- Private lessons (one-to-one sessions)
- Unique lessons that suit your learning style
- Online platform that lets you learn on the go
- Pricey for what is offered
- Limited language and teacher selection
A one-to-one language teaching platform with teacher quality that varies, few to choose from, and a limited selection of languages.
Better alternatives definitely exist.
The Rype platform was designed as a language teaching platform.
Its premise is to help students speak another language confidently.
It features 10 languages (Spanish, French, Arabic, English, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Mandarin and Russian), but I thought there were several drawbacks to this language teaching platform.
This review covers all of them.
I’ll straight up tell you that if you want a far superior alternative at a fraction of the cost, use italki or Lingoda.
If you’re learning Spanish specifically, try SpanishVIP which is also excellent.
Features of the Rype platform
The main feature of the Rype platform is its 10 languages and vetted teachers.
The platform also features tools to help students learn, and the lessons are delivered in video chats.
Immersion is the premise of the Rype platform, and there are one-to-one lessons.
Sample lessons with no commitment
Say you’re just starting with Rype. Here’s what I found a positive.
You can sample the lessons for free.
You can make a decision based on the style of the teaching and whether it suits your learning style.
Regular lessons
If you decide to continue studying and extend your subscription, you’ll find the frequency with which you can book lessons appealing.
There are different price plans, and several lessons available every week.
I felt that the quality of the lessons, however, was lacking.
Rype’s online classroom-style approach was more of a conversation as opposed to a structured session.
Negative aspects of Rype
Now, unfortunately, there are a few more negative aspects of Rype that I’ll cover just below.
Lack of mobile app
I found it disappointing that Rype can only be accessed on the desktop.
There is no mobile app, meaning you can’t learn if you’re travelling or on the move — something that is becoming increasingly popular in recent years.
Very pricey
There’s also another issue.
The price. I thought there were plenty of other apps offering similar experiences for lower prices.
And, depending on how you learn, you might find the Rype app’s classroom style off-putting and not worth the price.
This is an issue, given that Rype seems to emphasise its tailored approach to learning.
Lack of quality
I found that its competitors, such as italki, have more variety and choice in terms of the number of teachers available.
Plus, even though you can interview Rype’s teachers, there is a chance that some teachers do not have qualifications. For me, this was the biggest issue with Rype.
You cannot guarantee that you’re being taught by those who have credentials.
I would hesitate before recommending this platform.
If you’re a serious language learner, the best thing would be to explore the other options I listed above and avoid Rype.
UPDATE: They do have another, better product called JumpSpeak which is worth taking a look at (read JumpSpeak review).
Have you used Rype before?
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