Best Duolingo Alternatives to teach Language Online

You probably have heard about and explored the Duolingo app if you are learning a new language. Considered as one of the biggest language learning apps with over 95 languages and more than 500 million users, Duolingo appeals to many. Though it follows a gamified approach with daily reminders, the lessons can often get repetitive.

Not just learners, educators searching for a side hustle or a full-time job are also looking for alternatives to Duolingo to broaden their exposure.

Why should you teach a language online?

Being an online language tutor isn’t easy. Just like any teaching job, tutoring online comes with its own pros and cons. The demand for online language educators has been increasing as more people want to learn a second or third language for several reasons.

If you are interested in teaching a language online and looking for extra income, this is a chance that you should not miss.

Here are some advantages if you are still in doubt about pursuing a career as a language teacher online.

You teach something you are familiar with

What is your native language? Be it English, French, Spanish, Korean, or even Chinese, your native language gives you an advantage. You are eligible to teach language online, yes, even if you aren’t a qualified teacher.

You can work remotely

All you need to become an online language teacher is to have a laptop and a stable internet connection, and you are good to go.

No commuting

And working remotely comes with the perk of no commuting, which is great. Virtual jobs allow you to be in the comfort of your home as you can teach directly from your room.

You get to decide your working hours

When teaching languages online, you are free to set your teaching schedule. You can choose morning or evening hours if that’s what you prefer. You can choose morning or evening hours if that’s what you prefer. You can also work as much or as little as you wish.

You can set your tutoring rates

It is no school or university that decides your pay; you can choose your tutoring rates. Be it an hourly rate or a monthly subscription, you have the flexibility to choose your rate. If you have your own website, then great!

Best Duolingo alternatives for language teachers (With no degree or certification)

With no further ado, let’s straightaway explore the best Duolingo alternatives that you must know about as an online language teacher.

1. Preply

If you are a language teacher looking for alternatives to Duolingo to teach online, Preply has to be the top choice on your list. With over 1,00,000 active language learners every year, the site provides lessons in different languages and subjects.

As a tutor on Preply, you can set your hours. The amount of money you can earn depends on your hourly rate. There are language tutors who make more than $3500 monthly in lesson payouts. The platform manually verifies and approves tutor profiles, allowing teachers to set their own rates and preferred timing.

Languages you can teach

Preply supports over 100 subjects, and the popular languages include English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Arabic, Russian, German, Japanese, etc.

Requirements to teach

• Background in teaching and experience recommended but not mandatory.
• Tutors must be fluent or native speakers of the language they wish to teach.
• Must have a reliable internet connection, a quality camera, and a good microphone.

Commission and Payout

Preply pays the tutor a 100% commission fee for the first trial lessons. It can vary from 33% to 18% for all following sessions based on the number of completed lessons hours with learners. In short, more tutoring hours with Preply means tutors will pay less commission.

2. Verbling

Verbling is one of the popular Duolingo alternatives for educators looking to teach languages online. It hosts one of the largest international communities, meaning you will get to teach learners from all across the globe.

The platform has its own video chat interface, and all private lessons are done through Verbling video.

Tutors have the flexibility to choose the hourly rates and cash out anytime through Verb ling credit, PayPal, etc. Teachers can choose to tutor full, part-time, or just as they wish.

Languages you can teach

Verbling supports over 60 languages. But tutors can teach only one language, so you must decide the language you prefer to teach while applying.

Some of the popular languages on Verbling are as follows:

• English
• Spanish
• French
• Japanese
• Italian
• Mandarin Chinese
• Portuguese

Also covers lesser-taught languages like Greek, Romanian, Persian, Swedish, Indonesian, Polish, etc.

Requirements to teach

Prior experience in teaching the language of your choice. A reference letter or any other valid proof is mandatory.

• A teaching certificate will increase the chance of getting your profile approved.
• Teachers must be native speakers or be C2 level in a specific language.

Commission and payout

Verbling deducts a 15% commission from each class. This means if your tutoring rate is $20/ hour, you will get $17, the remaining 85%.

3. Italki

Boasting over 10k teachers and 5 million students, Italki supports hundreds of languages taught via one-on-one lessons. It is one of the best Duolingo alternatives out there for teachers.

When it comes to teaching profiles, there are 2 popular types on Italki- Professional and community teachers. Teachers can choose any one teacher type to start teaching on the platform.

• Professional teachers are trained educators who have years of teaching experience.
• Community tutors are educators who can teach general and conversational language lessons.

The only requirement is to have native fluency in the language you wish to teach. You can set your own tutoring rates with a minimum of $4 per lesson.

Languages you can teach

Italki offers over 130 languages, but not all are open for application. You can check the updated list here.

Requirements to teach

• Teachers must be over 18 years older.
• 1 to 3-minute introduction video.
• Must be a native speaker or be C2 level.

Commission and payout

For every completed class, the tutor will receive 85%, and the platform takes 15% credit as commission. You can view the details here.

4. Rype

Rype is another Duolingo alternative that connects foreign language learners with pre-vetted professional language tutoring through live private classes.

Learners can buy subscription packages with a certain number of lessons every month. The average length of each lesson is 30 minutes.

The specific thing about Rype is that it allows tutors to create personalized lessons to fit the requirements of students.

Languages you can teach

• English
• Spanish
• Italian
• French
• German
• Japanese
• Arabic
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Mandarin

Requirements to teach

• Previous teaching experience is mandatory either online or in person.
• A Skype account is needed with high-quality audio and video webcam.
• 10 hours a week minimum availability.
• Energetic and positive personality.
• Short video self-introduction.

Commission and payout

The students buy subscriptions for each month; this includes the number of tuition hours students can take per month. Rype directly pays the coaches, with nobody involved in between.

All the lessons completed during a month will be paid between the 15th and 20th of the following month. Teachers must earn a minimum of $150 before being able to remit the amount. Rype supports both PayPal and Xoom, each with transaction fees listed here.

5. Lingoci

Another alternative to Duolingo if you are a teacher proficient in Dutch or Swedish is Lingoci. The educators on Lingoci not just talk about the languages they teach but also about the culture to encourage learners.

The teachers must be highly trained and competent to give students the best educational experience. Students can also book a trial lesson to see the learning experience before buying the lessons.

Languages you can teach

• French
• Spanish
• German
• Italian
• Swedish
• Dutch
• Japanese

Requirements to teach

• Teachers must be native speakers and have a C2 or native level of the language.
• Online teaching experience is mandatory.
• A formal teaching experience will increase the chance of success.
• English fluency level above B1.

Commission and payout

Lingoci sends earnings directly to a teacher’s bank account so teachers won’t lose a percentage of their income to PayPal fees or currency exchange fees.

6. Verbal Planet

Verbalplanet is one of the best Duolingo alternatives that lists over 30 foreign languages. As a language teacher on the platform, you will have full control of your teaching hours and tutoring rates.

Languages you can teach

• English
• Russian
• Chinese
• Japanese
• French
• Italian
• German
• Spanish

Requirements to teach

• Accomplished tutor profile.
• Decide the rates per lesson.
• Language teaching requirements and experience aren’t mandatory but might be helpful.

Commissions and payout

Verbalplanet is free to use, and there is no membership fee involved; you can keep 100% of what you make.

7. Pinlearn

The last one on the list isn’t the least but one of the best Duolingo alternatives; an online tutoring software to build your own language learning platform.

While all the platforms mentioned above are great, most of them take a commission from your hard-earned money. Yes, you get a space and the exposure you deserve due to the popularity of the websites. But if you want to channelize your hard work and hard-earned money in the right channel, building a language learning platform is the best choice instead of relying on another platform.

Pinlearn is a readymade software solution that is capable of meeting the diverse requirements of the online tutoring business and efficiently managing the tasks that come with it.

The self-hosted software allows you to customize the script according to your unique needs and business requirements. With Pinlearn, you can conduct one-to-one live classes through video conferencing and hosted self-paced online courses.

Pricing

Unlike other readymade online tutoring software with recurring fees and hidden charges, Pinlearn comes at a one-time fee.

There are 2 main plans:

Starters are priced at $699, and Professional Priced at $1499.

Conclusion

Teaching a language is not just about teaching the language alone; it involves exchanging cultures and is a rewarding experience.

It’s something fun and exciting.

If you are looking for Duolingo alternatives to teach, there you have it. The list of language learning platforms we have listed here will encourage you to broaden your experience as an online tutor and reach out to a global student base.

Helping seeking people learn a foreign language is a noble job and highly paid as well.