Tutor comparison. Source checked September 2026.
Preply vs Cambly for tutors
Preply publishes a typical asking band for English tutors. Cambly pays for live chat minutes and has limited new tutor intake. These records describe the teaching model and source basis.
Compare the teaching models
On a small screen, scroll sideways to compare both platforms.
| Dimension | Preply | Cambly |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching model | Set your rate marketplace for one to one lessons. | Live conversation paid by active chat minute. |
| Pay basis | The teach page says $15 to $25 per hour on average. This is an asking price, not take home. | The tutor page states $0.17 per minute for adult Cambly and $0.20 per minute for Cambly Kids. These are separate product rates, not an hourly wage. |
| Fees | Regular lessons start at 33% commission and slide to 18%. A new student trial is 100% commission. | No tutor side commission is stated for the per minute rate. |
| Requirements | The teach page does not list a specific degree, certificate, or experience requirement. | The checked tutor materials require a native English speaker and list no degree, certificate, or experience requirement. |
| Status | Active marketplace. | New tutor intake is limited, not fully closed. |
Preply: set your rate marketplace for one to one lessons; Cambly: live conversation paid by active chat minute. Choose by the work you want to do and the evidence you can verify, rather than by an old estimate or an unsupported earnings ranking.
Which one fits you
Choose Preply when you want to describe a subject, a learner group and a lesson offer in a profile, you prefer planned one to one teaching and individual feedback, you can track the regular lesson commission separately from the new-student trial, and you are prepared for variable bookings while a profile develops. Choose Cambly when you meet the native-English eligibility requirement, you prefer conversation practice over lesson design and curriculum writing, you accept pay by the active chat minute and limited new tutor intake, and you have read the official weekly payout terms and the current application page.
Labelled arithmetic, not a forecast. Preply: a USD 25 listed regular lesson leaves USD 16.75 at a 33% commission and USD 20.50 at an 18% commission; a new student trial at the same listed price leaves USD 0 to the tutor. Cambly: the source unit is USD 0.17 per active chat minute for adults and USD 0.20 per minute for Cambly Kids — no hourly rate published for either, because standby time is not active chat.
Application checks: read the current company page and save the source date, record the pay unit before comparing amounts, check language, degree, certificate, experience and location requirements, then verify application status and payout conditions separately. Sources: Preply's tutor page, its commission model and Cambly's tutor page.
How to use this comparison
- Read a published rate in its original unit. A lesson price, per minute rate, monthly scenario, and hourly wage are different things.
- Treat asking prices, community reports, estimates, and promotional examples as context. They are not a typical earnings result.
- Check the linked teacher page before applying. Intake, requirements, fee rules, and class availability can change.
Sources: Preply teach page checked 16 September 2026 · Cambly tutor page checked 17 September 2026. See the company pay directory for the underlying board record.