How to Teach English Online — VIPKid, Cambly, Italki, Preply 2026

VIPKid — $14-22 per Hour, Requires Bachelor's Degree

VIPKid connects teachers with children in China (and increasingly other countries) for one-on-one English lessons. Pay: $14-22/hr depending on experience and performance. Requirements: bachelor's degree (any field), native English speaker, and passing a teaching demo. TEFL certification is optional but helps you get more bookings. Scheduling is the main challenge — peak hours are early morning in North America (5-9 AM) to match Chinese after-school times. Many teachers do 10-20 hours per week in early mornings. VIPKid provides curriculum and lesson plans — you follow a structured program. Best for: teachers with a degree who prefer structured lessons and are willing to wake up early.

Cambly — $10.20 per Hour, No Degree Required

Cambly is the most accessible platform — no degree, no TEFL, no experience required. You simply talk to students from around the world in English conversation. Pay: $10.20/hr (fixed rate). Scheduling: completely flexible — you log in whenever you want and take calls. Students are mostly adults looking for conversation practice, not formal lessons. Priority hours (peak demand) pay a small bonus. Cambly is best for: people without a degree who just want to have conversations and earn extra income. The trade-off: low pay and no curriculum. It's more like a paid chat service than teaching. See the Online Tutoring Guide for more alternatives.

Italki — You Set Your Rate, Keep 85%

Italki is a marketplace where you set your own rate and students book you. Most teachers charge $15-40/hr depending on experience and demand. Italki takes a 15% commission. No degree required, but you need to submit a profile video and pass review. Teachers can offer both formal lessons and conversation practice. The key difference from VIPKid and Cambly: on Italki, you build your own student base. Your ratings and repeat bookings determine your success. Many full-time Italki teachers earn $2,000-6,000/month. Italki also allows teaching other languages — Spanish, French, Mandarin, Arabic, and 100+ more.

Preply — $10-50 per Hour, High Commission but Flexible

Preply lets you set your rate from $10-50/hr. New tutors typically start at $10-15/hr and raise rates as they gain reviews and experience. Commission structure: Preply takes 100% of your first lesson with each student, then 33% thereafter. This means you earn less per lesson than on Italki, but Preply provides more student leads. Preply also offers tutoring in subjects beyond English — math, science, music, test prep. Most tutors earn $500-3,000/month part-time. Preply requires no degree, but a TEFL certification helps with visibility in search results.

TEFL Certification — Do You Need It?

TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification is not required for Cambly, Italki, or Preply. VIPKid lists it as optional but prefers it. However, getting TEFL certified can help you: charge higher rates on Italki and Preply, get more bookings on VIPKid, and be eligible for non-platform English teaching jobs. Cost: $200-500 for a 120-hour online TEFL course from a reputable provider (TEFL.org, International TEFL Academy). Time: 4-8 weeks part-time. Many teachers recover the cost within their first month of teaching.

Scheduling and Time Commitment

Peak student demand on all platforms is driven by Asian time zones (GMT+8), which means early morning in the Americas (5-9 AM) and afternoon-evening in Europe (1-7 PM). Most successful teachers: work 10-20 hours per week, maintain consistent schedules so students can book regularly, and teach during peak hours to maximize bookings. Many teachers abroad (living in Southeast Asia, Europe, or Latin America) find the scheduling much easier — peak Asia hours fall in their afternoon or evening.

Pros and Cons Summary

VIPKid: structured curriculum, highest minimum pay, but requires degree and early mornings. Cambly: easiest to start, zero requirements, but lowest pay ($10.20/hr fixed). Italki: set your own rate, 85% commission, best long-term platform for professionals — but you must build your own client base. Preply: good for new teachers, flexible subjects, but commission is high (33%+ first lesson free). The Online Tutoring Guide has more detail on comparing these platforms.

Teaching Other Languages

All four platforms also support teaching other languages. Italki and Preply have the widest selection: Spanish, French, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, German, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, and 100+ more. Rates for less-commonly-taught languages can be higher due to limited supply. If you're bilingual, you can teach both English and your native language on the same platform.

FAQs

Which platform pays the most?

Italki has the highest earning potential — experienced teachers charging $30-50/hr keep $25-42 after commission. VIPKid pays $14-22/hr but provides steady students without marketing. Cambly pays the least at $10.20/hr fixed.

Do I need teaching experience?

Not for Cambly or Preply. Italki students prefer teachers with some experience or certification. VIPKid requires passing a teaching demo but not formal experience.

Can I do this as a full-time income?

Yes — many teachers earn $3,000-6,000/month full-time on Italki or VIPKid. Cambly is harder to make full-time income on due to the low hourly rate. Most teachers split time across 2-3 platforms.

What equipment do I need?

A laptop or desktop computer, stable internet connection, webcam, headset with microphone, and a quiet room. VIPKid also requires a wired ethernet connection (not Wi-Fi) and a teaching background (map, whiteboard, etc.).