at 12 USD to attract students and build your profile. 

But not everyone follows their advice. Here’s what my colleague Rachel Williams, a medical English teacher, did instead. Remember that Rachel has extensive teaching experience and used to be a nurse. 

She also prepares medical professionals for the Occupational English Test, a qualification that allows healthcare professionals to prove their English language abilities so they can work in English-speaking countries. 

I totally ignored Preply’s suggestion of setting a rate of 12 USD and initially started at 40 and then increased it to 55 USD. I have also had students at 80 USD. This means I probably don't get as many students as other people. But I don't want to teach 30 + students a week at 10 USD an hour.

Because I teach a speciality, I benefit from 100% conversion from the trial lesson to paid lessons. But I know that is not the case for lots of teachers. I definitely wouldn't teach general English on Preply. I also teach 30-minute lessons and suggest this to all my students.

My profile picture and heading clearly says Medical English and OET. I get some really interesting students – I have a psychiatrist at the moment preparing for her Royal College of Psychiatrists exams. 

When I started, Preply didn't have a search function – which I complained about because no one could find me. Now they do, and I come up on the first page. 

Rachel Williams, Medical English Teacher, fluentmedicalenglish.com

Rachel stands out on a platform where you can become a teacher with no experience or certificate because she has both qualifications and expertise. Her students are prepared to pay more as a result. 

The Preply Commission Structure 

Remember that no matter how much you charge as a Preply tutor, you must factor in the platform’s commission structure.

Here’s what that looks like: 

If you start teaching at 10 USD per hour, after commission, you’ll get 6.70 USD (excluding trials), which is not great. After 400 hours, this amount will go up to 8.20 USD. Still not great! 

You can withdraw your earnings from Preply whenever you want into your Wise, PayPal, Payoneer, or Skrill account. 

Be aware that these withdrawal methods will incur additional fees, along with any currency conversion from USD to your local currency. Only Wise enables you to receive money in your local currency. 

Can You Work Full-Time On Preply? 

On its website, Preply promises you a “steady stream of students”. Unfortunately, like many teaching platforms, the flexibility offered means that full-time hours are not guaranteed. 

According to Preply, 92% of its online English tutors work up to 20 hours per week, with only 6% working 20-30 hours per week. Unfortunately, they don’t break the statistics down further, so it’s hard to know the proportion of teachers doing only a handful of hours, as opposed to 10, 15, or 20. 

Also, while it can be great to teach as much or as little as you like, it takes time to build up your profile and reputation. You won’t have full-time hours out of the gate. 

As a teacher, you must also leave room in your schedule to plan lessons and do admin. So teaching 40 hours a week is both unlikely on Preply as well as unrealistic. 

And in fact, demand for tutoring on Preply fluctuates throughout the year, with a dip in the summer and more requirements in the autumn.

It’s probably best not to rely on Preply as your only source of income. You can diversify by offering lessons on multiple teaching platforms or finding your students online. 

The variation in demand is another reason why it’s so important to charge appropriate rates for your lessons. When you have a tutoring business, your rates need to cover many aspects of being self-employed, including periods when you have less work. 

Preply Review: Is It Worth It For Online English Teachers? 

Time to conclude this Preply review and ask, “Is Preply worth it for online teachers”? If you’re new to online teaching, you’ll probably be able to make more money on other online teaching platforms or working for online teaching companies. 

But if you know how to tutor in a specialised area of the English language and have a unique teaching style, then you may be able to earn more money on Preply.

There's a lot of competition at the 12 USD end of the market, but at the higher end in more specialised niches, competition is less fierce. 

It’s worth being aware that students often share negative Preply reviews about poor customer support or money not refunded. So there may be ethical decisions to consider before joining the platform. 

By the way, no matter the teaching marketplace you want to advertise on, getting qualified to teach and learning to teach specialised English will help you stand out. 

If you want to learn how to do that, then check out CeOLT.  

Olly Richards

Creator of the StoryLearning® Method

Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.

Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.

When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.