Preply vs Cambly: Pros & Cons – Students’ Edition

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For people seeking to learn English, there have never been so many options as now! With such variety, though, it can get confusing as to which platforms are better suited for each individual student. I mean, we’ve all got our own unique styles and comfort zones, right? This post will take a look at two platforms that I have tutored on.

I’ll give my opinion on what I feel the advantages and disadvantages are for English learners on either of the two. Feel free to let me know what you think below or to share what your experiences have been like learning on these sites. So, let’s talk about some of the similarities, pros, and cons of Preply and Cambly for students.

Read also: Preply vs Cambly, Tutors’ Edition

Check for yourself: Cambly Info; Preply

All the Same

Despite some differences, Preply and Cambly actually have a lot of similarities for students, and they offer much of the same things. Both of these are online language learning platforms where students can decide the times and days of their own lessons. These platforms allow for students to attend lessons on practically any device with a camera, from laptops to cellphones to tablets and more.

They also allow for students to choose which tutors they wish to talk with, providing a profile and video by each tutor. The two platforms have learning materials that can be used during the lessons as well. Monitors are on watch for both platforms to make sure the lessons go smoothly and safely. Now, on to the specifics.

Preply, pros & cons

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Advantages

• they make it easy to pay for lessons and set up recurring / weekly lessons with the same tutors
• if the student doesn’t enjoy their first lesson, they can do a lesson with another tutor free of extra charge until they find a good fit
• the interface looks nice and the platform is fairly easy to use
• they have features like a whiteboard, lesson topics, and an easy chat section to navigate
• students can arrange to do automatic lesson confirmation so they don’t have to worry about this after lessons
• it’s designed mostly for students that want to stick with the same tutors for longer and do longer lessons
• they aren’t so picky about doing lessons off of the Preply platform, as long as the lesson is confirmed on Preply, this allows for more freedom to do the lesson where you’re comfortable
• they check with students to confirm before extending their payment plans
• students can learn other languages besides English

Disadvantages

• sometimes the platform can be a little slow, this especially happens during updates
• there is no free trial lesson and all lessons are paid for in advance
• students aren’t required to do 1 hour lessons but most do, some students have a hard time keeping up with this weekly schedule, it’s a bigger commitment
• most students do lessons on a laptop in a more formal setting, this could feel limiting to some students
• because tutors set their own rates, sometimes lessons may be too pricey for certain students

Cambly, pros & cons

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Advantages

• students usually do the lessons on a cellphone, so they have the freedom to be almost anywhere and practice English
• lessons are normally shorter, although students can pay for extended lesson times if they wish
  • it is usually a laidback atmosphere which can be very relaxing for students, low pressure
• students have the freedom to talk to a different tutor each session or make planned lessons with the same tutor
• students are allowed a free-trial lesson and sometimes promotions for multiple free lessons
• a great place for YouTubers and influencers to interact with English speakers for entertainment and educational purposes
• students can feel safe that the lessons are closely monitored, more so than Preply in my experience
• tutors go through a quick training before starting, this is to better understand other world cultures and behaviors, and it helps them to be more receptive of students’ specific customs
• you don’t have to schedule lessons, just log in and find someone to talk with
• I sense that tutors come from a wider array of backgrounds on Cambly, there’s also a fair amount that aren’t native English speakers but still speak English very well

Disadvantages

• many students like to share contact info, but Cambly strictly prohibits this, this is a downside if you are one of those students
• students can do the lesson from anywhere, but some locations might make video connection worse
• because the atmosphere can be more relaxed, some students might not reap the full benefits of a fully focused lesson, this can provide a false sense of improvement for some students who would benefit better from sitting and focusing on English practice, which is totally possible on Cambly

So, there …?

Well, you can see I tried to stay optimistic and focus on the good side of things. The lists are overwhelmingly positive for both platforms, which surprised even me. For students looking to do lessons on either Preply or Cambly, I would suggest just thinking about the kind of lessons you want. Do you want to just practice conversational English or do you want to have a bit more structure and order in your lessons? Or do you want both or something different altogether?

Both of these platforms are excellent tools to use for practicing English and to get some cultural exchange. In the end, though, my experience tells me to encourage all the students out there to use it as one of your many language learning tools, and not as a cure-all. Just using an online platform probably isn’t going to make you fluent, although it’s one great way to help you get there!

Language learning is best done when there is a variety of methods and materials used so the brain can get in contact with the language from different angles, using different experiences. Students that seek a more casual approach to learning might prefer Cambly, while students who seek to put in more focus might prefer Preply. Either way, both platforms allow for casual and serious language learning, just with their own twist. The important thing is how they are used by the students. You can do it! I trust in you. I hope I could make the differences, similarities, pros, and cons of Preply and Cambly a bit clearer for you. Thanks for reading, and we’ll tune in next time. Peace.