Busuu vs Preply
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Busuu
Learn new languages through bite-sized lessons and interactive exercises. Connect with native speakers for feedback and practice, and track your progress with personalized study plans and official certificates.
- Learn up to 14 languages
- Connect with native speakers
- Expert-designed courses
- Personalized study plans
- Smart review for vocabulary and grammar
- Official language certificates
- Specialized courses
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Busuu helps you communicate with confidence from day one. Combine expertly designed language lessons with feedback and tips from our global community of native speakers and harness the power of learning together. Looking for the best way to learn a new language on your phone? You’ve just discovered it, with Busuu, a Chegg service – we’re the app that makes learning new languages easier, more fun and more effective for all. Whether you’re learning to get confident having new conversations, for a higher grade, a career boost, or for mind-blowing travel experiences, Busuu’s got your back. We’re already helping millions of people overcome their learning struggles, from lack of time and motivation to problems with grammar and vocab. We help our learners achieve their goals, one milestone at a time – and we want to do the same for you. DOWNLOAD THE APP NOW FOR FREE LANGUAGE LEARNING ================ How are we doing this? We’re glad you asked. Whether you’re learning on your iPad or iPhone, Busuu helps you… – Learn up to 14 languages That’s right, 14! We’ve got complete courses in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazilian), Polish, Russian, Arabic, Dutch or Turkish with Busuu. – Master languages with real people You want to learn the relevant language, right? You’re in luck: we’ll connect you with our community of native speakers so you can get localized language knowledge and support. Feel even better when you help other learners in return. – Learn from the experts Busuu’s online courses are created by our ingenious language experts. Learn step-by-step with bite-sized lessons, plenty of practice and lots of opportunities to test your progress. – Say hello to useful language skills Learn the language that will really take you places! With regularly updated content, video flashcards featuring real people and useful cultural tips, you’ll be fully immersed in no time. – Kiss goodbye to stressful timetabling We’re serious. We organize your learning time for you with a personalized Study Plan. Simply tell us when you want to study and for how long, and we’ll send you notifications to keep you on track. – Revise with ease There’ll be no forgetting on our watch. Smart Review cleverly saves all the grammar and vocab you learn in lessons and stores them in one handy place, so you can make those tricky words and rules stick. – Show off achievements with official certificates With our Busuu language certificates, you’ll have actual proof of your language capabilities. – Access specialized courses for language lovers You’ve learned the basics, and now you’re hungry for more. Learn about manga, advance your pronunciation or add travel-specific phrases to your skillset, plus much more. ================ DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT. See what others have to say about Busuu: ● EDITOR RATING: EXCELLENT - PC MAG ● Named 'Best Buy' language learning app by the Independent in 2021 ● Language Learning App of the Year at the EdTech Breakthrough Awards 2020 ================ PLEASE NOTE A lot of the features are free, but you will need a subscription in order to get access to all features of this app. Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current payment period. Your iTunes account will be automatically charged at the same price for renewal within the 24-hour period prior to the end of the current payment period unless you change your subscription preferences in your Account Settings. You can manage your subscriptions through your Account Settings after purchase. Privacy policy: https://www.busuu.com/en/privacy/ Terms of Service: https://www.busuu.com/en/terms/
Preply
Connect with professional tutors for live, personalized language classes. This platform offers a structured alternative to gamified apps, focusing on real conversations and customized learning paths to achieve fluency.
- Live, personalized classes
- Thousands of expert tutors
- Practice real conversations
- Flexible scheduling
- Study over 90 languages
- Track progress
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Preply: Learn Languages with Real Tutors - Anytime, Anywhere Looking for the best way to learn a new language? Preply is more than just another language learning app: It’s a complete online learning platform and app that connects you with thousands of professional tutors for live, personalized classes. Unlike gamified apps that rely only on repetitive exercises, Preply gives you the flexibility of self-study combined with the structure, accountability, and human connection of real teachers. With the Preply app, you can: • Learn on the go - Book and attend lessons from anywhere, right from your phone. • Access thousands of expert tutors - Choose teachers based on price, ratings, availability, or specialization. • Practice real conversations - Build confidence by speaking with a live tutor instead of memorizing phrases. • Flexible scheduling - Book lessons that fit your lifestyle, whether daily practice or weekly study. • Study over 90 languages - English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, and more. • Track your progress - Follow your learning journey with clear goals and personalized feedback. Why Preply? Most language apps stop at vocabulary drills or gamified practice. Preply takes you further by connecting you with real people who adapt lessons to your goals. Want to prepare for exams? Boost your career opportunities? Improve pronunciation? Preply tutors customize your learning path, so every lesson gets you closer to fluency. Key Benefits of the Preply App • Structured alternative to gamified apps: Skip endless exercises and focus on meaningful progress. • Personalized learning: Lessons tailored to your level, learning style, and objectives. • Affordable options: Tutors for every budget, with transparent pricing and secure payment. • Convenient experience: Same great Preply platform, optimized for mobile so you can learn anytime. • Trusted by learners worldwide: Millions of students already use Preply to achieve their language goals. How It Works • Download the Preply app. • Choose your tutor: Filter by language, specialty, budget, or availability. • Book your first lesson: Flexible scheduling makes it easy. • Learn & track progress: Stay motivated with real results and ongoing support. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced learner, preparing for exams, traveling abroad, or building a global career, Preply helps you succeed. With Preply, you’re not just downloading an app, you’re joining a global learning platform built to support your growth. Learn languages your way, with the flexibility of an app and the reliability of real classes. Start your language journey today. Download Preply and discover why it’s the best app for live tutoring, online language classes, and personalized learning.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Preply at none against Busuu's 15. Preply also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Busuu's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 54%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Busuu sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Preply asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Busuu against 4.8 for Preply. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 101K and 44K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Busuu's written reviews are positive against 54% of Preply's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.
| Parameter | Busuu | Preply |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (101K ratings) | 4.8 (44K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.4% of reviews — better | 54.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 101K — better | 44K |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #78 — better | #111 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 267 MB | 237 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Busuu Limited | Preply Inc. |
Customer experience
Busuu
Preply
User reviews
Busuu
From 101K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💯 Best resource for learning
- 🎓 Structured lessons and review
- 👥 Helpful community feedback
- 🎨 Engaging visuals and content
- 🗣️ Realistic native speaker audio
Room to improve
- 🤖 Inconsistent AI-generated corrections
- 🔒 Limited access without premium
- 🔀 Difficulty navigating between lessons
- 📚 Lack of advanced content and review
- 🔊 Issues with audio and pronunciation
Preply
From 44K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great app for learning languages
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 💡 Flexible scheduling and wide range of tutors
- 🤩 Excellent tutors who are patient and knowledgeable
- 📚 Helpful lesson materials and resources
Room to improve
- 🐛 Technical issues with the app, including freezing, crashing, and audio/video problems
- 🤑 Concerns about the subscription model and hidden fees
- 💤 Lack of customer support responsiveness
- 🤯 Frustration with tutors canceling or not showing up for lessons
- 🤖 Complaints about the app's user interface and navigation
Bugs and requests
Busuu
Reported bugs
3 issues- Incorrect or missing translations
- Inconsistent lesson progress tracking
- Bugs with voice recognition and feedback
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to learn multiple languages simultaneously
- More detailed grammar explanations and practice
- Customizable review and flashcard features
- Improved community features and messaging
- Offline access to downloaded lessons
Preply
Reported bugs
5 issues- Lessons not properly credited or refunded
- Inability to transfer lesson credits between tutors
- Automatic subscription renewals without user consent
- Inconsistent app functionality across devices
- Tutor profiles and availability not accurately reflected
Requested features
5 requests- Calendar integration and scheduling improvements
- Better note-taking and lesson history features
- Ability to purchase individual lessons instead of subscriptions
- Improved customer support and communication channels
- More robust tutor vetting and quality control
In-app purchases
Busuu
- Monthly Subscription$6.991 Month
- Monthly Subscription$9.991 Month
- Monthly Premium Plan$23.491 Month
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- 12 Months Premium$70.001 Year
- Annual Subscription7 Days trial$79.991 Year
- 14 Day Trial - Premium Plus14 Days trial$89.991 Year
- 12 Months' Premium7 Days trial$138.991 Year
- 12 Months Premium7 Days trial2 variants$138.991 Year
- 12 Months Premium Plus7 Days trial2 variants$139.991 Year
Preply
No in-app purchases







