A PRACTICAL BUYING GUIDE
Compare language learning options
For individuals and businesses: how Langu compares with popular tutor platforms, online schools and language apps. What each does well, where customers report friction, and what to check before paying.
Published by Langu • Sources checked 7 October 2026. Profiles describe the teaching model and offer, not numerical quality scores. Features and terms vary by plan. This is our perspective as a provider. Customer complaints describe reported experiences, not failure rates; consumer terms should not be assumed to apply to business contracts.
FOR INDIVIDUAL LEARNERS
People, schools & apps
Choose the learning model first: personalised lessons, a structured course or independent practice. The complaints below are themes in the public reviews examined, not a statistical ranking. Many reviewers also report positive experiences.
Preply — broad tutor choice; renewals and credit expiry
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: 1:1 · Audience: Individuals (B2C)
Flexibility: Tutor scheduling; recurring plan + expiry rules
Tutor credentials: Mixed; certified profiles available
Personalisation: Tutor-tailored · Learning: Live + practice
A strong option for finding a tutor and keeping a regular routine. Individual plans renew every 28 days. Unscheduled lessons expire at renewal; lessons scheduled before the deadline can take place later. Preply does not offer standalone one-time lesson purchases under this model.
Reported friction: unexpected renewals, unused lesson balances and refund disputes. Many learners also praise their tutors and support. Check the renewal date and schedule credits before expiry. Business agreements may differ.
Sources: Preply subscription policy · Customer reviews
italki — teacher choice; reported navigation friction
Teaching: Human-led lessons
Lessons: Mainly 1:1 · Audience: Individuals (B2C)
Flexibility: Teacher-dependent scheduling and booking
Tutor credentials: Profile-dependent
Personalisation: Teacher-tailored · Learning: Live lessons
Useful for learners who want to compare individual teachers and build a personal relationship. Profiles and trial lessons help you judge teaching style, subject fit and availability; the experience depends on the teacher you choose.
Reported friction: awkward navigation and occasional bugs when managing sessions or finding feedback. Reviews also frequently praise teacher choice and scheduling flexibility. Test the booking experience and agree your learning goals before committing.
Sources: italki · Customer reviews
Cambly — English conversation; unused minutes expire
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: 1:1 or small group · Audience: B2C; business offer available
Flexibility: Plan-based; unused weekly minutes expire
Tutor credentials: Teaching certificate not required
Personalisation: Conversation-led · Learning: Live + practice
Worth considering for regular English conversation. Check the lesson format and weekly allowance of the specific plan. Cambly says unused weekly minutes do not roll over, so missed weeks can reduce the value of a prepaid plan.
Published student complaints include disputes over early cancellation and refunds on longer plans. These are individual reports, not a measured complaint rate. Read the current refund policy before paying for a long commitment and check how returned lesson minutes expire.
Sources: Plan rules · Refund policy · Published complaints
Lingoda — structured courses; strict Sprint conditions
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: Groups or 1:1 · Audience: B2C; business offer available
Flexibility: Bookable class times; stricter Sprint conditions
Tutor credentials: Teaching certificate + experience required
Personalisation: Curriculum-led · Learning: Live + practice
A fit for learners who like structured courses and scheduled classes. Its Sprint offer can reward a consistent routine, but cashback depends on meeting the full programme rules. Sprint rolls into a regular subscription unless the follow-on arrangement is changed or cancelled under the stated terms.
Reported friction: strict credit and Sprint conditions, variation between teachers, and occasional technical problems. Many reviewers praise the teaching and materials. Read attendance, cancellation and renewal rules before treating cashback as a guaranteed discount.
Sources: Lingoda Sprint · Customer reviews
Babbel — guided self-study; limited open conversation
Teaching: App-led; AI speaking practice where available
Lessons: Solo self-study · Audience: Individuals (B2C)
Flexibility: Self-paced; subscription or lifetime plan
Tutor credentials: No live tutor in the consumer app
Personalisation: Level-based pathway · Learning: Self-study
A useful choice for learners who enjoy short, structured lessons and explanations. Babbel also offers AI speaking practice. Consumer subscriptions normally renew automatically; lifetime access is a different purchase.
Reported friction: some learners want more open-ended conversation and find navigation awkward. These are reported preferences and usability issues, not proof that the app cannot help. Babbel Live for private learners ended on 30 June 2025; the business offering is separate.
Sources: Pricing model · Consumer Live closure · Customer reviews
Duolingo — daily practice; ads and usage limits
Teaching: App-led; AI conversation on eligible Max plans
Lessons: Solo self-study · Audience: Primarily B2C
Flexibility: Self-paced; free or paid plans
Tutor credentials: No live tutor
Personalisation: Adaptive exercises · Learning: Self-study
A convenient starting point or supplement for vocabulary and regular practice. Free and paid versions serve different needs, and AI conversation features add speaking practice. These features are not lessons with a human teacher.
Reported friction: advertising and upgrade prompts, changing usage limits, and frustration with accepted answers or technical glitches. Check the features available for your language, device and plan. Our view: pair app practice with real conversation when your goal is interviews, presentations or nuanced workplace communication.
Sources: Duolingo features · Customer reviews
Langu — professional tutors, flexible lesson booking
Teaching: Professional human tutors
Lessons: 1:1 · Audience: Individuals (B2C); company training available
Flexibility: Individual lessons or packages; choose your times
Tutor credentials: Qualified professional teachers
Personalisation: Your goals, your tutor · Learning: Live lessons
Langu suits learners who want a professional human tutor, personal goals and the freedom to buy individual lessons or packages without a compulsory consumer subscription. You choose the teacher and meet in the browser-based classroom.
Choose a qualified teacher whose experience matches your goals, compare prices before booking and build a lesson routine around your schedule. Your tutor can focus on practical conversation, professional communication or exam preparation.
Sources: Teachers and current prices · Student terms · Langu facts and sources
FOR COMPANIES & HR TEAMS
Compare business training
Evaluate the programme employees will actually use: teacher fit, practical speaking time, scheduling, reporting and commercial flexibility. Ask for a written proposal. Public consumer reviews do not establish the terms or quality of an enterprise contract.
Preply Business — team tutoring; check unused-lesson terms
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: 1:1 · Audience: Companies (B2B)
Flexibility: Employee scheduling; commercial terms by contract
Tutor credentials: Profile-dependent; professional tutors available
Personalisation: Employee goals · Learning: Live + practice
Consider it when employees want individual tutors and HR needs visibility into participation and progress. Preply markets tailored business-language training and a company dashboard.
Check: tutor continuity, employee allocation, unused lesson balances, reassignment and the total contracted cost. The renewal and expiry complaints discussed for consumer Preply plans should not be treated as evidence of identical business terms. We did not establish a representative set of business-customer complaints.
Sources: Preply Business · Business help centre
Babbel for Business — app + live; check included teacher time
Teaching: App + AI; human teaching on live plans
Lessons: Solo app, 1:1 or groups · Audience: Companies (B2B)
Flexibility: Self-paced app; live allowance and terms by contract
Tutor credentials: Certified teachers for live classes
Personalisation: Role-focused courses · Learning: Blended
A fit for organisations combining independent study with a managed language benefit. Its business offer includes app-based learning; live training remains available for business customers despite the closure of consumer Babbel Live.
Check which live classes, support and reporting are actually included in your quote. App access and teacher time are different deliverables. Consumer requests for more conversation are a useful buying question, but do not establish that the business live programme has the same limitation.
Sources: Babbel for Business · Babbel Live closure notice and business exception
Tutlo — on-demand lessons; check contract exit costs
Teaching: Human-led; app study also available
Lessons: 1:1 or groups · Audience: B2B and B2C offers
Flexibility: On-demand sessions; check contract and exit terms
Tutor credentials: Screening and training; certificates required for native-tutor applicants
Personalisation: Goal-based courses · Learning: Live + app options
Tutlo’s Polish business offer includes short, on-demand individual lessons, multiple languages, group options and HR reporting. It advertises flexibility over participants and budgets. It may suit teams who value quick sessions throughout the working week.
Reported friction: platform glitches, slow responses and availability of popular teachers. Reviews also praise convenience and tutors. Separately, on 9 December 2024 Poland’s UOKiK announced allegations about termination costs in certain consumer contracts. That announcement was not a final ruling and does not establish the terms of today’s corporate offer.
Check notice periods, any minimum term, exit costs and how a favourite teacher can be rebooked.
Sources: Business offer · Customer reviews · UOKiK announcement
Fluentbe — organised courses; reported teacher inconsistency
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: 1:1 or groups · Audience: B2B and B2C offers
Flexibility: Flexible 1:1; fixed group schedules; package terms apply
Tutor credentials: Relevant degree or teaching qualification
Personalisation: Tailored 1:1; structured groups · Learning: Live + practice
A relevant option in Poland for individual or group English training, including company programmes. Consider it if you want an organised course and supporting learning materials.
Reported friction: some reviewers mention uneven teacher experience and technical issues. One April 2026 reviewer reported losing remaining package days when buying the next package early; that is an individual account, not an established universal policy. The reviews examined were predominantly positive about teachers and flexibility.
Ask for written rules on package start dates, expiry, cancellations, teacher changes and group level matching. A company agreement may differ from a retail package.
Sources: Business offer · Terms · Customer reviews
Langu for Companies — choice with personal support
Teaching: Professional human tutors
Lessons: 1:1 or groups · Audience: Companies (B2B)
Flexibility: Flexible contracts; no long-term commitment
Tutor credentials: Qualified professionals with varied career backgrounds
Personalisation: Employee and business goals · Learning: Live lessons
Langu combines professional human tutors, employee choice of teacher and lesson times, individual or group training, a dedicated account manager and a company dashboard. Its published business offer emphasises flexible contracts without long-term commitments. Employer and employee co-funding can be arranged.
It is a fit for teams who want practical communication training with personal support to run the programme. A dedicated account manager helps shape training around your team’s goals, while employees choose teachers and lesson times that work for them.
Professional tutors bring varied career backgrounds and tailor live lessons to real workplace communication, from everyday collaboration to presentations and client conversations.
Source: Langu for Companies
Seven questions to ask before signing
1. What is the minimum spend, term, notice period and total exit cost?
2. What happens to unused lessons, missed sessions and holiday breaks?
3. Can budgets and places move between employees or departments?
4. Can employees keep or change their teacher, and how is specialist experience checked?
5. How much live speaking time does each employee receive?
6. Does reporting show attendance only, or also assessed progress against workplace goals?
7. What are the support arrangements, technical requirements and data-handling terms?
Compare written quotes on the same basis. A headline monthly price rarely answers all seven.
How to read this comparison
Prepared by Langu, a provider included in this guide. Our fit recommendations are editorial judgements. Product and policy statements link to providers; reported complaints link to public reviews or the named regulator. The comparison was reviewed on 7 October 2026, including provider profiles covering teaching format, audience, flexibility, tutor credentials and personalisation.
Public reviews are self-selected, may reflect older plans and are not a representative survey. We have not calculated the most common complaint for every provider or independently verified each reviewer’s account. Positive experiences appear alongside criticisms. Where evidence is limited, we say so.
Tutlo and Fluentbe also serve individuals; Preply and Babbel also serve businesses. Do not transfer one product’s contract terms to another. Prices, offers and policies change: check the current plan and written agreement. This guide is a shortlist, not an exhaustive market ranking.
Find a Langu teacher · Discuss training for your team · Langu facts and sources
Learn a language. Connect with people.
Copyright Langu 2026
A PRACTICAL BUYING GUIDE
Compare language learning options
For individuals and businesses: how Langu compares with popular tutor platforms, online schools and language apps. What each does well, where customers report friction, and what to check before paying.
Published by Langu • Sources checked 7 October 2026. Profiles describe the teaching model and offer, not numerical quality scores. Features and terms vary by plan. This is our perspective as a provider. Customer complaints describe reported experiences, not failure rates; consumer terms should not be assumed to apply to business contracts.
FOR INDIVIDUAL LEARNERS
People, schools & apps
Choose the learning model first: personalised lessons, a structured course or independent practice. The complaints below are themes in the public reviews examined, not a statistical ranking. Many reviewers also report positive experiences.
Preply — broad tutor choice; renewals and credit expiry
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: 1:1 · Audience: Individuals (B2C)
Flexibility: Tutor scheduling; recurring plan + expiry rules
Tutor credentials: Mixed; certified profiles available
Personalisation: Tutor-tailored · Learning: Live + practice
A strong option for finding a tutor and keeping a regular routine. Individual plans renew every 28 days. Unscheduled lessons expire at renewal; lessons scheduled before the deadline can take place later. Preply does not offer standalone one-time lesson purchases under this model.
Reported friction: unexpected renewals, unused lesson balances and refund disputes. Many learners also praise their tutors and support. Check the renewal date and schedule credits before expiry. Business agreements may differ.
Sources: Preply subscription policy · Customer reviews
italki — teacher choice; reported navigation friction
Teaching: Human-led lessons
Lessons: Mainly 1:1 · Audience: Individuals (B2C)
Flexibility: Teacher-dependent scheduling and booking
Tutor credentials: Profile-dependent
Personalisation: Teacher-tailored · Learning: Live lessons
Useful for learners who want to compare individual teachers and build a personal relationship. Profiles and trial lessons help you judge teaching style, subject fit and availability; the experience depends on the teacher you choose.
Reported friction: awkward navigation and occasional bugs when managing sessions or finding feedback. Reviews also frequently praise teacher choice and scheduling flexibility. Test the booking experience and agree your learning goals before committing.
Sources: italki · Customer reviews
Cambly — English conversation; unused minutes expire
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: 1:1 or small group · Audience: B2C; business offer available
Flexibility: Plan-based; unused weekly minutes expire
Tutor credentials: Teaching certificate not required
Personalisation: Conversation-led · Learning: Live + practice
Worth considering for regular English conversation. Check the lesson format and weekly allowance of the specific plan. Cambly says unused weekly minutes do not roll over, so missed weeks can reduce the value of a prepaid plan.
Published student complaints include disputes over early cancellation and refunds on longer plans. These are individual reports, not a measured complaint rate. Read the current refund policy before paying for a long commitment and check how returned lesson minutes expire.
Sources: Plan rules · Refund policy · Published complaints
Lingoda — structured courses; strict Sprint conditions
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: Groups or 1:1 · Audience: B2C; business offer available
Flexibility: Bookable class times; stricter Sprint conditions
Tutor credentials: Teaching certificate + experience required
Personalisation: Curriculum-led · Learning: Live + practice
A fit for learners who like structured courses and scheduled classes. Its Sprint offer can reward a consistent routine, but cashback depends on meeting the full programme rules. Sprint rolls into a regular subscription unless the follow-on arrangement is changed or cancelled under the stated terms.
Reported friction: strict credit and Sprint conditions, variation between teachers, and occasional technical problems. Many reviewers praise the teaching and materials. Read attendance, cancellation and renewal rules before treating cashback as a guaranteed discount.
Sources: Lingoda Sprint · Customer reviews
Babbel — guided self-study; limited open conversation
Teaching: App-led; AI speaking practice where available
Lessons: Solo self-study · Audience: Individuals (B2C)
Flexibility: Self-paced; subscription or lifetime plan
Tutor credentials: No live tutor in the consumer app
Personalisation: Level-based pathway · Learning: Self-study
A useful choice for learners who enjoy short, structured lessons and explanations. Babbel also offers AI speaking practice. Consumer subscriptions normally renew automatically; lifetime access is a different purchase.
Reported friction: some learners want more open-ended conversation and find navigation awkward. These are reported preferences and usability issues, not proof that the app cannot help. Babbel Live for private learners ended on 30 June 2025; the business offering is separate.
Sources: Pricing model · Consumer Live closure · Customer reviews
Duolingo — daily practice; ads and usage limits
Teaching: App-led; AI conversation on eligible Max plans
Lessons: Solo self-study · Audience: Primarily B2C
Flexibility: Self-paced; free or paid plans
Tutor credentials: No live tutor
Personalisation: Adaptive exercises · Learning: Self-study
A convenient starting point or supplement for vocabulary and regular practice. Free and paid versions serve different needs, and AI conversation features add speaking practice. These features are not lessons with a human teacher.
Reported friction: advertising and upgrade prompts, changing usage limits, and frustration with accepted answers or technical glitches. Check the features available for your language, device and plan. Our view: pair app practice with real conversation when your goal is interviews, presentations or nuanced workplace communication.
Sources: Duolingo features · Customer reviews
Langu — professional tutors, flexible lesson booking
Teaching: Professional human tutors
Lessons: 1:1 · Audience: Individuals (B2C); company training available
Flexibility: Individual lessons or packages; choose your times
Tutor credentials: Qualified professional teachers
Personalisation: Your goals, your tutor · Learning: Live lessons
Langu suits learners who want a professional human tutor, personal goals and the freedom to buy individual lessons or packages without a compulsory consumer subscription. You choose the teacher and meet in the browser-based classroom.
Choose a qualified teacher whose experience matches your goals, compare prices before booking and build a lesson routine around your schedule. Your tutor can focus on practical conversation, professional communication or exam preparation.
Sources: Teachers and current prices · Student terms · Langu facts and sources
FOR COMPANIES & HR TEAMS
Compare business training
Evaluate the programme employees will actually use: teacher fit, practical speaking time, scheduling, reporting and commercial flexibility. Ask for a written proposal. Public consumer reviews do not establish the terms or quality of an enterprise contract.
Preply Business — team tutoring; check unused-lesson terms
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: 1:1 · Audience: Companies (B2B)
Flexibility: Employee scheduling; commercial terms by contract
Tutor credentials: Profile-dependent; professional tutors available
Personalisation: Employee goals · Learning: Live + practice
Consider it when employees want individual tutors and HR needs visibility into participation and progress. Preply markets tailored business-language training and a company dashboard.
Check: tutor continuity, employee allocation, unused lesson balances, reassignment and the total contracted cost. The renewal and expiry complaints discussed for consumer Preply plans should not be treated as evidence of identical business terms. We did not establish a representative set of business-customer complaints.
Sources: Preply Business · Business help centre
Babbel for Business — app + live; check included teacher time
Teaching: App + AI; human teaching on live plans
Lessons: Solo app, 1:1 or groups · Audience: Companies (B2B)
Flexibility: Self-paced app; live allowance and terms by contract
Tutor credentials: Certified teachers for live classes
Personalisation: Role-focused courses · Learning: Blended
A fit for organisations combining independent study with a managed language benefit. Its business offer includes app-based learning; live training remains available for business customers despite the closure of consumer Babbel Live.
Check which live classes, support and reporting are actually included in your quote. App access and teacher time are different deliverables. Consumer requests for more conversation are a useful buying question, but do not establish that the business live programme has the same limitation.
Sources: Babbel for Business · Babbel Live closure notice and business exception
Tutlo — on-demand lessons; check contract exit costs
Teaching: Human-led; app study also available
Lessons: 1:1 or groups · Audience: B2B and B2C offers
Flexibility: On-demand sessions; check contract and exit terms
Tutor credentials: Screening and training; certificates required for native-tutor applicants
Personalisation: Goal-based courses · Learning: Live + app options
Tutlo’s Polish business offer includes short, on-demand individual lessons, multiple languages, group options and HR reporting. It advertises flexibility over participants and budgets. It may suit teams who value quick sessions throughout the working week.
Reported friction: platform glitches, slow responses and availability of popular teachers. Reviews also praise convenience and tutors. Separately, on 9 December 2024 Poland’s UOKiK announced allegations about termination costs in certain consumer contracts. That announcement was not a final ruling and does not establish the terms of today’s corporate offer.
Check notice periods, any minimum term, exit costs and how a favourite teacher can be rebooked.
Sources: Business offer · Customer reviews · UOKiK announcement
Fluentbe — organised courses; reported teacher inconsistency
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: 1:1 or groups · Audience: B2B and B2C offers
Flexibility: Flexible 1:1; fixed group schedules; package terms apply
Tutor credentials: Relevant degree or teaching qualification
Personalisation: Tailored 1:1; structured groups · Learning: Live + practice
A relevant option in Poland for individual or group English training, including company programmes. Consider it if you want an organised course and supporting learning materials.
Reported friction: some reviewers mention uneven teacher experience and technical issues. One April 2026 reviewer reported losing remaining package days when buying the next package early; that is an individual account, not an established universal policy. The reviews examined were predominantly positive about teachers and flexibility.
Ask for written rules on package start dates, expiry, cancellations, teacher changes and group level matching. A company agreement may differ from a retail package.
Sources: Business offer · Terms · Customer reviews
Langu for Companies — choice with personal support
Teaching: Professional human tutors
Lessons: 1:1 or groups · Audience: Companies (B2B)
Flexibility: Flexible contracts; no long-term commitment
Tutor credentials: Qualified professionals with varied career backgrounds
Personalisation: Employee and business goals · Learning: Live lessons
Langu combines professional human tutors, employee choice of teacher and lesson times, individual or group training, a dedicated account manager and a company dashboard. Its published business offer emphasises flexible contracts without long-term commitments. Employer and employee co-funding can be arranged.
It is a fit for teams who want practical communication training with personal support to run the programme. A dedicated account manager helps shape training around your team’s goals, while employees choose teachers and lesson times that work for them.
Professional tutors bring varied career backgrounds and tailor live lessons to real workplace communication, from everyday collaboration to presentations and client conversations.
Source: Langu for Companies
Seven questions to ask before signing
1. What is the minimum spend, term, notice period and total exit cost?
2. What happens to unused lessons, missed sessions and holiday breaks?
3. Can budgets and places move between employees or departments?
4. Can employees keep or change their teacher, and how is specialist experience checked?
5. How much live speaking time does each employee receive?
6. Does reporting show attendance only, or also assessed progress against workplace goals?
7. What are the support arrangements, technical requirements and data-handling terms?
Compare written quotes on the same basis. A headline monthly price rarely answers all seven.
How to read this comparison
Prepared by Langu, a provider included in this guide. Our fit recommendations are editorial judgements. Product and policy statements link to providers; reported complaints link to public reviews or the named regulator. The comparison was reviewed on 7 October 2026, including provider profiles covering teaching format, audience, flexibility, tutor credentials and personalisation.
Public reviews are self-selected, may reflect older plans and are not a representative survey. We have not calculated the most common complaint for every provider or independently verified each reviewer’s account. Positive experiences appear alongside criticisms. Where evidence is limited, we say so.
Tutlo and Fluentbe also serve individuals; Preply and Babbel also serve businesses. Do not transfer one product’s contract terms to another. Prices, offers and policies change: check the current plan and written agreement. This guide is a shortlist, not an exhaustive market ranking.
Find a Langu teacher · Discuss training for your team · Langu facts and sources
Learn a language. Connect with people.
Copyright Langu 2026
A PRACTICAL BUYING GUIDE
Compare language learning options
For individuals and businesses: how Langu compares with popular tutor platforms, online schools and language apps. What each does well, where customers report friction, and what to check before paying.
Published by Langu • Sources checked 7 October 2026. Profiles describe the teaching model and offer, not numerical quality scores. Features and terms vary by plan. This is our perspective as a provider. Customer complaints describe reported experiences, not failure rates; consumer terms should not be assumed to apply to business contracts.
FOR INDIVIDUAL LEARNERS
People, schools & apps
Choose the learning model first: personalised lessons, a structured course or independent practice. The complaints below are themes in the public reviews examined, not a statistical ranking. Many reviewers also report positive experiences.
Preply — broad tutor choice; renewals and credit expiry
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: 1:1 · Audience: Individuals (B2C)
Flexibility: Tutor scheduling; recurring plan + expiry rules
Tutor credentials: Mixed; certified profiles available
Personalisation: Tutor-tailored · Learning: Live + practice
A strong option for finding a tutor and keeping a regular routine. Individual plans renew every 28 days. Unscheduled lessons expire at renewal; lessons scheduled before the deadline can take place later. Preply does not offer standalone one-time lesson purchases under this model.
Reported friction: unexpected renewals, unused lesson balances and refund disputes. Many learners also praise their tutors and support. Check the renewal date and schedule credits before expiry. Business agreements may differ.
Sources: Preply subscription policy · Customer reviews
italki — teacher choice; reported navigation friction
Teaching: Human-led lessons
Lessons: Mainly 1:1 · Audience: Individuals (B2C)
Flexibility: Teacher-dependent scheduling and booking
Tutor credentials: Profile-dependent
Personalisation: Teacher-tailored · Learning: Live lessons
Useful for learners who want to compare individual teachers and build a personal relationship. Profiles and trial lessons help you judge teaching style, subject fit and availability; the experience depends on the teacher you choose.
Reported friction: awkward navigation and occasional bugs when managing sessions or finding feedback. Reviews also frequently praise teacher choice and scheduling flexibility. Test the booking experience and agree your learning goals before committing.
Sources: italki · Customer reviews
Cambly — English conversation; unused minutes expire
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: 1:1 or small group · Audience: B2C; business offer available
Flexibility: Plan-based; unused weekly minutes expire
Tutor credentials: Teaching certificate not required
Personalisation: Conversation-led · Learning: Live + practice
Worth considering for regular English conversation. Check the lesson format and weekly allowance of the specific plan. Cambly says unused weekly minutes do not roll over, so missed weeks can reduce the value of a prepaid plan.
Published student complaints include disputes over early cancellation and refunds on longer plans. These are individual reports, not a measured complaint rate. Read the current refund policy before paying for a long commitment and check how returned lesson minutes expire.
Sources: Plan rules · Refund policy · Published complaints
Lingoda — structured courses; strict Sprint conditions
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: Groups or 1:1 · Audience: B2C; business offer available
Flexibility: Bookable class times; stricter Sprint conditions
Tutor credentials: Teaching certificate + experience required
Personalisation: Curriculum-led · Learning: Live + practice
A fit for learners who like structured courses and scheduled classes. Its Sprint offer can reward a consistent routine, but cashback depends on meeting the full programme rules. Sprint rolls into a regular subscription unless the follow-on arrangement is changed or cancelled under the stated terms.
Reported friction: strict credit and Sprint conditions, variation between teachers, and occasional technical problems. Many reviewers praise the teaching and materials. Read attendance, cancellation and renewal rules before treating cashback as a guaranteed discount.
Sources: Lingoda Sprint · Customer reviews
Babbel — guided self-study; limited open conversation
Teaching: App-led; AI speaking practice where available
Lessons: Solo self-study · Audience: Individuals (B2C)
Flexibility: Self-paced; subscription or lifetime plan
Tutor credentials: No live tutor in the consumer app
Personalisation: Level-based pathway · Learning: Self-study
A useful choice for learners who enjoy short, structured lessons and explanations. Babbel also offers AI speaking practice. Consumer subscriptions normally renew automatically; lifetime access is a different purchase.
Reported friction: some learners want more open-ended conversation and find navigation awkward. These are reported preferences and usability issues, not proof that the app cannot help. Babbel Live for private learners ended on 30 June 2025; the business offering is separate.
Sources: Pricing model · Consumer Live closure · Customer reviews
Duolingo — daily practice; ads and usage limits
Teaching: App-led; AI conversation on eligible Max plans
Lessons: Solo self-study · Audience: Primarily B2C
Flexibility: Self-paced; free or paid plans
Tutor credentials: No live tutor
Personalisation: Adaptive exercises · Learning: Self-study
A convenient starting point or supplement for vocabulary and regular practice. Free and paid versions serve different needs, and AI conversation features add speaking practice. These features are not lessons with a human teacher.
Reported friction: advertising and upgrade prompts, changing usage limits, and frustration with accepted answers or technical glitches. Check the features available for your language, device and plan. Our view: pair app practice with real conversation when your goal is interviews, presentations or nuanced workplace communication.
Sources: Duolingo features · Customer reviews
Langu — professional tutors, flexible lesson booking
Teaching: Professional human tutors
Lessons: 1:1 · Audience: Individuals (B2C); company training available
Flexibility: Individual lessons or packages; choose your times
Tutor credentials: Qualified professional teachers
Personalisation: Your goals, your tutor · Learning: Live lessons
Langu suits learners who want a professional human tutor, personal goals and the freedom to buy individual lessons or packages without a compulsory consumer subscription. You choose the teacher and meet in the browser-based classroom.
Choose a qualified teacher whose experience matches your goals, compare prices before booking and build a lesson routine around your schedule. Your tutor can focus on practical conversation, professional communication or exam preparation.
Sources: Teachers and current prices · Student terms · Langu facts and sources
FOR COMPANIES & HR TEAMS
Compare business training
Evaluate the programme employees will actually use: teacher fit, practical speaking time, scheduling, reporting and commercial flexibility. Ask for a written proposal. Public consumer reviews do not establish the terms or quality of an enterprise contract.
Preply Business — team tutoring; check unused-lesson terms
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: 1:1 · Audience: Companies (B2B)
Flexibility: Employee scheduling; commercial terms by contract
Tutor credentials: Profile-dependent; professional tutors available
Personalisation: Employee goals · Learning: Live + practice
Consider it when employees want individual tutors and HR needs visibility into participation and progress. Preply markets tailored business-language training and a company dashboard.
Check: tutor continuity, employee allocation, unused lesson balances, reassignment and the total contracted cost. The renewal and expiry complaints discussed for consumer Preply plans should not be treated as evidence of identical business terms. We did not establish a representative set of business-customer complaints.
Sources: Preply Business · Business help centre
Babbel for Business — app + live; check included teacher time
Teaching: App + AI; human teaching on live plans
Lessons: Solo app, 1:1 or groups · Audience: Companies (B2B)
Flexibility: Self-paced app; live allowance and terms by contract
Tutor credentials: Certified teachers for live classes
Personalisation: Role-focused courses · Learning: Blended
A fit for organisations combining independent study with a managed language benefit. Its business offer includes app-based learning; live training remains available for business customers despite the closure of consumer Babbel Live.
Check which live classes, support and reporting are actually included in your quote. App access and teacher time are different deliverables. Consumer requests for more conversation are a useful buying question, but do not establish that the business live programme has the same limitation.
Sources: Babbel for Business · Babbel Live closure notice and business exception
Tutlo — on-demand lessons; check contract exit costs
Teaching: Human-led; app study also available
Lessons: 1:1 or groups · Audience: B2B and B2C offers
Flexibility: On-demand sessions; check contract and exit terms
Tutor credentials: Screening and training; certificates required for native-tutor applicants
Personalisation: Goal-based courses · Learning: Live + app options
Tutlo’s Polish business offer includes short, on-demand individual lessons, multiple languages, group options and HR reporting. It advertises flexibility over participants and budgets. It may suit teams who value quick sessions throughout the working week.
Reported friction: platform glitches, slow responses and availability of popular teachers. Reviews also praise convenience and tutors. Separately, on 9 December 2024 Poland’s UOKiK announced allegations about termination costs in certain consumer contracts. That announcement was not a final ruling and does not establish the terms of today’s corporate offer.
Check notice periods, any minimum term, exit costs and how a favourite teacher can be rebooked.
Sources: Business offer · Customer reviews · UOKiK announcement
Fluentbe — organised courses; reported teacher inconsistency
Teaching: Human-led + AI support
Lessons: 1:1 or groups · Audience: B2B and B2C offers
Flexibility: Flexible 1:1; fixed group schedules; package terms apply
Tutor credentials: Relevant degree or teaching qualification
Personalisation: Tailored 1:1; structured groups · Learning: Live + practice
A relevant option in Poland for individual or group English training, including company programmes. Consider it if you want an organised course and supporting learning materials.
Reported friction: some reviewers mention uneven teacher experience and technical issues. One April 2026 reviewer reported losing remaining package days when buying the next package early; that is an individual account, not an established universal policy. The reviews examined were predominantly positive about teachers and flexibility.
Ask for written rules on package start dates, expiry, cancellations, teacher changes and group level matching. A company agreement may differ from a retail package.
Sources: Business offer · Terms · Customer reviews
Langu for Companies — choice with personal support
Teaching: Professional human tutors
Lessons: 1:1 or groups · Audience: Companies (B2B)
Flexibility: Flexible contracts; no long-term commitment
Tutor credentials: Qualified professionals with varied career backgrounds
Personalisation: Employee and business goals · Learning: Live lessons
Langu combines professional human tutors, employee choice of teacher and lesson times, individual or group training, a dedicated account manager and a company dashboard. Its published business offer emphasises flexible contracts without long-term commitments. Employer and employee co-funding can be arranged.
It is a fit for teams who want practical communication training with personal support to run the programme. A dedicated account manager helps shape training around your team’s goals, while employees choose teachers and lesson times that work for them.
Professional tutors bring varied career backgrounds and tailor live lessons to real workplace communication, from everyday collaboration to presentations and client conversations.
Source: Langu for Companies
Seven questions to ask before signing
1. What is the minimum spend, term, notice period and total exit cost?
2. What happens to unused lessons, missed sessions and holiday breaks?
3. Can budgets and places move between employees or departments?
4. Can employees keep or change their teacher, and how is specialist experience checked?
5. How much live speaking time does each employee receive?
6. Does reporting show attendance only, or also assessed progress against workplace goals?
7. What are the support arrangements, technical requirements and data-handling terms?
Compare written quotes on the same basis. A headline monthly price rarely answers all seven.
How to read this comparison
Prepared by Langu, a provider included in this guide. Our fit recommendations are editorial judgements. Product and policy statements link to providers; reported complaints link to public reviews or the named regulator. The comparison was reviewed on 7 October 2026, including provider profiles covering teaching format, audience, flexibility, tutor credentials and personalisation.
Public reviews are self-selected, may reflect older plans and are not a representative survey. We have not calculated the most common complaint for every provider or independently verified each reviewer’s account. Positive experiences appear alongside criticisms. Where evidence is limited, we say so.
Tutlo and Fluentbe also serve individuals; Preply and Babbel also serve businesses. Do not transfer one product’s contract terms to another. Prices, offers and policies change: check the current plan and written agreement. This guide is a shortlist, not an exhaustive market ranking.
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