Side by side
| Feature | Preply | italki | Cambly | Engoo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format | 1:1 lessons. Tutor sets an asking price. | 1:1, packages, and group classes. Tutor sets lesson prices. | Live conversation paid by active chat minute. | 1:1 lessons of 25 minutes in the linked source. |
| Current pay evidence | English tutors charge $15 to $25 per hour on average as an asking price. | No verified typical hourly band is published. | $0.17 per active chat minute for adults. Cambly Kids is $0.20 per minute. | The linked platform source does not publish a tutor wage. |
| Fee | Regular commission 33% down to 18%; 100% of each new-student trial. | Trial 0%, single 21%, 5-pack 19%, 10-pack 17%, 15 and 20-pack 15%, group 30%. The 21% figure is for single lessons, not a universal commission. | No tutor-side commission in the pay record. | No tutor-side fee in the linked wage source. |
| Requirement record | No degree, certificate, or experience listed in the current record. | No degree, certificate, or experience listed in the current record. | Native English; no degree, certificate or experience listed. | No degree, certificate, or experience listed in the current record. |
| Current status note | Active marketplace. | Onboarding was not rechecked with the fee policy. | New tutor intake is limited. | Confirm current tutor terms before applying. |
How to read the numbers
Preply's $15 to $25 figure is an asking price, not a wage. italki has no comparable typical hourly band in the current record. Cambly's unit is the active chat minute, not an hourly rate. Engoo's current linked source gives no platform-published wage. Keep those categories separate.
Clearly labelled hypothetical fee maths
These examples assume a listed $25 price and a completed payment.
- Preply regular lesson: $25 leaves $16.75 at a 33% commission and $20.50 at an 18% commission. A new-student trial at the same listed price leaves $0 to the tutor.
- italki single lesson: $25 leaves $19.75 after the 21% single-lesson fee. A 5-lesson package at the same listed price would leave $20.25 per listed lesson after the 19% fee.
- Cambly: $0.17 per active chat minute is the unit. Waiting time is not active chat, so no hourly or annual conversion belongs in this comparison.
- Engoo: no platform-published wage is available in the linked source, so there is no source-backed fee calculation to show.
Choose by teaching preference
- Choose Preply if you want a 1:1 profile, an asking price you can change, and a regular lesson fee that falls with completed hours.
- Choose italki if you want lesson packages or group classes and can track the fee for each lesson type.
- Consider Cambly if you are eligible for its native-English tutor model and want live conversation work, while accepting limited intake and per-minute pay.
- Consider Engoo if the fixed 25-minute format suits your lesson style. Verify current tutor pay and payout terms before relying on it.
Application checklist
- Open the current company page and save its source date.
- Write the exact pay unit beside the amount.
- Check degree, certificate, experience, language, and location requirements.
- Ask whether the fee applies to trials, packages, groups, or active minutes.
- Use the English, ELA, and maths jobs board for current openings.
Read the detailed records for Preply, italki, Cambly, and Engoo before applying. Primary source pages: Preply's tutor page, Preply's commission model, italki's commission policy, Cambly's tutor page, and Engoo's learner site.