Is Preply Legit? Commission, Trial Lessons and Payouts (2026)

Preply is one of those names you'll see everywhere if you've ever looked into learning Spanish online or teaching English from your kitchen table. I've read Preply's own tutor pages and help centre articles, plus what independent sources say about the company, so you know exactly how it works before you book or apply. The short version: it's real, it pays out, and the commission model is the part you need to understand.

Preply's story: from Kyiv startup to unicorn

According to Wikipedia, Preply was founded in 2012 by three Ukrainian entrepreneurs, Serge Lukianov, Kirill Bigai and Dmytro Voloshyn. Its headquarters are listed in Brookline, Massachusetts, with offices in Barcelona, London, New York and Kyiv. The same page says it has more than 100,000 human tutors and covers over 90 languages, plus subjects such as maths and computer science.

Money behind it matters when you're judging whether a platform will still be around next term. Wikipedia reports that Preply raised 150 million US dollars in a Series D round in 2026, at a valuation of 1.2 billion US dollars. That's serious investment, and companies with that kind of backing tend to run reliable payment systems, support teams and published policies, which Preply does.

How Preply works for learners

You browse tutor profiles, watch their intro videos and book a trial lesson. If you like the tutor, you carry on with regular lessons. Preply's help centre spells out what happens when a trial disappoints, and it's more generous than many people expect:

• If a trial lesson took place but didn't meet your expectations, you can ask for a free replacement, which Preply describes as a 100% discount on a new trial with a different tutor.
• Each account gets up to 2 free trial replacements in total.
• Replacements only cover trials. Once you've started regular lessons with a tutor on a plan, the replacement option for that tutor is gone.
• You can only take one trial lesson per tutor.

My advice: use the trial to test the things that matter to you (pace, accent, how they correct mistakes) before committing to a plan. That's the cheapest moment to change your mind.

Teaching on Preply: setting up your tutor profile

Preply's tutor recruitment page makes joining sound simple, and the rules are clear. You'll need a laptop or desktop computer, a stable internet connection, a webcam and a microphone. Your profile needs a real photo of yourself, a short intro video of up to 2 minutes and a description of your strengths.

There are a few things that'll get a profile rejected. Preply says not to include contact details, lesson prices or misleading information in your profile. Its Tutor Success team says it reviews profiles within 3 business days. Once you're live, you choose your hourly rate, change it whenever you like, and there's no minimum time commitment or fixed schedule.

Preply's commission and the trial lesson catch

This is where most of the grumbling about Preply comes from, so let's be precise. Preply's commission help article says:

• Trial lessons: the commission on every trial lesson with a new student is 100%. You teach it, Preply keeps the fee.
• Regular lessons: you pay a share of your hourly rate, somewhere between 18% and 33%.
• New tutors start at 33%, and it drops to 28% after 20 hours of teaching.
• Hours count across all your students, and trial lessons count towards the total.

So the model rewards tutors who stick around and keep students. In your first weeks you're effectively paying to win customers, through free trials and the highest commission rate. If you treat trials as your marketing cost, it makes more sense. If you were hoping for full pay from lesson one, it'll feel steep. Plenty of tutors run Preply alongside other freelance work for exactly this reason, and my honest guide to freelance jobs has more ideas for filling the gaps.

Getting your Preply earnings out

Preply's withdrawal help page lists five ways to move money out: bank transfer (powered by Wise, and the default where it's available), Wise, PayPal, Skrill and Payoneer. A few details worth knowing before you choose:

• Bank transfer has a 10 US dollar minimum and a 3,000 US dollar maximum per transaction.
• PayPal, Skrill and Payoneer are processed in US dollars, so pick bank transfer or Wise if you want your local currency.
• Each method carries its own fees, which Preply lists in the same article.
• Withdrawals can't be reversed once submitted, so double-check your account details.

Preply doesn't make you an employee, and you're setting your own prices and hours, so treat what you earn as self-employed income and check with an accountant or your local tax office about your own situation.

Preply at a glance

Question	Answer from Preply's pages and Wikipedia
Founded	2012, by three Ukrainian founders
Head office	Brookline, Massachusetts
Tutor numbers	More than 100,000
Who sets the rate	The tutor, and it can change anytime
Trial lesson commission	100% to Preply
Regular lesson commission	Between 18% and 33%, falling with hours taught
Free trial replacements for learners	Up to 2 per account

Preply phishing and fake tutor offers

Because Preply is big, its name gets borrowed. Watch for messages that ask you to pay a tutor directly by bank transfer or a payment app, or that try to move lessons off the platform. That's also why Preply bans contact details in profiles: once you're outside its system, its replacement and payment rules can't help you.

Tutors should be wary of emails offering fast-track approval or asking for a fee to get listed. Preply's own process is a profile review by its Tutor Success team, not a paid shortcut. Log in through the app or by typing the address yourself rather than tapping links in unexpected messages. And if you're still deciding whether teaching is the side hustle for you, read my advice on where a side hustle should start first.

Is Preply worth it?

For learners, it's a solid, well-funded platform with clear rules on trial replacements, so the risk of a bad first lesson is low. For tutors, it's legit and it pays out through mainstream methods, but you'll want to go in knowing the first trial with every new student earns you nothing, and the commission is highest when you're newest. If you can build a base of regular students, the numbers get better the longer you stay.

Frequently asked questions

Is Preply legit or a scam?

Preply is a legit company. Wikipedia says it was founded in 2012, is headquartered in Brookline, Massachusetts, and has more than 100,000 tutors.

Why does Preply take the whole trial lesson fee?

Preply's commission model says the commission on every trial lesson with a new student is 100%. After that, tutors pay a share of each lesson, between 18% and 33% depending on hours taught.

Can I get a refund if my Preply trial lesson was bad?

Preply offers a free replacement trial with a different tutor if a trial didn't meet your expectations, up to 2 per account. Check the help centre for refund requests outside that.

How do Preply tutors get paid?

Through bank transfer powered by Wise, Wise, PayPal, Skrill or Payoneer. Bank transfer has a 10 US dollar minimum per withdrawal.

Do Preply tutors choose their own rates?

Yes. Preply's tutor page says you choose your hourly rate, can change it anytime, and there's no minimum time commitment.