The short answer
If you have never taught before, start with a platform whose own page says experience or a certificate isn't required, then add a company with set pay once you have a track record. On their own pages, Preply, Cambly, italki (as a Community Tutor) and NativeCamp say you can apply without teaching experience or a certificate (quotes below). In our directory, 237 of 303 companies listed as open don't mention experience in their saved qualifications, and 29 open companies say no degree is required. None of this guarantees you will be accepted or get students.
Beginner-friendly platforms, in their own words
| Platform | What its official page says | Good to know for beginners |
|---|---|---|
| Preply | "No specific certification or teaching experience is required!" (Preply teach page) | You set your own hourly rate. Preply's page says: "The commission for every trial lesson with a new student is 100%. For all subsequent lessons, the commission starts at 33% and decreases to 18%". |
| Cambly | "While helpful, no prior teaching certificate or experience is required to apply." (Cambly Help Center) | Set pay: "You make $0.17/min ($10.2/hour) on Cambly and $0.20/min ($12/hour) on Cambly Kids." (Cambly tutor page). Cambly says you must be a native English speaker. |
| italki (Community Tutor) | "italki requires only Professional Teachers to upload their Teaching certificates." (italki application page) | You set your own prices and italki charges a commission. italki opens and closes languages for new applications, so check that English is open. |
| NativeCamp | "To become our teacher you do not need a professional certificate or previous experience." (NativeCamp tutor page) | The same site's FAQ lists "Experienced English Teacher (Online / Offline)" as a requirement, so ask them which applies to you. |
What makes a company good for a beginner
- Low entry requirements, stated by the company. Look for the company's own words on experience, degrees and certificates, not a job-board summary.
- Materials provided. Set-curriculum companies save you lesson planning. Marketplaces (Preply, italki) expect you to plan your own lessons.
- Clear pay. Only some companies publish pay. Our pay report lists only official pay and fee statements, with the source and date.
- What other teachers say. Company pages on this list show the community score from teacher votes.
Open companies with no degree required
29 companies listed as open say in their saved qualifications that no degree is required. 15 of them also say they hire non-native speakers. Here are the ones with the most teacher votes:
- Cambly review $12/hr · No degree required, TESOL
- HelloKid review $14/hr · No degree required, Experience
- Palfish review $13/hr · No degree required, TESOL, CELTA, Experience
- Bright Learning review $12/hr · No degree required
- CNK English review Not confirmed · No degree required, Experience
- Engliphone review $19/hr · No degree required
- EnglishDom review Not confirmed · No degree required
- ETalking review $12/hr · No degree required, TEFL
- Golden Voice English review $20/hr · No degree required
- Hallo review $10/hr · No degree required, TEFL
- ISpeakBetter review Not confirmed · No degree required, TEFL
- KK Talkee review $16/hr · No degree required
See the full lists: no degree required and non-native speakers without a degree.
Top-voted open companies that don't list experience or a degree
These open companies have a positive community score from teacher votes and their saved qualifications don't mention experience or a degree. Check each company's own requirements before you apply.
- Cambly review $12/hr · No degree required, TESOL
- allokiddy review $16/hr · N/A
- HelloKid review $14/hr · No degree required, Experience
- DakiTalk review $15/hr · N/A
- Horizon USA review $30/hr · N/A
- Palfish review $13/hr · No degree required, TESOL, CELTA, Experience
- The Really Great Teacher Company review Not confirmed · N/A
- XIAOBAI ABC review $10/hr · N/A
- Think&Grow Education HK review $35/hr · N/A
- Bright Learning review $12/hr · No degree required
Teacher votes for this month: top-rated online ESL companies.
A simple plan for your first month
- Shortlist 3 to 5 companies from the tables above and read each company page on this list.
- Apply to one marketplace (you set the price) and one set-pay company, so you can compare.
- Prepare a short intro video and a quiet, well-lit teaching space; most companies ask for both.
- Track your real hourly earnings, including unpaid prep and waiting time, before you add more hours.
- Ask questions in a teacher community. The free Online Teachers Club has a job board and chat groups.
Related guide: How to become an online ESL teacher with no experience.
Tools for online teachers
Once you have shortlisted a few companies, it helps to have one page that shows who you are as a teacher. You can create a free online teacher profile page on Teacher4.me and share it with students, parents, and schools alongside your company applications.