For one-to-one lessons in almost any language, start with Preply or italki. For live classes with a fixed price every 4 weeks, choose Lingoda. For English conversation practice only, look at Cambly. Each site prices lessons differently, so the cheapest choice depends on how often you study and whether you want a group or a private teacher.
Prices were checked on 18 October 2026.
The four sites compared
-
Preply
- 1:1 tutors
- Trial
- If the first tutor isn't a match, try up to 2 more for free
- Refunds
- Refund if you're not happy with your first lesson
- Average hourly rate, US tutors of EnglishEach tutor sets their own priceUS$30/hour
- Average hourly rate, non-native tutors of EnglishUS$23/hour
from US$23/hour Go to Preply -
italki
- 1:1 tutors
- Trial
- Discounted trial lesson, priced by each tutor
- English tutors, per hourRange given by italki; depends on the tutorUS$4–US$60/hour
- Trial lessonLowest trial price we saw on tutor profilesUS$5/lesson
from US$4/hour Go to italki -
Lingoda
- Group classes
- 1:1 tutors
- Trial
- 7 days free: 3 group classes or 1 private class
- Refunds
- Refund within 14 days, minus classes taken
- Group classes: 4 per 4 weeksPlan renews every 4 weeks; unused classes roll over€44.99
- Private classes: 4 per 4 weeks€109.99
- Group classes: 32 per 4 weeks€180.99
from €44.99 Go to Lingoda -
Cambly
- 1:1 tutors
- Subscription by minutes per dayPrice depends on your country; check the official pageprice varies
Prices checked on 18 October 2026. They change often; check the final price before you pay.
| Preply | italki | Lingoda | Cambly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format | 1:1 tutor | 1:1 tutor | Group and private classes | 1:1 tutor |
| How you pay | Per lesson, tutor’s price | Per lesson, tutor’s price | Plan every 4 weeks | Subscription by minutes per day |
| Price we saw | Average $23–30/hour (English) | $4–60/hour (English) | From €44.99 for 4 group classes | Depends on your country |
| Trial | Up to 2 more tutors free | Discounted trial, from $5 | 7 days free | Check the official site |
| Languages | All major European languages | 150+ languages | en, de, fr, it, es | English only |
Prices are in the currency each site showed us. We have not tested these services ourselves; everything here comes from their own pages. See how we research.
Preply: best for a safe first booking
Preply is a marketplace where each tutor sets their own price. According to Preply, the average hourly rate is $30 for US tutors of English and $23 for non-native tutors of English.
Its main selling point is the first-lesson guarantee. Preply says that if your first tutor isn’t a match, you can try up to 2 more for free, and you can get a refund if you’re not happy with the first lesson.
See Preply tutorsitalki: best for low prices and choice
italki is also a marketplace. It gives a range of $4 to $60 an hour for English tutors and says it covers more than 150 languages. Tutors offer discounted trial lessons; the cheapest we saw on a tutor card was $5.
italki lists professional teachers and community tutors. Community tutors are useful for cheap conversation practice, while professional teachers are better if you need grammar and structure. We compare the two marketplaces in detail in Preply vs italki.
See italki teachersLingoda: best for a fixed schedule and budget
Lingoda works differently. You buy a plan that renews every 4 weeks and book live classes with it. On the English pricing page, the cheapest plan was €44.99 for 4 group classes, and the largest group plan was €180.99 for 32 classes. Private plans ran from €109.99 for 4 classes to €394.99 for 32. Lingoda says unused classes roll over.
According to Lingoda, you can try it free for 7 days with 3 group classes or 1 private class, and get a refund within 14 days, minus the classes you took. It teaches English, Business English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. Read our full Lingoda review.
See Lingoda plansCambly: English conversation only
Cambly teaches English only. You pay a subscription based on how many minutes a day you want to practise. Cambly shows prices by country, so check the official page from where you live. Third-party sources report US-dollar plans for 15 and 30 minutes a day, but we could not confirm them on Cambly’s own site.
Cambly makes sense if you want daily speaking practice in English and don’t need other languages.
See Cambly plansHow to choose
Ask yourself three questions:
- Which language? For Polish, Romanian, Dutch, Portuguese or Russian, Lingoda and Cambly are out. Use Preply or italki.
- Group or private? Groups are cheaper per class on Lingoda. Private lessons give you more speaking time.
- How much per month? Our guide to how much an online tutor costs shows example monthly budgets.
Cheaper and free alternatives
You don’t have to pay a tutor from day one. Duolingo’s basic app is free, and it is enough for many beginners to learn first words and phrases. See our best language learning apps and free ways to learn a language. Many learners combine a free app with one paid lesson a week.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best online language tutoring site?
There is no single best one. Preply and italki suit most learners who want one-to-one lessons in almost any language. Lingoda suits learners who want live classes with a fixed price per 4 weeks. Cambly is for English only.
Which tutoring site is the cheapest?
italki has the lowest starting price we found, with English tutors from $4 an hour according to italki. Lingoda's group plans start at €44.99 for 4 classes per 4 weeks. Preply gives an average of $23 an hour for non-native tutors of English.
Which sites offer a free trial?
Lingoda offers 7 days free with 3 group classes or 1 private class. Preply lets you try up to 2 more tutors for free if the first is not a match. italki tutors offer discounted, not free, trial lessons.
Can I learn languages other than English on these sites?
Yes on Preply and italki, which cover all major European languages. Lingoda teaches English, Business English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. Cambly teaches English only.
Sources
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