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There are many websites offering online English teaching services similar to Preply. While they are better than Preply in some aspects, they fall short in others. So how should we evaluate them? Today, as ingilizcetavsiye.com, we examined and evaluated platforms in the industry that are similar and alternative to Preply. Let's take a look together.
In our now digitized world, while attending university, I didn't want to spend my money and hours on physical courses. On the one hand, I was trying to improve my English personally and learn new words, on the other hand, I was researching online English courses and reading reviews. I opted for Preply and took a few months of training because it had advertisements and reviews on many websites.
But how was Preply before looking at its alternatives and similar platforms? What aspects contributed to my English education and which aspects made me give it up?
The primary reason our paths crossed with Preply when I was a university student was my need to practice speaking English. Of course, there are many apps and platforms in the industry and on the internet that provide this. What distinguished Preply for me was its offering of over 10,000 teacher options, with selections available in every price range. Since teachers on Preply demand different fees, you have the chance to find very affordable lessons, which sets Preply apart from other high-fee platforms.
At first, I thought this was an important and nice feature because I didn't want to allocate very high budgets for my online English education, as I had no experience. For people like me who are just starting to learn English online, Preply wasn’t too bad. It offered freedoms regarding lesson hours and teachers and attracted me with its low prices. I admit, initially, I just wanted to talk to someone whose native language was English rather than a real teacher. I thought talking to anyone would be enough for practice. I entered my first lesson with this motivation and was disappointed afterward. Indeed, talking to someone who knows English like their mother tongue was important, but the lesson was far from professional. You could easily see the difference when you talked to someone whose profession was teaching. I wasn’t satisfied with the Preply teacher I chose because of the low price and wanted to change it. This was where our breaking point with Preply occurred.
Finding someone to speak to in order to change my teacher was very difficult for me. There was no number available, it recommended contacting the Preply support center. There were no articles in Turkish about Preply in the support center tab, and I couldn’t find customer service that worked with video or voice call methods. Now, what I wanted was not to change the teacher but to cancel my subscription. And so it was.
After giving up on Preply, I researched more comprehensive platforms that cared about the levels of their students, had professional teachers, and properly functioning customer services, and took trial lessons from many of them.
So, what did I pay attention to while doing this? Which platforms are similar to Preply? And which of the similar ones is better than Preply? I tried to answer these questions in light of my experiences for you.
Flalingo is among the language learning platforms that I discovered and rapidly adopted in a short time. This platform, attracting attention with its tutors who are native English speakers and have pedagogical formation, offers a personalized educational experience by using materials from Oxford University Press tailored to individuals' needs. I have observed a continuous improvement and elevation in my English skills because these materials are designed according to your age and English level, and Flalingo's tutors use these resources very effectively. The fact that all lessons are one-on-one creates a significant advantage for those who do not find group lessons effective.
Even though there are many tutors on the platform, Flalingo's artificial intelligence-supported smart tutor selection algorithm brought the most ideal tutors for me and my goals to the fore. In the process of learning a new language, finding a tutor that serves your purpose is of vital importance. You might also need a bit of luck in this process. If you find a teacher you like on the platform, try increasing your sessions with them.
In summary, with these features it offers, I can qualify Flalingo as one of the platforms to be preferred in learning English.
| Criteria | Values |
|---|---|
| My Evaluation Score | 4/5 |
| Average of Internet Reviews and Complaints | 4.5/5 |
| Most Liked Feature | Quality of content and teachers |
| Least Liked Feature | Customer service reaching out without notice |
| Selectiveness Regarding Teachers | Professional teachers with rigorous interviews |
| Used Materials | Oxford University Press Materials |
| Customer Support Unit | Customer service is very attentive |
Cambly emerges as a platform known for live classes and assignments in online English learning, aiming to enhance users' English skills.
One of the likable features of the platform for me was providing course and instructor options suitable for you, no matter what your English level is. I was able to easily communicate with customer services when I encountered a problem. At the same time, they try to attract new students with various discount campaigns.
On the platform’s website, it states that there is an opportunity to take lessons from teachers whose native language is English. However, there are also several instructors on the platform whose native language is not English. I believe companies should be more transparent on such matters. In my experience with Cambly, I encountered different prices within the same day initially due to a lack of consistency in pricing, which disturbed me and led me to request the cancellation of the subscription. Unfortunately, this process also did not go very smoothly.
| Criteria | Values |
|---|---|
| My Evaluation Score | 3/5 |
| Average of Internet Comments and Complaints | 3.8/5 |
| Most Liked Feature | Finding Affordable Lessons |
| Least Liked Feature | Absence of Customer Representatives |
| Selectiveness Regarding Teachers | Marketplace Hence Inexperienced Teachers Are Available |
| Used Material | Information Not Found |
| Communication of Customer Support Unit | No Customer Support Units |
Open English is one of the online English training platforms like Preply. Firstly, you have the opportunity to take online English lessons from the teachers you choose for certain fees. According to the information they provide, there are teachers giving lessons in various fields on their platform. Approaching us quite ambitiously with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, I couldn’t discover a distinct feature that sets Open English apart from other platforms. Other users indicate that the platform’s customer service is insufficient and they have experienced problems regarding fee refunds. When evaluating all the pros and cons, Open English is certainly a platform that can be preferred like Preply, but the choice, of course, belongs to you, dear readers.
| Criteria | Values |
|---|---|
| My Evaluation Score | 3.6/5 |
| Average of Internet Reviews and Complaints | 3.8/5 |
| Most Liked Feature | One-on-one lessons |
| Least Liked Feature | Lessons suitable for the level |
| Selectiveness Regarding Teachers | Not very selective |
| Used Material | Unknown |
| Customer Support Unit | Average customer service |
LiveXP is one of the other online language learning platforms like Preply. At first glance, thanks to the one-on-one lessons offered by the platform, it is possible to access various course and teacher options. Additionally, the platform can be accessed from devices other than computers. However, realistic user comments I could find about the platform were quite limited. Opinions on many review sites generally praised non-prominent or non-existent features of the platform. At this point, I should mention that the platform did not seem as trustworthy to me as the others. Especially the situation where users are billed by the automatic subscription renewal system without any reminder is a matter you need to consider in your decision-making process. Users are, quite rightly, dissatisfied with this situation. Also, the lack of teacher quality assurance on the platform is a significant concern. LiveXP offers a broad teacher portfolio without any certification or training requirement, which has led to some users encountering teachers far from professionalism, and consequently, dissatisfaction.
| Criteria | Values |
|---|---|
| My Evaluation Score | 2.5/5 |
| Average of Internet Reviews and Complaints | 2.9/5 |
| Most Liked Feature | One-on-one lessons |
| Least Liked Feature | Teacher and material qualities |
| Selectiveness Regarding Teachers | Not very selective |
| Used Material | Unknown |
| Customer Support Unit | Poor customer service |
LiveXP, Open English, Cambly, and Flalingo, being various online English education platforms, offer different experiences to their users. Based on the above and internet user comments:
Teacher Quality: While Flalingo and Open English emphasize that their teachers are certified and trained, LiveXP does not require specific certification or training in teacher selection.
Student Experience: While Flalingo claims to offer a personalized education experience with materials specially prepared according to the user's English level and age, Cambly and Open English provide standard course materials appealing to broad audiences.
User Feedback and Complaints: While Cambly and LiveXP are criticized by users regarding pricing and automatic subscription renewal systems, other platforms might have received fewer critiques in this regard.
Pricing and Membership Policies: While some inconsistencies in Cambly's pricing policy are notable, users have experienced problems with LiveXP's automatic subscription renewal.
Customer Support Services: While Cambly and LiveXP have received user critiques regarding customer services, Flalingo and Open English might have received more positive feedback in this area.
Interface and Accessibility: While Flalingo and Cambly attract attention with their user-friendly interfaces, Open English may offer a more complex user experience for some users.
Promotions and Discounts: While Cambly tries to attract new students with various discount campaigns, other platforms might be more modest in this regard.
Choosing among apps similar to Preply varies depending on your individual needs, preferences, and learning style.
In conclusion, it is crucial to determine which factors are most important to you in your language learning process. By choosing the platform that best fits your criteria, established according to your individual needs and preferences, you can be more effective and efficient in your language learning process. We wish you a great language learning adventure!
