Preply takes 18-33% commission plus 100% of your first trial lesson. Virgoul charges no trial penalty and far lower ongoing commission, with music-specific tools Preply does not offer.
Preply is one of the largest online tutoring marketplaces globally, with over 40,000 tutors across subjects including music. For music teachers, Preply offers built-in student discovery and a managed payment system. The cost is steep: Preply charges between 18 and 33 percent commission on every lesson, with the rate decreasing only after a teacher accumulates a large number of completed hours on the platform. More significantly, Preply takes 100 percent of the first trial lesson fee — meaning a teacher's first interaction with every new student generates zero income for the teacher.
Over time, a teacher who builds their Preply student base essentially funds the platform's growth from their first hours of work with every student they ever teach. A teacher with 20 active students has given away 20 full lesson fees as free trials, in addition to the ongoing commission on every subsequent session.
Virgoul's model does not include a trial lesson fee penalty. Teachers set their own terms for introductory sessions, and the platform commission is significantly lower across all tiers. Beyond economics, Preply is a general tutoring marketplace — it covers language learning, maths, science, and music as one of dozens of subject categories. Virgoul is built exclusively for musicians and music educators, with features Preply does not offer: a browser-based recording studio, collaboration rooms, gig marketplace access, and music community infrastructure.
For a music teacher who wants a managed platform with high student traffic and is willing to pay a premium for that traffic, Preply is functional. For a teacher who wants to build a sustainable independent teaching business with music-specific tools and better long-term economics, Virgoul is the stronger platform.
Virgoul gives music teachers fair economics, music-specific tools, and full control over their student relationships. No trial lesson penalties. No 33% commission. Join at virgoul.com.
Join VirgoulNo. Preply is a general tutoring marketplace covering all subjects. It has no recording studio, collaboration tools, gig marketplace, or music community features. Virgoul is built exclusively for musicians.
Yes. Some teachers use Preply for initial student discovery while building their Virgoul profile for direct long-term student relationships with better economics.
Preply provides strong student traffic but the economics are unfavourable — the trial lesson penalty and high commission mean teachers subsidise platform growth from their own work. Virgoul offers a better long-term return once you have an established reputation.