Online TEFL TESOL courses are often marketed as a fast, affordable path to teaching English abroad or online.
With hundreds of providers promising international recognition, guaranteed jobs, and glowing reviews, choosing the right course can feel overwhelming.
Unfortunately, the industry is also largely unregulated, which has allowed misleading claims, fake reviews, and aggressive marketing tactics to flourish.
Before enrolling in a course, it’s essential to understand how these programs really work—and what many programs don’t openly tell prospective students.
This Trusted TEFL Reviews article examines 10 essential tips for selecting the best online TEFL TESOL courses.
1. Some TEFL TESOL Providers Fake or Manipulate Reviews
Not all TEFL TESOL course reviews you see online are trustworthy. Because the industry is largely unregulated, some providers actively manipulate public feedback to appear more reputable than they really are. Common tactics include:
- Paying for fake five-star reviews on review platforms and forums
- Posting reviews under newly created or inactive accounts to inflate ratings quickly
- Using generic testimonials that lack specific details about the course content or teaching experience
- Offering free “top-up” courses or additional certificates in exchange for written reviews, which can bias feedback
- Flooding platforms with multiple 5-star reviews in a single day—often 5–10 at once—which is usually a clear sign the reviews are not genuine
In some cases, reviews may also be recycled across multiple platforms or written using similar language, suggesting coordinated posting rather than genuine feedback.
Note: Trusted TEFL Reviews (https://trustedteflreviews.com/) only publishes verified customer reviews. Occasionally, some programs submit mass reviews in an attempt to boost their ratings; these submissions are not published because they do not meet our verification standards.
As a result, some providers who do not follow the rules have expressed frustration and falsely claimed that Trusted TEFL Reviews is biased. These claims are not true. Our goal remains to provide honest, reliable, and trustworthy feedback for prospective TEFL/TESOL students.
2. Reddit and Niche Communities Can Be Influenced by Providers
Furthermore, manipulation extends beyond traditional review sites. Some niche online communities, including TEFL-related subreddits, actively reflect the interests of certain providers. As a result:
- Certain courses being promoted repeatedly
- Competitor programs receiving disproportionate criticism
- Critical posts about certain providers being removed or discouraged
Although not all Reddit advice is unreliable, prospective students should approach forum content with caution, because negative commentary can be strategically manufactured—just like overly positive reviews.
In particular, repeated talking points, similar phrasing, or reviews appearing across multiple platforms are strong indicators that feedback may not be genuine.
Treat overly positive and overly negative comments with healthy skepticism.
3. Some Online TEFL TESOL Courses Review Websites Promote Their Own Courses
Certain websites that offer TEFL TESOL reviews, such as ESLinsider, give the impression of being neutral guides, but in reality, they often:
- Promote their own courses prominently
- Publish content that undermines competitors
- Present selective or exaggerated criticisms to make their offerings look better
These tactics, therefore, can mislead prospective students by skewing the perception of different courses, making it harder to objectively compare options.
4. Watch Out for Misleading Pricing and Currency Tricks
Some TEFL TESOL programs advertise huge discounts to make their courses look like incredible deals. For example, a course may list an “original” price of €459.00 and a discounted price of €183.60.
In reality, providers that offer excessive discounts often never sell the course at the higher price. They use this tactic to make the discounted price appear attractive, even though the lower price reflects their standard rate.
Some programs will list installment payments in a misleading way. For example, they might advertise the course as $99, but that is just one installment, and the student must pay 4 or 5 payments in total. This can make the course seem cheaper than it really is.
Additionally, some programs show prices in euros instead of USD, hoping U.S. students will focus on the number and not realize they are paying more after currency conversion.
Rule of thumb:
- If the course advertises an installment price, check how many payments are required and calculate the total cost.
- Always check the currency and convert it to your local money to know the real cost.
5. Stick to the Standard: 120 Hours Is What Employers Want
Most TEFL employers look for a 120-hour certificate. This standard is widely recognized internationally and demonstrates that a teacher has the essential training to teach English effectively. If teaching practice is included, a 140-hour certificate is also acceptable.
In recent years, some providers have started offering “Level” courses with inflated hours, claiming 150, 168, or even more hours. These bloated courses include filler content that adds little to no value for actual teaching skills or interviews.
Key point: Having a 168-hour certificate does not make you more employable than someone with a 120-hour certificate. Employers care about the standard 120 hours—anything beyond that is usually unnecessary unless it includes additional teaching practice.
Exceptions:
- Shorter refresher courses can be useful for full-time work if you already have teaching experience but lack a certificate. In this case, the shorter course gives you the official credential needed to qualify for jobs.
Tip: Aim for a verified 120-hour (or 140-hour with practice) TEFL certificate if you’re starting out. Don’t get swayed by courses boasting inflated hours—they won’t increase your job prospects.
6. Understand Online TEFL TESOL Courses Accreditation
When you choose a TEFL TESOL course, accreditation matters. Accreditation shows that a course meets recognized educational standards and that employers will take your certificate seriously. You should know there are three types of accreditation:
- Unaccredited courses—These courses have no formal recognition and may not meet industry standards.
- Accredited courses—These courses meet some standards but may not carry full recognition internationally.
- Fully accredited courses—These courses meet the highest standards and offer the strongest credentials for teachers.
Some programs create their own accreditation websites to make a course appear legitimate. You can usually spot these fake accrediting bodies because they:
- Use stock photos of business people in conference rooms
- Contain grammar or spelling mistakes
- Lack independent recognition
Some providers claim they are “accredited” or “fully accredited” but only have recognition, not true accreditation. Verify the accrediting body before enrolling.
Choose courses accredited by reputable organizations. Some of the main bodies that grant fully accredited status for online TEFL TESOL programs include:
ACCET—Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training | https://accet.org/
ACTEFLC—Accreditation Council for Teaching English as a Foreign Language Courses | https://www.acteflc.com/
OISE—University of the Toronto Faculty of Education | https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/
TESL Canada | https://tesl.ca/
University of Cambridge’s English Language Assessment | https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/
Rule of thumb: Always pick a fully accredited course from a recognized organization to ensure employers respect your certificate.
7. Online TEFL TESOL Courses Job Placement Assistance
Not all TEFL TESOL courses help you land a teaching job. Some offer no support, others provide job guidance, and a few claim job placement services—but don’t always follow through.
Choosing a course with realistic, transparent support can save you time, money, and frustration.
When evaluating a program, consider:
- No support: The course teaches you the skills but leaves you on your own to find work.
- Job guidance: Offers advice on CVs, resumes, interviews, and teaching abroad or online—often providing contacts at reputable schools—but does not offer direct placement.
- Job placement services: Connects you to schools, often with contracts—but check for hidden fees or cuts from your salary.
Choose a course that offers job guidance, not a job placement service, to ensure you get support without hidden costs or unexpected fees—ideally, a program that also guarantees a job upon graduation.
8. Online TEFL TESOL Courses Tutor Support
Access to a qualified online tutor can make a huge difference in your TEFL TESOL course. Tutors guide you through assignments, answer questions, and provide feedback that helps you actually learn teaching techniques instead of just completing the course.
Choose a program that includes tutor support in the course price—not one that charges extra or fails to deliver the service. Some schools advertise support but don’t provide it. See the TEFL Scams section for more information.
When evaluating tutor support, check:
- Availability: Can you contact a tutor whenever you need help, or only during scheduled sessions?
- Responsiveness: Does the tutor reply quickly, ideally within 24–48 hours?
- Expertise: Does the tutor have real teaching experience and TEFL TESOL qualifications?
- Practical guidance: Does the tutor give actionable tips you can apply in real classrooms, not just assignment feedback?
Remember, tutor support is one of the most important factors in getting real value from a TEFL TESOL course. It helps you understand teaching methods, improve your skills, and prepare for the classroom—something you simply won’t get from the dirt-cheap online courses you often see advertised.
9. Beware of Dirt-Cheap Online TEFL TESOL Courses
Some online TEFL TESOL courses advertise prices as low as $20. Avoid them. These courses offer almost no real learning, can be completed in an afternoon, and employers rarely recognize them.
Even if you manage to get a job with a cheap certificate, you’ll likely work for a poorly-run school with low pay and few benefits.
Think of a TEFL course as an investment in your career. Paying a bit more now for a reputable certificate can earn you many times that amount in better salaries and opportunities later. As a general rule, avoid 120-hour courses under $100. No reputable course will cost less than $100, unless it is a recognized refresher course, which can be legitimately cheaper.
When evaluating low-cost courses, consider:
- Course length vs. content: Can you realistically learn teaching methods in a few hours?
- Employer recognition: Do reputable schools accept this certificate?
- Quality of instruction: Does the course include tutors or instructors, or only automated lessons?
- Career outcomes: Will this certificate actually help you find a well-paid teaching job?
Invest in a course that teaches you skills, provides support, and opens doors—not one that gives you only a cheap piece of paper.
10. Specializations and Teaching Focus
First, choose an online TEFL TESOL course that covers multiple teaching specializations. The more areas you learn now, the more options you open for your future career.
Next, focus on courses that include modules on teaching business English and teaching young or younger learners—ideally as part of the standard course price. That said, some programs charge extra for these modules, so check carefully before enrolling.
Even if you don’t plan to teach business English or children now, gaining these skills early makes life much easier later. That way, you’ll move into new roles without needing to take additional courses or pay extra fees.
When evaluating course specializations, ask:
- Business English: Does the course provide techniques for teaching professionals and adult learners in a corporate context?
- Young/younger learners: Does it include methods for engaging children and teens effectively?
- Included in price: Does the course bundle these specializations, or does it charge extra for each?
Choose a course that prepares you for diverse teaching environments, giving you flexibility and confidence in your TEFL TESOL career.
Be sure to take a look at the Directory of online TEFL TESOL programs to see how each course rates based on verified customer reviews.
Still deciding? Choose one of the 5 Best Online TEFL TESOL courses.
These top-rated programs stand out for their quality, reputation, and real-world results:
1. TEFL Online Pro
Website: https://teflonlinepro.com/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-online-pro-reviews-in-2025/
2. OISE University of Toronto TEFL
Website: https://teflonline.teachaway.com/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/oise-university-of-toronto-tefl/
3. CIEE TEFL
Website: https://www.ciee.org/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/ciee-tefl/
4. Maximo Nivel TEFL
Website: https://maximonivel.com/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/maximo-nivel-tefl/
5. Vantage TEFL Certification
Website: https://www.englishatvantage.com/tefl-combined-class-thailand
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/vantage-tefl-certification/
In closing, thank you for reading “Online TEFL TESOL Courses: 10 Things to Know Before Enrolling,” brought to you by Trusted TEFL Reviews.
Agree with everything written. Foolishly chose one with 168 hours and most of it did feel like filler. Every school I applied to questioned why so many TEFL hours on my certificate. All other teachers at my school have 120 hour TEFLs. If I had to do it again, would choose a 120-hour course.
When I was researching programs last year, I also thought it strange how some programs had so many reviews submitted in one day. I think the platform where I most saw this was Trust Pilot. Do they think we are stupid not to see this is unusual behavior? I was researching The TEFL Academy and ITTT. Needless to say, I didn’t enroll with either program. It does seem Trusted TEFL Reviews is one of the only legit TEFL review websites.
I ultimately went with TEFL Online Pro.
Have never experienced issues getting the certificate notarized or using it for interviews at very good language schools.
It’s a well-known certificate and doesn’t explicitly state “online” on it.
The school I’m teaching at presently employed me based on the reputation of the certificate.
I graduated the course in 2022.
I’m sure there are other great TEFL schools out there as well, and for me, the TEFL Online Pro course was a superb investment.
Excellent article! Fake reviews on platforms like trust pilot is a huge issue. I saw the huge number of reviews for some programs where they receive so many positive reviews in one day. It’s clear manipulation.
A suggestion: it would be a useful addition to mention affiliate marketing. I chose my online TEFL course because of a woman online who claimed it was the “world’s favorite” (The TEFL Academy), and now I know she works for the company and isn’t a graduate of the program.
Let’s be clear here: some folk assume all TEFL programs are part of one huge regulated organization. They aren’t. You can get lucky and choose a really good program, or unlucky and (like me) find yourself clawing the money back via a chargeback.
Had a look at your list of “5 Best Online TEFL TESOL Courses” and agree that those are the ones you want to choose from. Any other program might also be very good, but might conversely be terrible.
Good luck!
Hi Caleb. Who was this person? A ‘Megan’ from TEFL Academy is desperately trying to get me to sign up for a course.
Megan Broccoli. She convinced me to enroll. She’s clearly (I know now) an affiliate marketer for The TEFL Academy. Wish I’d chosen a different company to take my TEFL through. Good news is I got my money back after I submitted evidence to my bank and now I can choose a quality program.
Am going to choose a program from one of the 5 best online TEFL TESOL courses as mentioned in the article above. Not going to roll the dice again!
Peeps who choose a dirt-cheap online TEFL are setting themselves up for failure from the get-go. As the blog post correctly advises, spend a bit more and you’ll thank yourself later on. Your (paying) students will too!
Thank you for this amazingly helpful article!
It has helped me decide which course I am going to take!
Yes, a 120-hour certificate is all you need to teach. I don’t see the point of courses offering 168+ hours. It’s excessive and unnecessary.
Make sure the tutor support is included. I paid ITTT TEFL for tutor support because I realized, after paying for the course, it wasn’t included. I wish I hadn’t. I paid and the tutor support was non-existent. My questions went unanswered. It left me wondering if they even provide this service, and left me feeling alone in the course. Now that I read their reviews, I see they are a dodgy company that jumps from one website URL to another. Free online tutor support is essential.
It’s good to see the university of Toronto TEFL program listed as one of the top 5 certification courses. A fantastic course with top-notch tutor and job support.
This is a very accurate and astute TEFL article.
As a language school co-owner, and not wanting to face the wrath of any rogue TEFL schools, I am submitting this comment via my personal email address.
We are fully aware that some online TEFL programs take part in aggressive negative marketing – these rogue schools routinely write negative reviews of their competitors, and a few have even paid their affiliate marketers to take a competitor’s course and consequently character-assassinate them online.
Our language school knows exactly who they are and we never employ graduates of their program(s).
We NEVER employ TEFL graduates with Level TEFL certificates.
We ONLY employ TEFL graduates with 120-hour TEFL certificates.
Imply what you will.
From our professional experience and judgment, the TEFL programs listed in the article as “5 Best” are the most legitimate programs.
That’s not to write that all other programs are not legitimate.
That said, there are so many scammy programs operating in 2026 that, if I were choosing an online TEFL program, I would choose from the “5 Best” list to ensure certificate international recognition, quality of tuition, promised services offered, and enrolling with a company that follows better business practices. https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/01/31/best-online-tefl-courses-tesol-2020/
Any TEFL program except the TEFL Academy. It was like having to learn a whole new language. Course is a mix of Irish language and queen’s English. Bizarre. Do yourself a favor and choose a different course – many out there.
You make a valid point Bustleton.
The “Level” programs are all located in Ireland and United Kingdom.
I don’t know how recognized they are internationally.
If you’re coming from the US, I would avoid these types of courses because they are taught in Irish and British English.
And yes, hiring companies expect you to have a 120 hour TEFL.
I conducted many days of research on this.
A vote for TEFL Online Pro for me too. Incredible value. Course+Tutor+Certificate+Reference letter+Career Guidance. All of this for circa $300 +/-. I’ve used the certificate for online teaching and teaching in Vietnam. I’m a grad of the 140-hour Hybrid. 10/10.
I’ll give OISE University of Toronto TEFL a shout-out here. Their flagship course is expensive, but well-worth the investment.
Chose Tefl Online Pro over The Tefl Academy, the two programs on my shortlist. Tefl Online Pro because it’s fully accredited and won many awards. Certificate looks better too. No complaints from me. Been here teaching in Vietnam two years. Their lifetime job support is excellent.
120 Hour TEFL/TESOL Is What Employers Want. Period.