I’ve tried numerous methods in recent years to learn French quickly, and have found that the most effective techniques usually involved real, live instruction from a native-speaking teacher. Online classes are a convenient and flexible way to improve your skills from anywhere in the world, and in my experience, the two best platforms for learning a language online are Lingoda and Preply.

Lingoda and Preply are both great platforms for learning a language through real conversation and collaboration with live teachers. I use both platforms for learning French. (PHoto of Carina Otero in Versailles France)

In this article, I describe my personal experience using both Preply and Lingoda, and discuss which platform may be better for you depending on your situation, preferences, or language-learning goals.

The Main Difference Between Lingoda and Preply

Lingoda is an online platform for learning Spanish, French, English, German, or Italian through live small-group classes. Students are guided through Lingoda’s curriculum by the platform’s trained instructors. The platform is subscription based, and the cost per class can vary depending on how many classes you subscribe to.

Preply is an online platform that connects students with private language teachers, in almost every language. Preply students and their teachers can tailor the subject matter covered in each of their private sessions, ranging from simple conversational practice to highly-focused exam preparation, and everything in-between. The platform is also subscription based, and the cost per class can vary depending on the teacher’s set rate.

Considering these differences, how can you determine which platform is better for you? Keep reading for my more detailed explanation of each platform’s strengths:

Preply or Lingoda: Which Platform is Better for You?

If you want to learn a language other than Spanish, French, English, German, or Italian: Preply
As of the time of writing, Lingoda only offers up to these levels of these languages:

Spanish B2
French B2
English C1, Business English B2
German C1
Italian A2

For students interested in learning any other language, or for students learning these languages beyond these levels, Preply would be a better choice. For example, I loved using Lingoda but completed all the classes at the B2.3 level for French. Now that I’m at a C1 level for French, I’m continuing to meet with my Preply tutor every week but I’m no longer actively using Lingoda. (If Lingoda happened to start offering French classes beyond B2.3, I would happily start using the platform again!)

If you are a total beginner: Lingoda
Because Lingoda’s course material is standardized for all students regardless of which teacher is assigned to the class, the structure is well-designed and beneficial for total beginners. If you are starting to learn a language from scratch, attending collaborative small-group classes is an effective way to learn for a number of reasons: you can benefit from asking questions and receiving direct attention from a real teacher, and can also learn by observing other students’ learning experiences. Additionally, Lingoda students can access additional resources on the platform to review the material that was covered in class. By contrast, Preply lessons are designed by each individual tutor, and therefore can vary greatly when it comes to structure.

If you are more experienced and have specific questions to address: Preply
On the other hand, I do feel that Preply is a great platform for language students who have more learning experience, who know where they struggle and could use more help, and who have specific questions to address in order to make the most of each lesson. I personally started using Preply when I was at a B2.1 level of French because I wanted to work on improving general conversational skills, but quickly found that my Preply lessons were even more beneficial because my teacher would identify the areas where I struggled and would design our lessons to include the exact grammar exercises I needed to work on. And because I had spent time learning French in other classes or by other methods prior to using Preply, I was able to draw from my personal experience and communicate the topics and areas I wanted to focus on during our private Preply lessons.

If you want conversational practice with one-on-one attention: Preply
This was the exact reason why I personally signed up for Preply– I had tried various methods to learn French quickly and effectively, and while I was building confidence and applying my language skills as often as I could during my day-to-day life in Paris, I noticed that I wasn’t always being corrected when I would make mistakes and therefore wouldn’t learn from them. I specifically sought out a private tutor on Preply that would correct, explain, and teach me based on the mistakes I was frequently making when speaking freely and casually in French. These private lessons have helped me immensely, and because my Preply teacher and I often speak about my life, my work, my interests, and current events, it’s easy for me to quickly apply my learnings in everyday conversations with other French speakers. While Lingoda does offer private classes and one-on-one attention, they offer more structure and therefore less “flexibility” when it comes to the subject matter covered in each lesson when compared to Preply.

If you want to follow a set curriculum: Lingoda
But if it’s structure that you are seeking in a language-learning platform, then Lingoda is certainly the better choice. Students can sign up for classes based on the topic listed, and are even able to preview the lesson material before attending class. After each class, students can download a PDF of the annotated lesson material to further practice and develop their understanding. Because the lessons are standardized within Lingoda’s platform, teachers are well-prepared ahead of each class session, so the experience is ultimately better for each student that attends. I personally loved using Lingoda for the interaction with other students in their small-group, live classes, but they also offer private classes so students can receive one-on-one attention while following the same structured curriculum. As for Preply, there is no set curriculum to follow, and teachers and students have full flexibility in how to design the lessons based on a student’s needs.

If you want to set your own budget: Preply
Students are able to search Preply’s extensive network to choose their own language teacher, and can use any of the filters available to narrow down the options. In addition to the filters for native speakers, time zones, and specialities, Preply students can also toggle their price preferences in order to find a teacher within their specific budget. Students are then required to subscribe to a number of classes a month– Preply’s minimum subscription tier is four classes every four weeks, but there is some flexibility in pausing or extending your plan for up to additional three weeks. By contrast, Lingoda allows users to save on classes by offering discounts for purchasing larger package subscriptions and seasonal promotions, but overall the prices are fixed.

If you like more collaborative learning environments: Lingoda
Beyond being a great platform that encourages real progress while learning a new language, Lingoda’s unique structure also offers secondary affects that I personally found beneficial as a language student thanks to its small-group, live environment. Because I was often and consistently exposed to various personalities, opinions, backgrounds, and accents from the teachers and the other students in my Lingoda classes, I felt like I was learning and absorbing from an environment that modeled the real world. The classes were collaborative and encouraged participation, and as much as I was learning from the course material and from the live teacher, I felt like I was also learning the language from observing other students’ shared experiences. For a period of time I was using Lingoda and Preply simultaneously, and while my Preply classes were intensive and required me to be highly focused, my Lingoda classes by contrast felt like a more relaxed environment where I sometimes had opportunities to sit back, relax, and simply learn by observing others.

If you need more scheduling flexibility: Preply
If your schedule would benefit from more flexibility, Preply’s 12-hour cancelation allowance may make it the better choice for you. Students can schedule Preply classes up to a few weeks in advance– depending on the teacher’s availability– and if plans change or require adjustments, they can reschedule or cancel up to 12 hours before the start time to avoid any fees or penalties. By contrast, Lingoda’s cancelation policy is more strict: 3 days for regular Lingoda students, or 7 days for Lingoda Sprint students.

If you need a certificate or attestation of your level: Lingoda
One of the many benefits of using Lingoda is that it’s a reputable and recognized platform. Lingoda allows students to easily generate a certificate stating they have completed a certain number of language classes within the internationally-standardized levels offered by the platform. If your job, portfolio, or resume requires an attestation of your proficiency in a language, a certificate from Lingoda may be sufficient proof. As far as I am able to see in my Preply account, I’m only able to view a record of the number of classes I’ve taken and the dates on which I took them– and it’s not available to view or download as an official certificate.

If you need help with a specific subject or project: Preply
I have found Preply to be immensely helpful when I have a specific goal or event that I need to prepare for. Recently, I spent a few of my private Preply sessions preparing for my first-ever interview in French. I was nervous and really wanted my responses to sound natural, honest, and most importantly, grammatically correct– and my teacher gave me great advice and I went into the interview feeling very prepared. I’ve also used my Preply sessions to work on dictée, specifically to improve my French comprehension and production skills for topics that include numbers and statistics (which is an area where I noticed I really struggle). The structure of Preply’s platform allows for flexibility and customization, so it’s definitely beneficial for students that need to prepare for something specific. I’ve also noticed that when searching for French teachers on Preply, students can filter for those that specialize in preparation for language tests like the DELF, TEF, or TCF– and can similarly filter for other language tests for other languages on the platform. By contrast, Lingoda’s format is more structured and defined, and therefore less appropriate for specialized preparation.

If you need motivation through gamification and rewards: Lingoda Sprint
Lingoda has a unique program for new users, which offers a hefty reward to students that successfully follow all challenge rules and attend a certain number of their classes in a 60-day period. Lingoda’s challenge is called a Sprint (30 classes in 60 days) or a Super Sprint (60 classes in 60 days), and requires students to register ahead of time. The rules and requirements can seem a little complicated, but the reward for successfully completing the challenge is considerable: 50% of your money back to your original payment method, or 100% of your money back in the form of credit to be used on future classes. Preply doesn’t offer a similar challenge.

I successfully completed Lingoda’s Sprint, and definitely recommend it. The routine and commitment helped me build a healthy habit of learning and practicing my French, and I was awarded my 50% cash back quickly. I wrote a full review of my experience participating in a Lingoda Sprint, which you can read by clicking here.

How I Use Both Lingoda and Preply to Learn French

Lingoda and Preply are both great language learning platforms. And while they each have their own strengths and differences, I felt that they were actually pretty complementary to one another and that it was beneficial to use both at the same time.

I’ve tried and used many language learning methods to learn French quickly (I managed to pass the DELF B2 after less than three years of studying French, starting from scratch), and I felt like the most effective method was exactly that: learning from a set of various techniques simultaneously.

As I’ve compared and contrasted in this article, Preply and Lingoda may use different methods to allow a student to learn or practice a new language, and both are effective in their own ways. I have had a great experience on each platform, and also enjoyed when I was using both at the same time. I’m still continuing to use Preply every week, and I am still hopeful that one day Lingoda will add more French classes beyond B2.3 level so I can continue learning on their platform as well!

If you are interested in trying either Lingoda or Preply, or both, use my promotional codes linked below for a discount!

Lingoda Discount Code

Click here to automatically apply my 20€ promotional discount code when signing up on Lingoda

Preply Discount Code

Click here to take 70% off your first classes on Preply

Are you looking to learn or practice a language online and debating whether Lingoda or Preply is better for you? Let me know in the comments below, or feel free to ask any questions about my experience using both of these platforms!