Preply

Preply has built a global marketplace for language tutoring, connecting 100,000+ tutors with learners across more than 180 nationalities. The platform supports instruction in 150+ languages and extended into 120+ subjects beyond pure language learning, so it encompasses more than just English teaching. With 300,000+ five-star tutor reviews on the platform, Preply has achieved a scale and reputation that makes it a reliable place for students to find instruction and for tutors to find consistent work. The platform is particularly strong in European markets and among learners seeking to learn European languages, though its reach is genuinely global.

The core model is straightforward: you create a tutor profile, students book lessons with you, and you earn money from the lessons you teach. The mechanics are built around recurring bookings. A student might book a single trial lesson, and if that goes well, they'll often book a package of five or ten lessons at a higher discount, or they'll set up recurring weekly sessions. This creates the possibility of building a stable student roster if you're good, rather than constantly recruiting new students to fill your schedule. Preply advertises this as "grow your business," meaning the platform provides tools and algorithms that help reliable, well-reviewed tutors attract repeat business.

The payment model is commission-based and explicitly tiered to reward consistent work. New tutors start at a 33% commission, meaning Preply takes 33% of your stated hourly rate and you keep 67%. This applies from your first lesson onward, except for trial lessons, where Preply takes 100% of the fee. That 100% trial commission is the catch: Preply uses those trial lesson fees to fund a satisfaction guarantee to students, which increases booking confidence. The logic is that students are more likely to book a trial if they know they can get it free if they're unsatisfied, and that drives bookings for tutors overall. But the math means you're teaching your first lesson with any student for zero dollars; you only earn starting from lesson two.

As you accumulate teaching hours, the commission rate decreases. At 20 hours, your commission drops to 28%. Keep teaching, and at higher thresholds, it continues to decrease. By 400 hours of teaching, you're down to an 18% commission, meaning you keep 82% of your hourly rate. For someone charging 20 dollars per hour, that's a difference of roughly 1.30 dollars per lesson depending on where you sit in the tier. For someone charging 40 dollars per hour, it's closer to 2.60 dollars per lesson. Over hundreds of lessons in a year, this adds up significantly.

The tiered system creates a built-in incentive to stay on the platform and accumulate hours. The more consistent you are, the better the commission becomes. This aligns Preply's interests with yours: they want tutors who stick around and build student relationships, not tutors who treat the platform as a transient side gig. If you're serious about building tutoring income and willing to commit to the platform for several months to reach higher tiers, the economics improve over time. For someone treating tutoring as a true side hustle rather than a primary income source, the higher starting commission might feel steep.

The process to get started is relatively quick. You create a profile, record a video introduction, and verify your qualifications. Preply reviews new tutors fairly quickly, typically within hours or a day. You don't need formal teaching credentials to start; what matters is demonstrating expertise and professionalism in your profile. Many Preply tutors are native speakers without formal certifications, or people with subject expertise but no teaching degree. The barrier to entry is low compared to platforms that require credentials, though students distinguish between certified professional teachers and community tutors, and that distinction affects bookings.

The technical platform is important to understand. Preply provides the Preply Classroom, which is the video conferencing and teaching tool. Lessons happen there, and students can't move to external video calls or payments. This keeps transactions on-platform where Preply can monitor quality and handle disputes. For tutors, it means you're using Preply's interface, not Zoom or another tool you might prefer. The Classroom includes interactive features like whiteboards, document sharing, and homework tools, which can enhance the teaching experience. For language learners, Preply has built lesson structures and templates that make teaching organized.

The student base on Preply is genuinely international and motivated. People booking lessons on Preply are paying out of pocket for language instruction, which means they're typically serious about learning. You're not dealing with many tire-kickers or flaky students who book and don't show. The review system is rigorous: students rate tutors after each lesson, and these reviews affect your visibility in search results. A 4.8 rating will attract more bookings than a 4.2 rating. This creates quality incentives; if you're not delivering good instruction, your bookings will dry up quickly. Conversely, if you're excellent, the reviews compound and attract more students.

The demographics are particularly strong for certain languages and for professional learners. English-language tutoring has the deepest market on Preply, with thousands of tutors competing. Romance languages (Spanish, French, Italian), German, and Asian languages (Mandarin, Japanese, Korean) also draw consistent bookings. Business English tutoring, in particular, attracts professionals in other countries seeking to improve their English for work, and they often book regular sessions. If you're teaching a less common language, demand might be lower, but you'll also face less competition.

One practical advantage is that Preply handles all payment collection and currency conversion. If you're tutoring students in different countries paying in different currencies, Preply manages the exchange and deposits your earnings in your preferred currency. You don't have to deal with international bank transfers or currency headaches. Similarly, if a student disputes a lesson or Preply detects fraud, the platform handles that rather than leaving you to resolve payment issues.

The commission-based model means your earnings vary directly with your hourly rate and your hours worked. Unlike platforms where you receive a flat fee per lesson or a salary, your income scales with your rate and your availability. This is empowering if you can set rates high and attract students; it's harsh if students won't book at your preferred rate. New tutors often start lower to build reviews, then gradually raise rates as demand picks up.

One limitation is that you're entirely dependent on the Preply platform for student access. You can't tell a student to book through your own website or offer them your personal payment information to bypass the platform. This protects students and Preply, but it means you're locked into their commission structure and their terms of service. If Preply changes policies, raises commissions, or suspends your account, you lose access to your entire student base with no recourse to contact them outside the platform.

Scheduling flexibility is genuine but requires active management. You set your availability hours, and students book within those windows. If you want consistent income, you need consistent availability. Some tutors set regular weekly hours (e.g., 6 PM to 9 PM daily and weekend afternoons), while others block out certain time windows and set higher rates for off-hours bookings. The more availability you offer, the more opportunities for bookings; the fewer hours you set, the easier it is to fill them at your preferred rate.

Preply works best for tutors who are seriously committed to language teaching or willing to develop expertise in higher-demand subjects. The tiered commission model rewards consistency and volume, so the platform is built for people treating tutoring as more than a one-off opportunity. If you can attract a core group of regular students, the receding commission rates and repeat bookings create genuine part-time income or full-time work for those who scale it. If you're looking for maximum autonomy and high short-term earnings, platforms where you set your own rates and keep 100% might appeal more, though those require you to handle marketing and student acquisition yourself.