--- title: "italki or Preply versus structured TCF Canada preparation" description: "Marketplace tutors are cheap per hour and completely unstructured. Here is when that trade is worth making for a TCF Canada or TEF Canada candidate, and…" canonical: https://francaisprep.com/alternatives/italki-and-preply last-updated: 2026-10-24 --- [Alternatives](/alternatives) # italki, Preply and marketplace tutors or Français Prep? Marketplaces like italki and Preply connect you with independent tutors who set their own rates and their own approach. The hourly price is usually lower than structured preparation. Whether that makes it cheaper depends entirely on how many hours you end up buying. A marketplace sells you tutor hours. A preparation course sells you a plan, a syllabus, marked work and someone tracking whether you are on course for a date. Both are legitimate. They are not the same purchase. Updated 24 October 2026 ![Adèle, the native French teacher who runs Français Prep](/_next/image?url=%2Fadele.png&w=3840&q=75) Not sure which of this you actually need? A 15-minute video call works out which of your four abilities is furthest from the level your application needs. It is free, and some candidates leave with a plan and no purchase. Adèle Sason · Native French teacher - every class, every correction [Book the free call](/book) Side by side ## Marketplace tutors and Français Prep, compared honestly | What you are comparing | Marketplace tutors | Français Prep | | --- | --- | --- | | What you buy | Individual lessons from an independent tutor you choose. | A structured plan built around your test date and target level. | | Exam specialisation | Varies entirely by tutor. Some specialise in TCF or TEF, most do not. | Both exams, all four sections, in the exam's own format. | | Who plans your work | You do, between lessons, unless the tutor takes it on. | Built from a diagnostic and revised as your practice results move. | | Marked writing between sessions | Only if the tutor offers it, usually as extra paid time. | Included weekly in both live tiers. | | Cost shape | Low per hour, unbounded in total, and easy to underestimate. | Fixed per block, published, with the total known before you start. | | Continuity | Tutors change availability, raise rates or leave the platform. | The same teacher for the whole block. | Français Prep is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or partnered with any organisation named on these pages. We describe them only in general terms that are publicly documented, and we do not quote their prices, because those are set independently and change. Verify anything that matters to your decision with the provider directly. ## Choose Marketplace tutors if - →You mainly need conversation hours and already know what to practise. - →Your budget is tight and per-hour flexibility matters more than structure. - →You want to try several teachers before committing to anyone. - →You are strong across all four abilities and just need to stay warm before the exam. ## Choose Français Prep if - →You do not yet know which ability is costing you the most marks. - →Your writing and speaking need marking against the exam's own criteria, not general correction. - →You want the total cost known before you start rather than discovered later. - →You have a date and need someone accountable for whether you are on track for it. If that points to us ## What preparation here costs Prices are in Canadian dollars and the same wherever you are sitting the exam. - ### Weekly plan The whole practice platform: every TCF and TEF Canada series, unlimited AI corrections, timed mock tests and the course lessons. CA$9.99per week Canadian dollars (CAD) Billed weekly, cancel any time. Access runs to the end of the week you paid for. [Start the weekly plan](/dashboard/premium) - Every practice series in all four exam sections - Unlimited AI writing and speaking corrections - Timed mock tests in the real exam format - Course lessons and a weekly study plan - ### Small-group live Weekly live classes with Adèle, in groups small enough that everyone speaks, plus marked writing and speaking. CA$449per 8-week block Canadian dollars (CAD) Eight weekly classes of 60 minutes: 8 hours of live teaching, CA$56 an hour, with your writing and speaking marked every week. [Join a small group](https://buy.stripe.com/fZu4gyfXZ9uK5Aj1P46Vq01) Full refund within 14 days of purchase if you have not taken a session. - Everything in the weekly plan - One 60-minute live class with Adèle every week - Marked writing submissions every week - Marked speaking recordings every week - Most popular ### One-to-one tutoring Private sessions scheduled around your test date, with a study plan built from your diagnostic results. CA$800per 10 sessions Canadian dollars (CAD) CA$80 an hour, booked around your test date: ten 60-minute sessions. [Book one-to-one](https://buy.stripe.com/dRm8wOfXZdL07IralA6Vq0a) Full refund within 14 days of purchase if you have not taken a session. - Everything in small-group live - Private 60-minute sessions scheduled around your test date - Study plan built from your diagnostic test - Unlimited marked writing and speaking during your block Not ready to commit to a block? Try a trial class. One 40-minute class with Adèle, one to one. The CA$30 comes off any block you book within 30 days. [Try one class for CA$30](https://buy.stripe.com/6oU4gy3bd9uK4wf0L06Vq0c) Not sure which tier fits? [Book a free 15-minute video call.](/book) Prices are in Canadian dollars and include any tax that applies. Exam registration fees are paid directly to your test centre and are not included in any tier. Questions ## About Marketplace tutors ### Are you affiliated with italki or Preply? No. We do not resell their lessons, we are not partners, and nothing here is endorsed by them. We describe how those marketplaces work in general terms, which is publicly documented, and nothing about any individual tutor on them. ### Is a marketplace tutor cheaper? Per hour, usually yes. In total, it depends on how many hours you buy and whether they are the right hours. Twenty unstructured conversation lessons can cost more than a structured block and leave your writing exactly where it started. Compare total spend against the outcome, not hourly rates against each other. ### Can I use a tutor for conversation and you for the exam work? Yes, and some candidates do exactly that. Extra speaking hours are rarely wasted if your speaking is the weak ability. Just be careful not to pay twice for the same thing, and be honest with yourself about whether the extra hours are practice or procrastination. ### How do I judge whether a tutor knows the exam? Ask them to describe the marking criteria for expression écrite, and what separates a response at NCLC 7 from one at NCLC 8. A tutor who has prepared candidates will answer immediately and specifically. It is a fair question to ask us too. From the blog ## More on Marketplace tutors and the alternatives - [GuideCan you pass the TCF/TEF Canada with self-study alone?Yes for reading and listening, no for writing and speaking without marked feedback. What to teach yourself for the TCF/TEF Canada, and where to buy help.](/blog/can-you-self-study-tcf-tef-canada) - [GuideHow much does the TCF Canada cost?There is no single TCF Canada fee: each approved centre sets its own. What moves the price, the costs nobody quotes, and how to avoid paying twice.](/blog/how-much-does-tcf-canada-cost) ## The other options - [Alliance Française TCF Canada alternative](/alternatives/alliance-francaise) - [Pack Ayoub TCF Canada alternative](/alternatives/pack-ayoub) - [PrepMyFuture TCF Canada alternative](/alternatives/prepmyfuture) - [Crack the TCF Canada alternative](/alternatives/crack-the-tcf) - [TCFCAD TCF Canada alternative](/alternatives/tcfcad) - [Pack IMED TCF Canada alternative](/alternatives/pack-imed) - [OPAL TCF Canada alternative](/alternatives/opal) - [Packs Nabil TCF Canada alternative](/alternatives/pack-nabil) - [TV5Monde TCF Canada alternative](/alternatives/tv5monde) - [Self-study for the TCF Canada, compared](/alternatives/self-study) - [Work out where you stand first](/tools/score-converter) NEXT STEP ## Find out where your French actually stands Book a short assessment with Adèle: one writing task, one speaking task, and an honest plan for the weeks you have left before the exam. [Book an assessment](/book)[See the course tiers](#tiers) --- For agents: site index https://francaisprep.com/llms.txt, developer access https://francaisprep.com/developers, and TCF or TEF to NCLC conversion over a plain GET at https://api.francaisprep.com/v1/score/convert?exam=tcf_canada&listening=512&reading=470&writing=12&speaking=11 (exam is tcf_canada or tef_canada).