There's no single best platform — only the right platform for your situation. Below is what each major one is actually like to work for, from teachers we've spoken to, plus the trade-offs nobody mentions in promotional content.
Pay rates disclosure
All rates below reflect publicly available 2026 data and teacher reports. Platforms change commission structures frequently; verify on each provider's site before signing up.
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Quick comparison table
| Platform | Pay (USD/hr) | Degree required | Time to first student | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preply | $8–35 | No | 1–4 weeks | Building experience fast |
| italki | $10–40 | No (Community) | 2–6 weeks | Independent-style teaching |
| Cambly | $10.20 | No | 1–7 days | Casual, drop-in conversations |
| Lingoda | $10–14 | Yes + CELTA/TEFL | 3–6 weeks | Structured curriculum |
| Outschool | $30–80 | Background check | 4–12 weeks | Kids, group classes |
| Verbling | $15–40 | No | 2–6 weeks | Serious adult learners |
| LingQ | $10–22 | No | 1–3 weeks | Casual conversation |
1. Preply
Model: Marketplace. You set your rate; Preply takes 18–33% commission (33% on your first 20 hours with a student, dropping to 18% afterwards).
Students: Mostly adults, mix of casual and serious. Heavy on Brazilian, Spanish, Italian and Saudi students.
What's good: Largest student pool of any marketplace. The platform actively recommends teachers — if your profile and reviews are strong, students find you.
What's hard: The first 20 hours per student is taxed at 33%, which crushes effective hourly rates early on. Replying within an hour is expected; the platform penalises slow responders. Free trial lessons are unpaid.
Best for: Teachers willing to grind for 2–3 months to build reviews, then ride the platform's recommendation algorithm.
2. italki
Model: Marketplace with two teacher tiers — Professional Teacher (requires a teaching qualification) and Community Tutor (no qualification needed, lower-status profile). Commission is a flat 15%.
Students: Wider age range than Preply. Strong East Asian and European student base. Many serious long-term learners.
What's good: Lowest commission of any major marketplace. Strong community feel, less aggressive than Preply about teacher ranking.
What's hard: Slower student acquisition. Visibility on the platform isn't as algorithmically driven as Preply — you need to actively market yourself in the italki community (free language exchange, articles, etc.).
Best for: Teachers who want a marketplace but with more autonomy and lower fees.
3. Cambly
Model: Drop-in conversation. Students dial in; you accept the call. Pay is fixed at roughly $0.17/min ($10.20/hr) for adult tutoring, slightly more for Cambly Kids.
Students: Many casual conversation seekers; a smaller cohort of serious long-term students.
What's good: Lowest barrier to entry of any platform. Native English speakers can start within a week. No lesson planning required for most calls.
What's hard: Pay is low and fixed — no path to higher rates. Many calls are 1–5 minutes (students "shopping" for a tutor). Income is unpredictable.
Best for: Starting teachers, side income, or filling odd hours around other work.
4. Lingoda
Model: Company employer. Lingoda assigns you students, provides the curriculum, and pays a fixed hourly rate (~€8–11 + bonuses).
Students: Adult learners following structured CEFR-mapped courses, often in groups of up to 5.
What's good: Zero lesson planning. Steady, predictable hours once scheduled. Good first job for someone with a TEFL but no marketplace experience.
What's hard: Requirements are strict — typically a degree plus CELTA/TEFL plus C1+ English certification. Lessons follow a rigid curriculum; little creative freedom.
Best for: Qualified teachers who want predictable income without the marketing work.
5. Outschool
Model: Marketplace for kids' classes (ages 3–18). You design and price your own courses; Outschool takes 30%.
Students: Primarily US-based homeschool families and after-school enrichment.
What's good: Group classes mean per-hour earnings of $40–80+ if you fill seats. You design courses on topics you actually enjoy.
What's hard: Background check is mandatory. Course approval is slow and picky. Marketing your own course is on you — popular teachers spend weeks on titles, descriptions, and thumbnail images.
Best for: Teachers comfortable with kids and willing to invest weeks in course design before earning.
6. Verbling
Model: Marketplace, 15% commission.
Students: Smaller pool than Preply or italki, but skews toward serious long-term learners.
What's good: Quality classroom interface with built-in materials and homework tracking. Lower volume of "tire-kicker" trial requests than Preply.
What's hard: Slower to build a base; less algorithmic promotion of teachers.
Best for: Experienced teachers who can convert trial students at a high rate.
7. LingQ
Model: Subscription-driven content platform with optional 1-on-1 tutoring. Tutors set rates; LingQ takes a small commission.
Students: Adults using LingQ's content for self-study, occasionally booking conversation sessions.
What's good: Casual, low-pressure conversation-focused. Existing student base means less marketing.
What's hard: Lower volume than the big marketplaces. Conversation-only — not for structured exam prep or grammar coaching.
Best for: Side income, conversation-focused teachers.
Which should you pick?
- Brand new, no qualifications: Cambly + Preply. Get hours quickly; build a TEFL on the side.
- TEFL/CELTA in hand, want steady income: Lingoda or italki Professional.
- Want to maximise hourly rate, willing to market: italki + your own site. Use italki for prospecting, move best students direct.
- Love teaching kids: Outschool. Higher effort upfront, much higher per-hour income.
- Side income, flexible hours: Cambly. Don't expect a career, do expect easy.
Don't pick a platform. Pick two.
The teachers we interviewed who built sustainable income usually ran two channels in parallel for the first 6–12 months: one for instant access to students (Preply/Cambly), one for higher-quality long-term students (italki, Verbling, or their own site). Switching costs are zero. Diversification protects you when one platform changes its commission structure overnight — which they all do, periodically.