Preply vs Cambly: which to choose, and what each costs
Prices checked 6 Sept to 6 Oct 2026 · How we check
Preply if you want to choose a tutor and a price lesson by lesson, in almost any language.
Cambly if you are learning English and want a fixed weekly plan with native-speaker tutors.
| Question | Preply | Cambly |
|---|---|---|
| A year costs | Set by each tutor: $3 to $50 a lesson on Preply's English tutor listing (checked 6 Sept 2026). A year of weekly lessons is 52 times your tutor's rate | $144 a year for a 30-minute small-group lesson a week, or $24 month to month; $336 a year for a private one |
| A lesson is | A live 50-minute video lesson with the tutor you choose. | A live video conversation in English with a native-speaker tutor, booked ahead or on demand. |
| Try it | A paid trial lesson, with up to two free replacements if it doesn't suit you. | No free tier; $1 trial lesson. |
How a lesson works in each
Both are tutor marketplaces, so a lesson has the same shape
Side by side, as published
| Compare | Preply | Cambly |
|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels stated | None stated: your teacher sets the level | None stated: your teacher sets the level |
| A year costs | Set by each tutor: $3 to $50 a lesson on Preply's English tutor listing (checked 6 Sept 2026). A year of weekly lessons is 52 times your tutor's rate | $144 a year for a 30-minute small-group lesson a week, or $24 month to month; $336 a year for a private one |
| What it is | Tutor marketplace: Marketplace of private tutors, booked and paid per lesson | Tutor marketplace: On-demand English conversation with native-speaker tutors |
| Per lesson | Set by each tutor: $3 to $50 a lesson on Preply's English tutor listing (checked 6 Sept 2026) | About $2.77 a lesson on the yearly small-group plan ($6.46 private) |
| Free tier | None | None |
| Languages offered | 90 | 1 |
| Speech recognition | — | — |
| Live tutoring | Every lesson is live and one to one. | Every lesson is live: one to one, or in a small group on the cheaper plans. |
| Offline mode | — | — |
| Placement test | — | — |
| Refund or trial | Paid trial lesson; up to 2 free trial replacements per account if the trial did not meet expectations or the tutor did not attend | $1 trial lesson; 7-day money-back guarantee on a first plan; after that, cancel any time and pay only for days used, with long-term discounts forfeited on early cancellation |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Company | Preply Inc., United States | Cambly Inc. |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Vendor links are untracked and earn nothing today. Commissions never affect which apps we recommend. Affiliate disclosure and how the data is collected.
Preply
Tutor marketplace
In our comparison: strongest on speaking practice and the number of languages, weakest on the free tier.
$3 to $50 a lesson on its English tutors listing; each tutor sets a rate
Marketplace of private tutors, booked and paid per lesson. Live lessons with a tutor are the product.
- Free tier
- None
- Languages
- 90
- Speech recognition
- —
- Live tutoring
- Every lesson is live and one to one.
- Offline mode
- —
- CEFR levels
- —
- Refund or trial
- Paid trial lesson; up to 2 free trial replacements per account if the trial did not meet expectations or the tutor did not attend
Cambly
Tutor marketplace
In our comparison: strongest on speaking practice and trial and refund terms, weakest on the free tier.
$144 a year $12 a month, billed yearly · Small groups, 1 lesson per week (30 min)$24 on the monthly plan
On-demand English conversation with native-speaker tutors. Live lessons with a tutor are the product.
- Free tier
- None
- Languages
- 1
- Speech recognition
- —
- Live tutoring
- Every lesson is live: one to one, or in a small group on the cheaper plans.
- Offline mode
- —
- CEFR levels
- —
- Refund or trial
- $1 trial lesson; 7-day money-back guarantee on a first plan; after that, cancel any time and pay only for days used, with long-term discounts forfeited on early cancellation
Both sell live video lessons with a person. Preply is a marketplace: each tutor sets a price and you pay per 50-minute lesson, in any of the 90 languages it states. Cambly teaches English only, on plans with a set number of 30-minute lessons each week.
Which one, for whom
You are learning a language other than English
Preply
Cambly teaches only English. Preply lists tutors for 90 languages, each with their own price; the trial lesson is paid, with up to two free replacements if it does not suit you.
You are learning English and want a routine
Cambly
Cambly's plans buy a weekly 30-minute lesson: in a small group at $24 a month or $144 a year, or one to one on Private+ at $56 a month or $336 a year. A first lesson costs $1, and a first plan has a 7-day money-back guarantee.
You want the lowest price per lesson
Preply's filter, if you will search
Preply's English listing starts at $3 a lesson; that is the cheapest tutor listed, not a typical price, and each tutor sets their own rate. Cambly's price is fixed by the plan, not by the tutor.
Where they really differ
- Price: Preply: Set by each tutor: $3 to $50 a lesson on Preply's English tutor listing (checked 6 Sept 2026). A year of weekly lessons is 52 times your tutor's rate. Cambly: $144 a year for a 30-minute small-group lesson a week, or $24 month to month; $336 a year for a private one.
- A lesson: Preply: A live 50-minute video lesson with the tutor you choose. Cambly: A live video conversation in English with a native-speaker tutor, booked ahead or on demand.
- Trying it: Preply: A paid trial lesson, with up to two free replacements if it doesn't suit you. Cambly: No free tier; $1 trial lesson.
- Both: Sell live lessons with a tutor.
Every published plan
Preply
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per lesson (English tutors)The range Preply's English tutor search shows; "$50+" means some tutors charge more. Each tutor's card states a price per 50-minute lesson, and other languages have their own ranges. | Per lesson | $3 to $50 | per lesson | one tutor, one lesson |
Cambly
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small groups, 1 lesson per week (30 min), billed every yearSmall groupsLabelled 50% off; renews every 12 months. | Annual | $144 | $12/mo | one language (English); small group lessons with a tutor and 1-2 students |
| Small groups, 1 lesson per week (30 min), billed every 3 monthsSmall groupsLabelled 30% off. | Every 3 months | $50.40 | $16.80/mo | one language (English); small group lessons with a tutor and 1-2 students |
| Small groups, 1 lesson per week (30 min), billed every monthSmall groups | Monthly | $24 | $24/mo | one language (English); small group lessons with a tutor and 1-2 students |
| Private+, 1 lesson per week (30 min), billed every yearPrivate+ | Annual | $336 | $28/mo | one language (English); private one-on-one lessons |
| Private+, 1 lesson per week (30 min), billed every 3 monthsPrivate+ | Every 3 months | $117.60 | $39.20/mo | one language (English); private one-on-one lessons |
| Pro, 1 lesson per week (30 min), billed every yearProPro is also sold for three months at this lesson count: $56 a month, $168 in all. | Annual | $480 | $40/mo | one language (English); private lessons with Cambly Pro tutors |
| Private+, 1 lesson per week (30 min), billed every monthPrivate+ | Monthly | $56 | $56/mo | one language (English); private one-on-one lessons |
| Pro, 1 lesson per week (30 min), billed every monthProPro adds Pro tutors, structured lessons towards a goal, targeted feedback and self-study suggestions. | Monthly | $80 | $80/mo | one language (English); private lessons with Cambly Pro tutors |
What will Cambly cost you for the months you study?
Total billed over 12 months
$144.00 less on annual billing1 full annual payment · $144.00 at the start of each year.
Check coverage. Monthly: one language (English); small group lessons with a tutor and 1-2 students. Annual: one language (English); small group lessons with a tutor and 1-2 students. Features and language coverage may differ.
Questions people ask
Is Cambly cheaper than Preply?
It depends on the tutor you choose on Preply, where each tutor sets the price. Cambly's plans are fixed: a weekly 30-minute small-group lesson is $24 a month, a weekly private lesson $56 a month.
Does Cambly teach languages other than English?
No. Cambly teaches English only; Preply lists tutors for 90 languages.
Can I try them first?
Cambly's first lesson costs $1. Preply's trial lesson is paid, with up to two free replacements if the tutor does not suit you or does not attend.