The 12 Best Online TEFL Courses in 2025
Check out the 12 best TEFL certifications online to start your teach abroad journey!
Teaching English opens doors to a rewarding career that can take you all over the world. English is in demand and you'll find enthusiastic students of all ages just waiting to learn. Although some countries allow native speakers to teach without a degree or certificate, obtaining your TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification could enhance your job prospects and earning potential. Most importantly though, it can give you the tools to be a more effective teacher for your students.
In 2025, consider pursuing an online TEFL course. We've handpicked the best of the best for you and highlighted their features below. Starting one of these courses could be the first step toward the adventure of a lifetime!
How did we pick these programs?
Lastly, we used our own industry knowledge to ensure we're recommending programs that are vetted both by you, the community members, and us, the experts, so that we feel confident the programs included are the best of the best!
1. International TEFL Academy
Best for building confidence
According to the International TEFL Academy, their alumni work in 80 countries across the world, so it's no wonder why this world-renowned program tops our list. This part-time, 11-week 170-hour TEFL certification promises small class sizes (maximum of 20 students), teachers with a minimum of a master's degree, and interactive features such as live lectures, webinars, and chat sessions.
This course is comprised of 150 hours of learning coupled with a 20-hour hands-on teaching practicum. Throughout your studies you will be aided by a personal tutor who will be there to answer all your questions.
Graduates will benefit from lifetime job search assistance as well as a network of thousands of ITA graduates located all around the globe.
✅ Pros:
- Provides students with 1:1 job search assistance after completing the course
- Offers a wide range of support resources, including teacher office hours, live instruction, and peer chat opportunities
❌ Cons:
- Balancing assignments and heavy textbook reading can be challenging for some learners
- Leans on the pricier side, but covers lifetime job search support
The support staff and instructors were exceptional from start to finish. I now feel genuinely empowered as I pursue my aspirations to teach ESL to adults. -- Timothy
Program Details
2. TEFLPros
Best for resources & job prep
TEFLPros offers a fully accredited 120-hour online TEFL course that combines high quality instruction with maximum flexibility. The course boasts more than 50 hours of real-life classroom and instructional videos so that you're sure to get the most bang for your buck.
This course offers preparation in important skills such as lesson planning, managing difficult classroom situations, and preparing classroom materials. And TEFLPros want to make sure you're happy with the course before you put any money into it; they offer a free full module to students so that you can "try before you buy." This kind of transparency is hard to beat!
✅ Pros:
- Allows students to download videos, files, and guides, to learn materials at their own pace
- Students receive weekly live coaching calls twice a week
❌ Cons:
- Doesn’t offer job placement guarantees
- The course focuses more on teaching in-person classes, compared to teaching online classes
What I loved about TEFLPros was their abundance of resources made available to me and their real life examples. I was able to see their teaching applied in classrooms to great effect. -- Alejandro
Program Details
3. Teach Away's OISE TEFL
Best for personalized structure
Teach Away, world leaders in international teacher placement, has partnered with the University of Toronto to offer the OISE TEFL program. This comprehensive program is available as three different courses to suit the needs of everyone from recent university grads looking to start their career in teaching, to current ESL teachers hoping to boost their credentials.
With Teach Away, you can choose from 100-hour, 120-hour, and 150-hour course options, and you can also select specializations that cater to your personal interests and teaching goals. But beyond the course material, you'll also get a leg up when starting your career with a certificate from a globally recognized institution, as well as job assistance through Teach Away.
✅ Pros:
- Backed by the University of Toronto, a recognized university
- Connects graduates with free job placement services
❌ Cons:
- Longer length course and lectures may feel repetitive
- Tests are timed
I have taken numerous online courses over the years, but I have no problem rating this course the best so far. The lessons were well organized and covered a lot of material (history of language, teaching theory, fundamentals of language/grammar). -- Mary
Program Details
4. UNI-Prep Institute
Best for fast-paced learning
UNI-Prep's 120-hour online TEFL certification is great for those hoping to jump into their teaching career quickly. The course covers classroom management, lesson planning, and language level testing in addition to the basics of reading, writing, and phonics.
Tutor support is available and job search assistance is included. While they don't screen participants, a high school diploma, and native level or advanced proficiency in English are required.
Past participants have rated this program highly and praise it for its value and level of instruction.
✅ Pros:
- Suitable for all learners’ pace – according to their website, this course can be completed in 2-4 weeks, although students have up to a year to work through the materials
- Offers students the chance to review quiz errors and retake quizzes for a higher grade
❌ Cons:
- Video quality and audio in modules could be improved
- Doesn’t offer as much job assistance support as other courses on the market
The material was easy to access, simple to follow along with, and helpfully summarized by unit tests to check students' understanding of course content. I especially enjoyed the helpful examples of teaching methods and tools to use in the classroom that were provided with each unit lesson. -- Jane
Program Details
5. The TEFL Academy
Best for hands-on virtual learning
The TEFL Academy is truly committed to offering students a top-notch TEFL experience. Since TEFL is their specialty, they're able to offer well-crafted, accredited, and highly interactive courses which are all taught by experienced ESL teachers. Who better to learn from than those who are already experienced in the field?
Their Online Level 5 TEFL Course is a fully online TEFL option available to students around the globe. If taken full time, the course will take about 9 weeks to complete, but its flexible nature means that you can fit the course to your schedule. The course is composed of 11 mandatory units, plus a bonus unit about teaching young learners, which is perfect for folks who are hoping to teach English at primary schools abroad.
✅ Pros:
- Tutors give detailed feedback on assignments
- Leads to a level 5 TEFL Certificate, equivalent to 168 hours, which will allow you to teach anywhere you want
❌ Cons:
- Doesn’t offer video components
- Must be completed within 6 months
The support provided by the tutors were very helpful and responses were quick and easy to understand. They were very helpful when guiding me on my assignments and their advice was professional. Overall, the course was fun and interesting. -- Divany
Program Details
6. ITTT Online TEFL/TESOL Course
Best for affordability
Whether you're looking to brush up on your teaching skills or to fulfill a job requirement, ITTT can meet your needs with their 60 to 250-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate. There are also specialized course options such as a 50-hour Teaching Business English and a 50-hour Teaching English to Young Learners. You can choose to complete your online TEFL courses on your own or with a tutor, so you get the proper support.
ITTT's diplomas are recognized all around the world, so you never have to worry if your credentials will be accepted when you move jobs or locations. Plus, after completing an ITTT TEFL course, you'll have lifetime access to job assistance services.
✅ Pros:
- Course includes game resources and worksheets to help make learning more engaging
- A tutor is offered that will respond to any questions within one day, usually sooner
❌ Cons:
- No practical experience component
- Students can only take quizzes once
I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn or teach English, or just needs to meet the requirements for a job. The time and money efficient course provides tons of useful materials and instructions that prepare you well for lecturing and facilitating activities. -- Txiv
Program Details
7. Premier TEFL
Best for innovative learning
Premier TEFL offers prospective English teachers a variety of options for undertaking their certification. Whether you go with the industry standard 120-hour online course or more intensive study, all programs include various perks. You can expect to learn all the basics through their new app, various eBooks, and even their podcast, which means you can learn wherever you are (even if you're on the go!).
In addition to the course materials, learners can expect to receive expert tutor support throughout the program. Most notably, on completion of your certification, Premier TEFL will provide you with a letter of reference which could come in handy when applying for your first job.
Feeling prepared but not yet confident to start the job search? Internship opportunities exist throughout Asia, Europe, and South America. These short-term teaching experiences will give you a taste of international teaching while helping to build your CV.
✅ Pros:
- Offers a mobile app that can be used for on-the-go learning
- Provides guidance on where and how to find a job or internship and provides students with a letter of reference after course completion
❌ Cons:
- Not as much video content as in other courses
- Must be completed within 6 months
This was an exceptional learning experience with techniques and tools that I found directly applicable to work situations. I found the instructors did a very effective job in breaking down and explaining the concepts. -- E
Program Details
8. i-toi TEFL
Best for in-depth courses
If you want to go beyond the usual 120-hour course, i-to-i TEFL offers programs up to 420-hours. If you choose to study the courses consisting of 180 hours or more, your bundle will include additional modules such as teaching young learners, business English, grammar awareness, and advanced lesson planning.
These TEFL certifications can be completed solely online or taken as a hybrid option with two days of classroom experience with qualified and knowledgeable tutors. All courses provide a minimum of 120 hours of materials along with support and feedback from DELTA (diploma provided by Cambridge English) qualified tutors.
Once you are fully certified, i-to-i offers paid internship opportunities in Thailand, South Korea, and Vietnam and an unpaid placement in Thailand too. All programs include accommodation and range from 7 weeks to 5 months. This could be a good way to break into the international TEFL world without a year commitment.
✅ Pros:
- Offers 1:1 contact hours with teachers
- Includes video observations of teachers at work and the practice of writing extended lesson plans
❌ Cons:
- You have a limited amount of time to complete the online course after it's opened
- The assignments can be rigorous, but there is support for questions and tutors are quick to respond
These courses go in-depth in the areas you will need to know and practice when going out to teach English internationally. The grammar lessons proved very practical, the extra material offered to buy also helped out greatly (teaching guides). -- Sarah
Program Details
9. Maximo Nivel
Best for support
Maximo Nivel offers a 150-hour completely online TEFL certification that includes live teaching practice. While other online courses require in-person teaching practice, with Maximo Nivel you can conduct your 6-hour practicum with real language learners live via Skype. These sessions will be observed by your trainer who will give you constructive feedback to improve your skills.
Maximo Nivel focuses on support and guarantees 10 hours of face-to-face personal tutor support via Skype or Zoom during your course. This will allow you to receive advice, hear critiques of your classwork and teaching, and ask any questions you may have. After successful completion of the course, students have access to lifetime job search support which means you always have someone in your corner throughout your teaching career.
✅ Pros:
- Provides 10 hours of tutoring and coaching by Zoom with your TEFL Trainer
- Offers 5 hours of practical teaching
❌ Cons:
- Must be completed within 6 months, but course extensions may be purchased
- Course material can be considered challenging for some students
My favorite part was my online teaching practicum. I absolutely loved teaching online and the thought of being able to teach anyone in the world from my living room is so cool!. -- Madi
Program Details
10. Vantage TEFL
Best for professional experience
Boasting a 100% satisfaction score from over 100 reviewers on Go Overseas, Vantage TEFL offers a 120-hour course for those pursuing an international career in teaching. Validated by Lamar University in the U.S., this course is the equivalent of three credit hours. Students will have six months to complete all the modules.
The unique thing about Vantage TEFL is the intensive, supervised 6-hour practicum which is conducted in Thailand. For those already interested in starting off in Asia, this can be a great jumping off point to network and get comfortable in your new surroundings. Some of the highest ESL salaries are offered in Asia so why not make the leap with Vantage TEFL?
Here's what past participants had to say about Vantage TEFL's course:
✅ Pros:
- Provides students with personal coaching on topics such as interviewing techniques, resume crafting, and job search strategy
- Offers observed practice teaching sessions and a 6-hour practicum
❌ Cons:
- The coursework can be intensive and challenging for some students
- It may not be a good fit if you’re looking for teaching opportunities outside of Thailand or China
We also learned how to formulate a viable lesson plan, which was the first step in our six observed teaching sessions. I got better and better every time I taught and I believe the self-evolution together with Vantage’s professional feedback was the key reason why. -- Lotti
Program Details
11. OnTESOL
Best for hands-on lesson planning
OnTesol has been providing accredited online TEFL/TESL/TESOL certification courses for 20 years. Accredited by TESL Canada, their certifications are accepted worldwide, for both in-person and online teaching.
Their most popular program, the 120-hr Advanced TESOL Course: Online TESOL, allows students to master crafting their own lesson plans, through hands-on modules and a range of course materials, such as charts and videos. For aspiring teachers looking to learn in an engaging environment, OnTesol's unique 10-hour Lesson Planning Workshop gives students the chance to work on group activities, ask questions, and attend live Zoom lectures, while still being completely online.
✅ Pros:
- Students are assigned a personal tutor to answer questions and provide direct feedback on assignments
- Offers free job assistance and an optional 20-hour practicum
❌ Cons:
- Self-paced online courses can be difficult for beginner teachers, so it's recommended to add-on the live teaching workshops
- Past students expressed that video components could be improved to be more engaging
OnTesol gave me the tools I needed to create fun and exciting lesson plans for my students. I believe that my lesson plans have improved exponentially since taking this course. -- Emily
Program Details
12. TEFL Institute
Best for mentorship & accreditation
The TEFL Institute offers a high-quality, government-regulated course for teachers who envisage a career abroad but don’t want to commit to a CELTA course just yet. Their 180-hour Level 5 TEFL diploma presents an internationally recognized certification regulated by Ofqual - a government department in the UK.
Mentorship and support are at the forefront of TEFL Institute’s priorities, with teachers being provided personalized guidance throughout their studies. In addition to learning the ins and outs of ESL teaching, the TEFL Institute also offers recruitment advice from industry specialists to help them secure their dream job abroad. Still not sure? Free trials are available on all Level 5 TEFL courses at the TEFL Institute.
✅ Pros:
- Personal recruitment advisor for teachers
- Advantage in securing teaching positions for institutions which prefer government-recognized qualifications
❌ Cons:
- Workload can be a lot for those who work full-time
- Must be completed within 6 months
Everything about my experience in TEFL courses was amazing. The support and mentorship from the tutors and staff were very helpful. -- Victoria
Program Details
Key factors to consider when picking an online TEFL program
You'll want to research and identify these key factors before you invest your time and money in a TEFL course!
- Accreditation: Opting for an accredited TEFL course will help verify that your class will meet industry standards, cover the required hours of training, and provide you with the necessary amount of instruction and teaching practice.
- Length of course: In order to ensure your chances of getting a teaching job after your course ends, your online TEFL certification course must cover at least 100 hours of class time and 20 hours of teaching practice.
- Cost: While it's important to pick an affordable TEFL course, you should also be wary of any super cheap classes. Online classes tend to already be less expensive, but be sure it includes practical teaching experience, otherwise you're potentially wasting money!
- Job placement assistance: You're taking this TEFL course to get a job after, right? So if you're going to invest your time, make sure this course can also provide you with important resources such as interview assistance, referrals, and job guidance.
Read more: How to Choose a TEFL Certification Program
FAQs about online TEFL courses
If you're still on the fence about applying for an online TEFL course (or just have a million questions buzzing in your head -- trust us, it's normal!) then take a peek at some of the top FAQs asked by aspiring teachers like you!
What are the benefits of an online TEFL certification?
An online TEFL course may not be for everyone. Consider these top benefits to help you decide!
- Affordable: No travel or housing costs involved
- Convenient: Complete classwork anywhere in the world on your schedule
- Fast: Self-paced online TEFL certificates can be completed quickly
Where can I teach with an online TEFL certification?
Online TEFL certifications are accepted worldwide. Some European countries may prefer the CELTA, which is a specific kind of TEFL certificate, but if your goal is to teach in Asia or Latin America, the above TEFL courses will definitely land you a job!
How many hours should my online TEFL certification be?
The length of online TEFL certifications varies widely but generally, new teachers should do a certificate that is at least 120 hours, which is considered standard. You can always take more classes to earn specialized certifications later should you choose to pursue TEFL as a serious career.
Will an online TEFL certification really prepare me for the classroom?
Yes, an online TEFL certification will absolutely help prepare you for the classroom! If you're worried about jumping in with no experience though, many online TEFL providers do offer supervised teaching practice (also online), either as a part of the program or as an add-on option.
Read more: What Do You Learn in an Online TEFL Course?
Ready to start your teaching journey?
If you have a positive attitude, thirst for adventure, and desire to help others, a career in English teaching might just be right for you. Teaching can be challenging but it is a rewarding and potentially lucrative way to travel the world while making a difference in the lives of children and adults. Making sure you have the right training is key, so sign up with one of these top courses and start dreaming of your next destination today!