By Preply
Report updated Apr 13, 2026
Preply - Language Learning App
For serious language learners seeking goal-oriented progress through human interaction, and businesses looking for employee language training.
Preply - Language Learning App is an established education app that is free with in-app purchases. With a 4.8/5 rating from 95.8K reviews, it shows polarized user reception. Users particularly appreciate high quality tutors, though predatory subscription/billing remains a common concern.
What Is Preply - Language Learning App?
Current Momentum
v6.118.1
A little update goes a long way. Make sure your app is ready to support every step of your language journey.
Active Nemesis
italki - Language Learning
By italki HK
Other Rivals
7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸
Recent User Mood 🇺🇸
What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
How Is The App's Momentum Right Now?
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What Are The Key Features?
Connects learners with professional human tutors for personalized, real-time language lessons.
Tutors tailor lessons to individual goals, whether for travel, business, or exam preparation.
B2B platform offering language training solutions for teams and employees.
Filter and select tutors based on price, ratings, specialization, and language expertise.
Who is it for & how much does it cost?
Target Audience
Serious language learners seeking goal-oriented progress through human interaction, and businesses looking for employee language training.
Pricing
Freemium- Free app download and tutor discovery
- Subscription-based tutoring sessions with individual pricing set by tutors
The platform has shifted toward a subscription-heavy model which, while providing predictable revenue, is currently the primary source of user frustration and negative sentiment.
Who Built It?
Enrichment in progress
Publisher profile available very soon
What other apps does Preply make?
What do users think recently?
High confidence · 95.8K reviews analyzed
What is the recent mood?
“Recent user voice shows a mixed sentiment. Users appreciate high quality tutors and ease of use, but report predatory subscription/billing and poor customer support.”
What Users Love
My tutor is amazing!
The tutors are skilled, polite and always available
The app itself is super easy to navigate, steps are explained nicely.
What Frustrates Users
They force you into a subscription model based on lessons regardless to how many you can schedule.
Scammers charging you a different day each month so you never know when you’ll be charged.
Customer support only gives canned responses and refuses to refund the money.
What is the competitive landscape for Preply - Language Learning App?
How's The Education Market?
How does it evolve in the Education market?
| Chart | Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Free | #53 | ▲6 |
Education Market Trend
Education market trend & dynamics
Available very soon
The rivals identified
The Nemesis
Head to Head
While Preply leads in corporate scaling and sheer marketing volume, italki maintains a more loyal core of serious learners due to its community features and more flexible payment structure. Preply's declining sentiment regarding 'predatory billing' gives italki a strategic edge in user trust.
What sets Preply - Language Learning App apart
- +
Stronger B2B offering with Preply Business for corporate language training
- +
Higher overall rating volume on major app stores indicating broader recent adoption
What's italki - Language Learning's Edge
- -
Superior community engagement tools that allow users to practice writing and receive peer feedback
- -
More favorable user sentiment regarding billing transparency and lesson scheduling flexibility
Contenders
On-demand 'instant' tutoring sessions available 24/7 without prior scheduling
Specialized focus on English fluency and IELTS/TOEFL preparation
Peers
Extreme gamification and low-friction daily habit formation
Completely free entry tier with ad-supported learning
Babbel - Language Learning
★4.7 (732K)Babbel GmbH
A premium self-study app that has recently expanded into 'Babbel Live' to compete directly with Preply's tutoring model.
Hybrid model combining high-quality self-study modules with live group classes
Content developed by linguistic experts rather than crowdsourced tutors
HelloTalk - Language Learning
★4.6 (43K)HELLOTALK FOREIGN LANGUAGE EXCHANGE LEARNING TALK CHAT APP
The leading peer-to-peer language exchange app where users teach each other for free, serving the same 'conversation' goal as Preply.
Social media-style 'Moments' feed for cultural exchange
Built-in translation and correction tools for text-based chat
New Kids on the Block
Speak English with Loora AI
Loora A.I LTD
A direct threat to the 'human-led' value proposition, offering 24/7 AI-powered speaking practice at a fraction of the cost of a human tutor.
Zero scheduling required; the AI is available for voice conversation instantly
Real-time grammar and pronunciation feedback powered by LLMs
The outtake for Preply - Language Learning App
SWOT Analysis
Core Strengths
- High-quality tutor marketplace with 90+ languages
- Established B2B offering (Preply Business)
- Strong brand positioning against gamified apps
- Granular tutor filtering and discovery
Critical Frictions
- Rigid and non-transparent subscription billing
- Technical issues with notifications and app speed
- Poorly perceived customer support responsiveness
Growth Levers
- Introduce community features to match italki's engagement
- Hybrid AI-human learning paths to lower entry costs
- Flexible pay-per-lesson options to reduce billing friction
Market Threats
- AI-only tutors (Loora, TalkPal) offering 24/7 low-cost practice
- italki's superior community tools and flexible payment
- Lingoda's structured CEFR-aligned curriculum
What are the next best moves?
Revise subscription transparency and cancellation flow
Billing is the #1 complaint theme and is driving a 'declining' sentiment trend, posing a major churn risk.
Audit and fix notification delivery system
Technical complaints regarding missed lessons due to notification failures directly impact the core service delivery.
Develop peer-to-peer community features
italki (Nemesis) uses community content to drive organic retention, a feature currently absent in Preply.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- Community engagement tools (italki)
- On-demand 'instant' tutoring (Cambly)
- Structured CEFR-aligned curriculum (Lingoda)
Key Takeaways
Preply owns the 'serious human tutoring' space but is currently sabotaging its user loyalty with rigid billing practices. To maintain its lead over italki and fend off AI-only disruptors, the PM must prioritize billing transparency and technical reliability over new feature expansion.
Where Is It Heading?
Mixed Signals
Declining sentiment trend due to 'predatory' billing complaints — high churn risk.
Active integration of AI tools to support human tutors — proactive competitive stance against AI-only apps.
Recent updates focused on stability (v6.118.1) rather than major feature expansion.