Reviews of Online English Language Teaching Platforms

Platform

Overall Teacher Sentiment

Key Positive Feedback from Teachers

Key Negative Feedback from Teachers

Pay & Scheduling

EF Education First

Mixed to Negative
(Glassdoor rating: 2.6/5)

Stable but not highly paid.

Great colleagues, good atmosphere in some offices, enjoyable teaching experience with students.
  Reliable student flow

  Structured materials
  Professional organisation

Low pay, poor management, lack of decisiveness, employees are overworked with little work-life balance.
  ower pay than marketplaces

  Reports of rigid management and policies

Low salary; long hours reported.

Open English

Positive

Extremely flexible schedule, no administrative work, automatic student allocation (no need to find your own students), very responsive technical support that can take over a lesson if issues arise on your end.
  Focus on Latin American market
  Mixed reviews: stable work but lower pay

The pay is described as “not particularly glamorous” and may not be sustainable as a full-time job. Best as a side hustle.

Hourly pay (reported as R70/hour ~ $3.80/hour). Teachers never work more than 4 consecutive hours.

Novakid

Positive

Structured, gamified curriculum for young learners (ages 4-12). Supportive management, responsive support team, transparent feedback system where you can appeal unfair reviews.

Pay is modest for teachers in countries with a high cost of living. Bookings may be inconsistent at first, and demand dips during European summer holidays.

$7-$12 per 25-min lesson ($14-$24/hour). Bonuses available for high ratings, peak hours, and trial lessons. Payments twice a month via Payoneer.

iTutorGroup

Mentioned in context

The teacher featured in the Novakid review mentioned having previously worked for iTutorGroup but did not provide a detailed review. She moved to Novakid for better pay and flexibility.

Information Not Available in Search Results

Information Not Available in Search Results

EnglishHunt

Positive

Teachers love the flexibility, supportive staff, and engaged students. The materials are well-structured for conversational classes with Japanese adults.

The pay could be higher, and there are occasional, manageable scheduling issues.

Around $20 per hour.

Preply

Neutral

  Large global student base → high earning potential
  Set your own rates and schedule
  Good teaching tools and flexibility (some tutors report strong student relationships)

  Very high commission (up to 33% + unpaid trial lessons)
  Hard to get started; heavy competition
  Income unstable at the beginning

Information Not Available in Search Results

Engoo

Positive from students

The student review highlights Engoo as an excellent, friendly platform for beginners. It offers structured materials like “Daily News” that help build confidence and speaking skills.

The format can become repetitive and less challenging for advanced learners.

Information Not Available in Search Results

Cambly

Mixed

Easy entry, but often described as low-paid “gig work.”

Students leave very positive reviews about the tutors, calling them friendly, patient, and helpful for improving conversation skills and confidence.

  Extremely flexible (log in anytime, no prep)
  No qualifications required
  Instant access to students

The app has technical issues, such as crashing and slow updates. The rating system is also a point of discussion, with some users finding it unhelpful.
  Low pay (~$10/hour typical)
  Little progression or career growth
  High platform cut (widely criticised by teachers)

Reddit example:

“Students pay $33… tutors get $10” 

Lingoda

Positive (Student perspective)

Teacher reviews (mixed)

The review is written from a student’s perspective but provides insights for teachers. It notes that classes are structured, use an immersion-based method, and students are exposed to native-speaking teachers from around the world. The curriculum is well-designed.
  Structured curriculum provided
  Regular classes (especially with “Sprint” programs)
  Professional teaching environment

The main drawback is that you cannot choose your teacher. Even for one-on-one lessons, the teacher is assigned by the platform, which can be a negative for teachers trying to build a regular student base.

Information Not Available in Search Results

Good long-term if you build a client base; frustrating initially.

Reddit reflects this divide:

“It is by far my preferred platform…” vs “Don’t waste your time… refund issues” 

Takes time to build students… high commission hurts earnings.”

Italki

Seen as one of the fairest marketplaces, but not beginner-friendly.

  Lower commission (~15%) 

  Ability to build long-term students

  Flexible and teacher-controlled pricing

  Very competitive; some languages “closed” to new teachers 

  No guaranteed students

  Income depends heavily on self-marketing

Verbling

Good quality platform, but less reliable tech and fewer students.

  High-quality students and tutors

  Professional feel and pricing flexibility

  Technical issues reported (bugs, outdated content) 

  Less traffic than competitors

SkimaTalk / Engoo / Eigox / Tutlo (similar marketplace-style)

Entry-level platforms, often used as stepping stones.

  Easy to join  

  Focus on conversation rather than structured teaching

  Limited career progression

 Low to moderate pay

Learnlight

Teacher sentiment: generally positive (corporate niche)

 Corporate clients (business English)

 More professional environment

 Requires qualifications/experience

 Less flexibility

Good for experienced teachers, not beginners. No info on pay

VIPKID / Qkids / iTutorGroup / Englishhunt

(Chinese platforms) 

  Previously high pay ($14–22/hr typical) 

  Structured lessons (no prep needed)

  Large student base

  Strict requirements (degree + TEFL)

  Heavy cancellations / penalties

  Major decline after Chinese regulations (2021–)

Once top-paying, now widely seen as unreliable or shrinking.