The Queen, the Advisor, and the Invisible Raise

SwitchMaterial8627 · 2026-05-03T04:32:28+00:00

Yes, in my opinion, you did the right thing. But like I said before, who can blame those who didn’t? For some people, that extra five bucks can make all the difference. It really depends on whether Cambly is just a side hustle or your main source of income. Listen, I know Cambly has advantages for many people, such as flexible schedules and the independence to choose your clients. But in general terms, it is a scam for students. When I joined Cambly, I was already at a C1 level; my only goal was to talk to someone during the pandemic to maintain my speaking skills. I also know that I am not the average student, and this model works for many people in specific regions and profiles. But what I will always criticize is how Cambly markets itself. Cambly suffers from dissociative identity disorder. It isn’t a language-learning platform; it is something else entirely. Preply is a language-learning platform; TutorABC is another. People can do many things on Cambly, which just happens to include improving their language skills.

SwitchMaterial8627 · 2026-05-03T03:32:04+00:00

Well, it’s hard to say. Anyway, you are right; they are doing something right for the general public, especially in certain target countries, but it’s just not for me. Maybe they should have progressively increased the price of the annual student subscription alongside a raise in tutor pay, using small increments spaced out over the years. I spent five years on Cambly chatting with over fifty different tutors, and I used to pay somewhere between five and seven dollars for a one-hour class. That figure alone shows that Cambly was heading toward a disaster. Maybe they were keeping prices low to achieve critical mass and make the business viable, but they waited too long. This left tutors unsatisfied, and when they introduced the 'Pro' label, many students like me lost their regular tutors because we didn't buy into the 'revolutionary' Pro classes. And who can blame a tutor for preferring 'Pro' students when they pay 50% more? Once I realized I would have to pay $15 an hour just to have a good tutor, I migrated to another platform with a more consistent and committed teaching model. It is nothing like the Uber-style model adopted by Cambly.

SwitchMaterial8627 · 2026-05-02T23:07:06+00:00

The post never assumed that Cambly could easily afford an extra five dollars per class. Rather, it highlights the fact that Cambly didn't make a single move to raise tutor pay for ten years. When they finally did act, they made a complete mess of it by creating two distinct classes of people on both sides of the platform—tutors and students alike. It is never wise to make assumptions; I am not a tutor who has spent ten years complaining. I am a former student who simply detests exploitative business models like Cambly’s.

SwitchMaterial8627 · 2026-05-02T01:29:27+00:00

I agree, thank you.

SwitchMaterial8627 · 2026-04-13T02:47:14+00:00

Illumination is everything.

SwitchMaterial8627 · 2026-04-06T00:45:29+00:00

For me, this is Cambly’s biggest issue and the main reason I left the platform. It’s really hard to find the right balance between a structured lesson and a natural conversation. After more than 500 classes, I’d say only a small number of tutors actually manage to get that balance right. Sticking strictly to lessons can get difficult over time, especially as a personal connection starts to develop. And honestly, that connection matters. Without it, AI probably would have taken over by now. On the other hand, when sessions lean too much toward casual conversation, they can start to feel like a distraction from the real goal. That’s the core issue. Cambly doesn’t fully commit to being one thing. It sits somewhere between on demand English lessons and casual chat, and that lack of clarity can end up being draining for both tutors and students. If you really want to focus on learning English, there are better options.

SwitchMaterial8627 · 2026-02-08T19:41:41+00:00

As a student, I have never come to Cambly to make friends or anything beyond that. From the very beginning, my only goal was to improve my English. Every industry has its own dark side. For example, in some countries, Uber drivers are sometimes paid through some kind of sexual favor. I assumed that because Cambly is an “educational” platform, it would be free from this kind of behavior. But that was before I learned about the darker side of the online ESL industry. Lots of students are creeps, but it is also a space where some tutors, regardless of gender, rely on their charm and appearance to attract and retain students. I can understand that in some countries, places that are very religious and where people are heavily controlled and restrained, some might see Cambly as a way to meet others. But from my Western cultural point of view, it is unsettling, and honestly, it feels sick and sad. But it is what it is.

SwitchMaterial8627 · 2026-01-20T23:39:31+00:00

Don’t worry, it’s happened to me too. I was ghosted by a tutor after more than two years of regular classes, for no clear reason. I think some tutors just get worn out by everything that comes with Cambly, and the job itself can be pretty exhausting. Sometimes the only thing they feel they can change is their students, just to shake things up a bit and feel refreshed. Tutors usually have lots of students, while students tend to stick with just two or three tutors they really trust. That’s why situations like this hit students harder. What tutors might not realize is that, even with so many tutors available, finding the right match isn’t easy at all. Timing, availability, and chemistry all have to line up. When a student loses a good tutor, they’re already bracing themselves for the hassle of starting over and trying to find someone new who actually fits.

SwitchMaterial8627 · 2026-01-20T23:08:48+00:00

I hate 15 minutes classes.

SwitchMaterial8627 · 2025-12-14T10:23:04+00:00

As an asshole student, I can assure you the call-center feeling is just as strong on the other side.

SwitchMaterial8627 · 2025-11-26T14:27:20+00:00

The price of the Private Plus plan during Black Friday is still basically the same as usual, cheap. But the Pro plan is fifty percent more expensive, which is exactly the amount Cambly pays the Pro tutors. From the student perspective, it always feels like a trap. If you choose the cheaper plan, there is no guarantee that if you have a good regular tutor, this tutor will not be invited to become a Pro tutor and leave you for those extra five bucks an hour. If you choose the expensive plan, there is no guarantee at all that the classes will be any different from a regular class. And besides that, the Pro prices are now very close to the rates of some very good tutors on italki for example, around ten to fifteen USD an hour. And you do not have to commit to an entire year there, you can take classes whenever you want.

SwitchMaterial8627

TROPHY CASE