Despite recent hiccups in countries like China (more on this later), it’s never been easier or more popular to teach English online! Often with the only requirement being a good internet connection, joining an online teaching company or even starting your own teaching business has never been easier!
In this post, we’re going to share our top 25 companies to teach English online:
General Requirements to Teach English Online:
- 120 hour TEFL
- PC/Laptop
- Strong internet connection
- Webcam & Headset
25 Companies to Teach English Online
VIPKid Global
*At the moment, VIPKid is under transition to become VIPKid Global due to restrictions in the Chinese tutoring market. Bookings can be harder to come by and is restricted to US and Canadian teachers.
VIPKid Global is our top pick overall. This company has excellent reviews from current and former employees, boasting 4.1 stars on Glassdoor. While the hiring process may seem involved, this article breaks it down into manageable steps.
Part of the hiring process involves providing a demo lesson using the VIPKid curriculum. Since the teaching materials are already created, you won’t need to do much planning outside of the classroom.
Unlike the original Chinese VIPKid, which focused mostly on Chinese students between ages 4-12, VIPKid Global is after an international student base. They seem to have a foothold in South Korea and Saudi Arabia, but they have yet to be able to fully replace the amount of bookings from Chinese students.
Teaching students is 1-on-1 and students are between the ages of 4-15. At the moment, VIPKid Global is only hiring teachers from the USA (excluding residents of California, New York, and Washington) or Canada.
- Teacher Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, 2 years experience working with children, TEFL certification (more on VIPKid requirements) US or Canada resident
- Hourly Rate: Usually $14 ($7 per 25-minute class)
- Class Times: Varied
- Min. Hours/Week: None (7.5 recommended to maximize earnings)
Italki
Italki is slightly different from many of the other options in the industry. Instead of being its own program with a learning curriculum, it functions as a freelance marketplace. With most of the other companies/schools on this list, you need to meet certain requirements and go through a hiring process. With Italki, you simply create a profile to connect with clients.
You can use Italki regardless of your qualifications. But people with certificates, college degrees, and experience are in higher demand. The higher quality your lessons, the more you can charge per hour. It’s easiest to use Italki if you can serve a certain niche of students, like test prep or Business English, so you’ll stand out from your competitors.
- Teacher Requirements: Certification preferred but not required
- Hourly Rate: $3 to $35 hourly
- Class Times: 6AM to 3AM
- Min. Hours/Week: None
51 Talk
The majority of teachers with 51 Talk are from the Philippines, but there is potential interest in native speakers from the US and other regions. The biggest requirement that the company has is a neutral accent. Because of the number of students, 51 Talk is often looking for teachers to take on the workload.
The hourly rate starts out low, but it can grow if you perform consistently. Your schedule can be managed wholly independently. There are accessible lesson plans with a support staff available to answer questions.
Employees report that the students tend to have a positive attitude and good discipline, though they note that a few might struggle with their work.
- Teacher Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, experience teaching children
- Hourly Rate: $12 to $22
- Class Times: 7AM to 11AM Mon thru Fri, 9PM to 11AM weekends
- Min. Hours/Week: 35
Teach English Online with No Degree
Cambly
Read our in-depth Cambly Review
With Cambly, students are supposed to be able to connect to a teacher anytime. The service is available all day, though there are certain peak hours with more traffic. You’ll likely have a large range of different students, instead of having one single class.
There are very few requirements involved. Though you need to be a native English speaker, you don’t need a certificate or college degree. Because of the few requirements, the pay is also slightly lower than some companies offer, coming in at $10 per hour. Employees who teach children make $12 per hour instead.
- Teacher Requirements: Certification preferred but not required
- Hourly Rate: $10 to $12
- Class Times: 6AM to 3AM
- Min. Hours/Week: None
Preply
Read our in-depth Preply Review
Preply is another online marketplace, similar to italki. With Preply, you are specifically offering tutoring services to potential clients. You’ll create an account and customize your profile, then set a rate. If you want to set a high rate, you’ll need to prove that you can outperform the competition.
One of the major advantages of this platform is the diverse range of students. There are students of all ages, adults and children alike. They can come from various cultural backgrounds around the world and are not from just one country, which can be nice for teachers looking for a bit more variety during their classroom hours. If you have a specific area of expertise, you can fill out your profile to appeal to these students.
- Teacher Requirements: Certification preferred but not required
- Hourly Rate: $10 to $45
- Class Times: 9AM to 9PM
- Min. Hours/Week: 8
Palfish
Unlike most other options on the list, Palfish isn’t built for your computer. Instead, this app is meant to be downloaded onto iOS and Android systems. There are two jobs available: a regular teaching position, and an Official Teacher position. Official Teachers get more consistent scheduling.
Each lesson is about 25 minutes, with five minutes to prepare between slots. If you consistently arrive on time and don’t cancel lessons, you’ll be eligible for bonuses. This is a great way to make teachers feel appreciated for taking responsibility in their professional work. The hourly rate can vary depending on your qualifications and whether you’re an Official Teacher.
- Teacher Requirements: Teaching certification
- Hourly Rate: $10 to $30
- Class Times: 6AM to 3AM
- Min. Hours/Week: 4
LatinHire
LatinHire is another unique business model. They aren’t a marketplace or a school, but instead function as an agency. Their goal is to connect tutors to schools in need. If your area of expertise matches a school’s needs, LatinHire can put you in touch.
This company acts as a liaison with multiple subjects, not just English. If you have skills in Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Accounting, or Finance and Economy, then you can also seek these roles as well!
Because the schools are so varied, the pay rates also vary. But most of the time, the hourly rate is relatively low. There might be opportunities to negotiate during the process.
Fortunately, the signup process is straightforward and streamlined, which helps to save you time and energy. While you don’t technically need a certification, we always say it’s a good idea to get your TEFL to be ready for the classroom.
- Teacher Requirements: Certification preferred but not required
- Hourly Rate: $8 to $10
- Class Times: 9AM to 6PM
- Min. Hours/Week: None
Verbling
Verbling is an incredibly competitive platform. But if you do pass the hiring process, they have one of the top rates of pay in the industry. Throughout the application process, you’ll have to show that you’re skilled at teaching and that you have expertise in the English language. The company prefers North American teachers with neutral accents.
Once you get approved, you can set a rate anywhere from $18 to $28. The majority of students are adults learning business English for their jobs. Other popular classes involve reading comprehension and travel English. The better your student reviews, the more potential students and income you’ll attract.
- Teacher Requirements: 2 years experience, certification preferred
- Hourly Rate: $18 to $28
- Class Times: 6AM to 3AM
- Min. Hours/Week: 5
See our full list of places to teach english online with no degree
Teaching English to Adults Online
Learnlight
Learnlight is more specialized than many other items on the list. The company exists to help European individuals learn how to use business English. You ought to have prior experience with teaching, especially teaching business English. It’s also important to have a TEFL certification.
Because you’re required to be available at specific times, you’ll need to adhere to a stricter schedule than some other options. New hires commit to a year of teaching at least. Individual student sessions have low rates of pay, but group classrooms tend to pay more. This option has a high level of stability, which makes up for the lack of flexibility.
- Teacher Requirements: TEFL, 2 years experience
- Hourly Rate: $12 to $14
- Class Times: 6AM to 9PM
- Min. Hours/Week: 10
Open English
South American students turn to Open English so frequently that it’s become the biggest ESL provider on the continent. The company has a strong demand for teachers who can keep up with the influx of students. If you want full employment, Open English gives reliable teachers a packed schedule.
Rather than paying people based on their qualifications, the company offers pay raises with time. The more experience you gain, the higher your rate of pay. You can get a job without any college degree, though you’ll need a certification. Teachers are required to spend at least 25 hours a week on the site.
- Teacher Requirements: Certification, 1 year experience
- Hourly Rate: $13 to $15
- Class Times: 6AM to 3AM
- Min. Hours/Week: 25
Verbalplanet
Verbalplanet connects language teachers from all over the globe with students who want to learn. Since getting started in 2006, they have expanded to offering multiple other languages. When you use the site, you can create a profile and set a rate of pay. Most people charge about $22 per hour on average.
People tend to attract more students if they have strong qualifications and prior experience. Inexperienced teachers may need to start at a lower rate and then work up. The highest rates are set by people who teach business English or help international students prepare for standardized ESL testing.
- Teacher Requirements: TEFL preferred but not required
- Hourly Rate: $12 to $26
- Class Times: 6AM to 3AM
- Min. Hours/Week: None
Teach English to Japanese Online
Lyngo
Read our full Lyngo review
Lyngo has been around for a decade, having first started in 2012. This Japanese company has a goal of connecting Japanese nationals with ESL tutors. Students can range in age from very young to very old. There are very few requirements, making this an ideal fit for people without a lot of experience.
In fact, you don’t need a college degree or a certification. You can use this company to gain experience before applying to places with a higher rate of pay. It is required that you come from an English-speaking country and are a native speaker of the language. All lessons are premade, so there’s no need to create your own lesson plans.
- Teacher Requirements: Native English speakers
- Hourly Rate: $10 to $12
- Class Times: 5PM to 1:30PM
- Min. Hours/Week: 6
One Coin English
One Coin English is another company with shockingly few strict requirements. Every applicant must be legally allowed to work in Japan, so you might need to obtain a work visa or other paperwork. Other than that, the only requirement is that you’re at least 20 years old. You don’t need a college degree or language certification.
The company provides lessons in 50-minute intervals. Each lesson is conducted using Zoom. You will need a Japanese bank account in order to receive payments, which will be direct deposited. Like the previous option on the list, the school provides all of the teaching materials for you. You get free lesson plans and course outlines.
- Teacher Requirements: Must be able to work in Japan, at least 20 years old
- Hourly Rate: $7.50 to $10.30
- Class Times: 1PM to 10PM
- Min. Hours/Week: 15
Best Teacher
Best Teacher helps teachers connect to their students via Skype. But there’s a major difference from most of the other options. These lessons aren’t meant to help students improve their verbal English. Instead, the goal is to work on written materials. You’ll show your students how to edit conversations and reply to messages.
Because everything is written down, this is a solid opportunity for non-native speakers, as well as native English speakers with a strong accent. If you have any other reason that you don’t want to speak, you’ll appreciate the lesson setup.
- Teacher Requirements: TEFL certification
- Hourly Rate: $5 to $6
- Class Times: 6PM to 12AM
- Min. Hours/Week: None
Cena English
Cena English specifically looks for teachers from the US who have neutral American accents. Teachers connect to their students using Skype’s video and audio calling. In order to qualify, you need to have prior teaching experience, a certification, and a college degree. The rate of pay is $22 per hour to reflect this.
When you get started, you’ll first do a “trial lesson” with your student to see if you click. Assuming the student likes your style, you’ll then do regular lessons. You and the student will create a lesson schedule, and you must adhere to those times. If you need to change the date of a lesson, it’s your responsibility to inform your student.
- Teacher Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, 2 years experience, certification
- Hourly Rate: $22
- Class Times: 9AM to 12AM
- Min. Hours/Week: 20
Eigox
Eigox looks for teachers from all over the English speaking world, including North America, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. They even have some English teachers from the Philippines. While the rate of pay is somewhat low, the platform has tons of teaching resources. Most students also provide their own materials.
You can use flexibility in your lessons, thanks to the lack of strict curriculum. If you receive positive reviews, you could earn bonuses and pay raises. Teachers should have at least 10 hours a week to devote to teaching. Payments are done through Paypal for extra convenience.
- Teacher Requirements: TEFL certification
- Hourly Rate: $3 to $11
- Class Times: 9AM to 3AM
- Min. Hours/Week: 10
See our full list of 15 companies to teach English online to Japanese Students
Teach English Online to Chinese Students
Qkids
Qkids looks for US and Canadian teachers with a college degree. College students can bypass the degree requirement by proving that they’re working toward a degree. Every teacher will work with anywhere from one to four students per lesson. The lessons are taught during the peak classroom times in Beijing.
The youngest student age is 5, with the oldest students being 12. All of the classes are 30 minutes in length. Fortunately, the company connects teachers with pre-made lesson plans and teaching materials. The platform itself is bursting with color, joy, and visual delight, aiming to make learning fun for kids.
- Teacher Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, certification
- Hourly Rate: $16 to $20
- Class Times: 6AM to 10AM Mon thru Fri, 10:30PM to 10AM weekends
- Min. Hours/Week: 6
EF Education First
EF Education First allows teachers to connect with students all over the globe, seven days a week. The students range from children to adults. Teachers can pick whether they teach group classrooms or have one-on-one sessions with students. Regardless of what you choose, your online classroom will be packed with resources.
You’ll be given teaching tools and lesson plans to get started. There’s no need to make your own curriculum. If you set a schedule in advance, you’ll be told how much money you’ll make that month. Group classrooms tend to have a higher rate of pay than individual tutoring sessions.
- Teacher Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, teaching experience, TEFL certification
- Hourly Rate: $10 to $20
- Class Times: 4AM to 8:30AM Mon thru Fri, 9PM to 9AM weekends
- Min. Hours/Week: 5
Skooli
Skooli is one of the most solid ESL companies for Chinese students. Students can work with teachers on many different subjects, not just English. Their rate of pay is higher than most places, at a flat $25 hourly. With every four hours of teaching, you can ask for a payout.
You’ll create your profile on the platform and film an introduction video, which is an opportunity to discuss your expertise. Your students will use tools like Google Docs to explore. The better your introduction video, the better your chances of being approached by potential students. So teachers with a strong video presence have an edge over the competition here.
- Teacher Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, certification preferred
- Hourly Rate: $25
- Class Times: 24/7
- Min. Hours/Week: None
Whales English
Whales English has over 70,000 students signed up for online classes. They want native English speakers from the US, the UK, and Canada. You should be able to commit to teaching during peak hours, including at least four hours on the weekends and four during the weekdays. Since the renewal rate for courses is over 80%, you can teach your class over and over.
Every class is made up of two or three students. You’ll be given a curriculum for your subject. Each lesson lasts for 50 minutes. Your students might be as young as 3 or as old as 18. The pay rate increases as you spend more time with the company, meaning that teachers with a lot of experience can make upwards of $30 per hour.
- Teacher Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, 1 year experience, certification
- Hourly Rate: $18 to $30
- Class Times: 6:55AM to 9AM Mon thru Thurs, 7AM to 9AM Friday & weekends
- Min. Hours/Week: 8
SkimaTalk
SkimaTalk is a company that has very few requirements to get started. You’ll be teaching business English to adult students, most of whom are Japanese. People who have taught business English in the past will be given special consideration. Learn more about how to teach business English online.
Each student pays for their lesson using virtual coins. As you get more experience, your lessons will “cost” more, ultimately leading to a larger payout. Each lesson takes place over a scheduled 25 minute block, with the potential for two blocks per hour.
- Teacher Requirements: Certification preferred but not required
- Hourly Rate: $10 to $16
- Class Times: 6AM to 3AM
- Min. Hours/Week: 15
See our full list of companies to teach English online to Chinese Students
Teach English to Korean Students Online
Nil English
Nil English hires US teachers to help people in South Korea learn English. They have one of the most flexible platforms on the list. Since classes run all day, you can choose whatever hours you want. Just keep in mind that some hours will have higher traffic than others. Your students might be as young as 5 or as old as retirement age, which can be great for those who aren’t sure if they have the energy to teach young learners all day.
When you use the platform, you get paid for every 10 minutes spent teaching. Consistent attendance will lead to a 10% bonus. If you continue to work for three months, you’ll get a pay raise. To top it off, there’s another pay raise after just six months!
You have the choice of teaching classes that are 10, 20, 30, or 60 minutes long.
- Teacher Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, certificate, some teaching experience
- Hourly Rate: $9 to $15
- Class Times: 24/7
- Min. Hours/Week: 4
Tutoring Go
Tutoring Go is another company that aims to provide constant availability to students. Whenever they want to learn, they can connect to a tutor. You have flexible hours that you can fill at your leisure, although people generate the most income by using the peak hours.
You can apply for the position as long as you’re a native English speaker from an English-speaking country. The rate of pay can range from $10 to $14 an hour. While the company looks for people with some teaching experience, you may be able to get by without 100% fulfilling this requirement.
- Teacher Requirements: Certification
- Hourly Rate: $10 to $14
- Class Times: 24/7
- Min. Hours/Week: None
Cafe Talk
Cafe Talk is integrated with the free video and telephone services provided by Skype. The company hires tutors for different languages. Each student receives one-on-one lessons. It’s free to register an account and fill out an application. Then you’ll complete an interview and personalize your profile.
It’s easy to manage lessons through the platform because the website automatically converts timezones for you. In addition, the site can be accessed in languages like Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. Not only can you teach Korean students, but also students from tons of other international backgrounds including Japanese, Taiwanese, European, and American.
- Teacher Requirements: Bachelor’s degree
- Hourly Rate: $8 to $25
- Class Times: 9AM to 12AM
- Min. Hours/Week: 2
Skybel
Skybel has one purpose and one purpose only: to help students pass the International English Language Test. This standardized test is difficult and measures a student’s English abilities. Teachers with a background in this test can be paid up to $20 hourly to assist. While there is a preference for British accents, that’s not a hard requirement.
You will need to have some familiarity with the IELTS test. Students will learn to pass the verbal part of the test. It’s important that you have at least one year of experience with teaching. Preference is given to teachers with a background in business English or in the IELTS.
- Teacher Requirements: Bachelor’s degree, 1 year experience, preference for British accent
- Hourly Rate: $15 to $20
- Class Times: 9AM to 9PM
- Min. Hours/Week: 10
Ringle
Ringle allows you to flexibly work from home with whatever hours you want. There’s very little strict commitment. At the same time, you’ll be able to grow networks of students and tutors. The company provides pre-made lesson plans called Ringle packets, which let you teach classes without doing any prior planning.
Because of the excellent pre-made lesson plans, this is one of the simplest companies for teaching English online. You don’t need to worry about doing tons of extra work prepping for classes. The lesson plans allow for standardized curriculums while removing much of the pressure from the teacher.
- Teacher Requirements: Bachelor’s degree
- Hourly Rate: $15 to $16
- Class Times: Flexible
- Min. Hours/Week: None
See our full list of companies to teach English online to Korean students
Tips on Teaching English Online
Set Up a Learning Environment
It’s a good idea to set up a learning environment for your online classroom. Make sure you have good lighting with your camera and consider investing in a ring light. Some teachers also incorporate props and other objects into their lessons.
Have Patience
No matter the age or skill level of your students, you should have patience. Learning English is difficult, and there may be communication or cultural barriers. Embrace each lesson with an open mind.
Join Teacher Groups
There’s an entire online community of ESL teachers. You can find teacher groups in places like Reddit and Facebook. Your online teaching platform might also have forums or other ways for teachers to connect.
Make Use of Online Resources
The best way to prepare is by studying beforehand. You can use guides like these online teaching tips to avoid new-teacher pitfalls and bring your best performance to your students. Even if you don’t intend on working for a company that requires lesson planning, you will still benefit from learning and understanding how to manage a classroom and be prepared for every single class.
Conclusion
There are many websites that will let you teach English online. Whether you offer online ESL tutoring or online teaching from home, it’s just a matter of finding the right site for you. Our top pick overall is VIPKid, thanks to the good employee reviews and high rate of pay. We wish you the best of luck as you begin your online teaching career!
