Studio Arabiya vs Online Quran Learnings

Studio Arabiya and Online Quran Learnings side by side

What each costs a month and a year

What we can and cannot compare: a starting-at price is the lowest of a range, not a price for any number of lessons. Studio Arabiya’s $55 is the starting price on all four of its kids’ courses (Quran, Tajweed, Islamic studies and Hifz). Ask how many lessons a week it includes and how long each lesson is, then compare with our US$39 for 8 lessons a month.

Discounts: Studio Arabiya takes 10% off when three family members take 30 or more hours a month together, but not on pay-as-you-go tutoring. On 27 October it also advertised 20% off any course with a promo code, and 15% off the first month for new students. We have no sibling discount (each child has their own class and fee); low-income families can ask for 10% off.

Hifz: Studio Arabiya’s kids’ Hifz program (ages 6 to 15) has 10 levels and 455 hours and also starts at $55 a month; its separate Ijaazah program starts at $158 a month. It does not say how long Hifz lessons are or whether the teachers are huffaz. Our Hifz teachers are huffaz, and Hifz lessons are 30 minutes (US$59 a month, five a week), 45 minutes (US$85) or 60 minutes (US$110). See our online Hifz program.

Who teaches, and who is in the lesson with your child

Studio Arabiya says its Arabic teachers graduated from Al-Azhar or Dar ul-Uloom, that most of its Quran teachers hold an ijazah, and that it selects teachers on both qualifications and teaching ability. Its support site says it is licensed and supervised by Al-Azhar University to teach Quran, and also that it is a separate entity from the university. It does not describe background checks or say whether its Hifz teachers are huffaz. You can ask for a named teacher; its pages do not say you can choose by gender.

Its site mentions dedicated supervisors, and its terms say supervisors may enter a classroom to observe a class for quality purposes and that a female student’s supervisor will be female; they do not say a supervisor is in every lesson. The terms also say some lessons may be recorded for review by its administration and that students may not record; they do not say whether parents can watch live or see a recording.

With us: every teacher has their ID and certificates checked, an interview and a demo class our team watches, and training before a first student; Hifz teachers are huffaz. Then, in every lesson:

• A female supervisor joins every lesson live and listens from start to finish (child safety).
• Parents can join any class live, without telling us first.
• Every lesson is recorded on the academy’s own Google Meet, and parents can watch their child’s recordings through our CRM.
• Teachers never message a child outside class. Every message goes through our team to you.
• If a teacher is not the right fit, we change them. You do not need to give a reason.

Tests: Every child is tested at the end of each month, and the monthly progress report is based on that test.

Free trial and refunds

• Trial: Studio Arabiya has no free trial class. Classes are billed from the first day and due within 5 days of starting, and a first-time student who cancels in the first week gets a full refund. We offer up to 3 days of real lessons free, with no card.
• Refunds: Studio Arabiya’s first-week guarantee is for first-time students only, and its terms say there are no refunds for missed classes, excused or not. Its pages do not say what happens to unused lessons after the first week. We refund in full if you ask within 5 calendar days of the first paid class, and after that we deduct the classes attended and refund the rest (refund policy).
• Billing: Studio Arabiya bills tuition every 4 weeks. We bill month by month.

Which suits your family

Studio Arabiya may suit you if you want a set Islamic studies course for your child (9 levels and 270 hours, on the Noor Al-Islam textbook series, written by Al-Azhar and Cairo University scholars, with quizzes and a parent account that shows grades and reports), Arabic taught as a language by Al-Azhar or Dar ul-Uloom graduates, certificates as your child finishes courses, or a family discount for three or more people learning together.

We may suit you if you want a supervisor in every lesson and a recording you can watch afterwards, one fixed teacher your child keeps, and a price that drops per lesson as you add classes: from US$30 a month for one lesson a week to US$59 for five. Families in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UAE pay in their own currency (fees).

We teach Islamic studies too, one-to-one, on its own or with Quran in the same 30-minute class (Islamic studies for kids), but not as a certificate course.

Whichever you try first, ask who else is in the lesson, whether you can watch, and what happens to your money after the first class. Our questions to ask in a free trial list the rest.