Which online platform is better? Preply vs Italki for language tutors

If you're interested in becoming an online language tutor, choosing the right teaching platform can make the difference between a stressful set of admin tasks and a successful side hustle.

Whether you’re an experienced professional teacher or just starting out, online platforms like Preply and Italki can be a fantastic way to reach language learners around the world.

Preply focuses on goal-oriented tutoring, including corporate language training and exam preparation. Italki offers a marketplace-style experience with professional teachers and community tutors, native speakers, and language exchange partners.

So, when it comes to Preply vs Italki - which platform is better for language tutors?

In this guide, we’ll compare Italki vs Preply from a tutor’s perspective: how they work, who they’re best for, pricing models, teaching styles, and the type of learners you’ll meet. By the end, you’ll know which platform fits your teaching style, personal schedule and long-term career plans.

Key takeaways

• Both Preply and Italki are popular platforms for online language tutoring

• Preply suits tutors who prefer to create structured lesson plans, schedule regular lessons, and provide test preparation

• Italki provides tutors with flexibility, an informal teaching environment, and the ability to offer group language classes

• Your ideal platform depends on your teaching experience, preferred tuition style, and whether you offer comprehensive grammar coaching or casual language exchange sessions

• GoStudent is a leading European online tuition platform that offers a range of popular and niche languages in addition to many other subjects

Preply vs Italki: key differences at a glance

What is Preply and how does it work?

Preply is a global teaching platform designed to create measurable language progress. It tends to attract learners looking for formal lessons, regular study schedules, and clearly defined outcomes, such as passing an exam, improving their business communication, or learning a foreign language for travel purposes.

As a tutor on Preply, you can:

• Create a detailed tutor profile

• Set your own hourly rate

• Offer one-on-one online lessons

• Build lesson plans tailored to learning goals

• Teach regular lessons or multiple sessions per week

Preply also offers smart scheduling tools and an earnings dashboard to help tutors to stay on track with long-term student collaborations.

Who is Preply best for?

Preply is suitable for:

• Professional tutors and experienced teachers

• EFL tutors and teachers of popular languages such as French and Spanish

• Tutors who specialise in test preparation and formal lessons

• Those interested in offering corporate language training for business professionals

If your teaching style is academic and goal-focused, Preply could be a strong choice! But before you take the plunge, let's look at what Italki has to offer.

What is Italki and how does it work?

Italki takes a marketplace-style approach to language learning. Learners can browse tutors, watch their video introductions, and book individual sessions with different teachers.

Italki provides:

• Professional teachers with formal qualifications

• Community tutors and community teachers

• Native speakers offering conversation practice

• A pay-per-lesson flexibility model

• The option to take multiple lessons with new tutors

• Language exchange partners and group learning features

The majority of Italki tutors set their own prices and availability, giving them full control over lesson bookings and how many classes they teach.

Who is Italki best for?

Italki is suited to:

• Tutors who enjoy conversational teaching

• Those who like working with other learners from around the world

• Tutors offering casual language tutoring or cultural exchange sessions

• Teachers who prefer flexible scheduling and short-term commitments

Italki offers a relaxed environment for teaching new language skills - if you're new to tutoring, it can be a great way to build your skills and confidence!

Teaching on Preply vs Italki

Teaching style and methods

• Preply supports structured teaching methods, lesson plans, and progress tracking

• Italki encourages flexibility, conversation practice, and social learning

If you prefer long-term planning, structures lesson packages, and guiding learners through formal lessons, Preply may be the best fit. If you enjoy spontaneous conversation and teaching a variety of individual lessons, Italki could be more suitable.

Tutor quality and visibility

• On Preply, tutor quality is determined by reviews, teaching experience, and student retention rates

• On Italki, tutor profiles, video introductions, and trial lessons help you to stand out among many private teachers

Italki tutors often teach multiple students with short-term learning goals, while Preply tutors tend to build longer, more in-depth language acquisition journeys.

Pricing models: Preply vs Italki

Both platforms use a pay-per-lesson model, but Italki leans more toward casual bookings, while Preply encourages regular lessons and extended learning paths. Neither Italki nor Preply offer free trial lessons for students, meaning you'll always be compensated for time spent teaching. See our article on tuition prices for more information on how to set your rates as a tutor.

Which platform is better for you?

Choose Preply if:

• You are a professional teacher or experienced tutor

• You enjoy formal lessons and structured progress

• You're looking to teach students with clear learning goals

• You’re interested in corporate language training

Choose Italki if:

• You enjoy teaching conversation skills and and boosting fluency

• You like working with multiple students

• You prefer flexible scheduling

• You want to teach global learners within a community atmosphere

Both platforms help tutors find students and grow their online teaching career. The right choice depends on whether you prefer structure or freedom as a tutor.

Why GoStudent is top for language tutors

For language tutors who want to take their career to the next level, working with GoStudent offers a professional, structured alternative to both Preply and Italki.

Rather than spending time competing for visibility and trying to attract new students, tutors are matched with learners who are committed to regular lessons and long-term progress.

This model is an excellent option for professional educators who value stability, continuity, and measurable outcomes, and who prefer working within a clear academic framework rather than purely transactional, pay-per-lesson systems.

Why GoStudent stands out for language tutors:

• A steady flow of committed students

• Long-term one-to-one relationships that support meaningful academic progress

• Structured lesson frameworks aligned with clear learning goals

• Built-in progress tracking that demonstrates impact and results

• AI-powered tools and a secure virtual classroom for high-quality online lessons

• Regular, scheduled sessions that create routine and income stability

• Strong focus on academic outcomes and exam preparation

• A professional environment with vetted peers and clear teaching standards

These features make GoStudent ideal for tutors who want to build a sustainable teaching career with consistency, quality, and real educational impact.

Tutoring platforms are a personal choice

When it comes to selecting a language learning platform to work with, there’s no single winner - each option serves a different type of tutor.

Making the right decision stems from knowing the kind of experience you that you need, and what you can offer as a private tutor: consistent bookings, formal lessons, and measurable progress, or conversational practice focus, and community-driven language learning that thrives on variety.

Your ideal tutor journey starts with the platform that matches your teaching style and vision!