Becoming an ESL Teacher? VIPKids VS QKids Review

VIPKids VS QKids Full Review and Comparison

When researching work-from-home opportunities available for mothers, it is likely that you have come across the two most popular ESL teaching platforms on the market: VIPKids and QKids. I’m currently considering this as a potential option for myself to supplement my income, so as I get to know the pros and cons of each program, I thought I’d share my findings with you. 

Both of these companies offer a competitive hourly rate, ranging from $15-22 an hour. They both have mostly positive reviews, work around your availability, and allow you to teach from anywhere. (See my post, 75+ Gig Economy Jobs to Make Money This Week for lots of ideas for side hustles and ways to make money!)

So, what are the main differences in these ESL platforms? Allow me!

			VIPKids			QKids
1.Booking			As a teacher, you have to market yourself and hope parents pick you as their child’s teacher and from the looks of it, competition can be fierce. Getting great ratings and reviews and creating an appealing profile takes a lot of work.  The upside to this is you have some control over how likely you are to be booked. The effort you put into your profile and teaching is directly reflected by your followers, reviews, and consequent bookings.			This process could not be easier. Once you’ve been hired, simply post your availability, and the platform fills your time slots with teaching gigs.  Though this process is undoubtedly convenient, there is no guarantee that you’re slots will fill up, and there’s not a lot you can do about it.
2. Clients			With VIPKid, since the parents book you, you teach the same kids over and over. You can develop a following, so you get personal referrals and younger siblings that will book you.  This is a one-to-one teacher-to-child ratio, which is great in establishing personal connection.			QKids fills up appointments randomly, so you will teach different children each class, which can be a nice change of pace, and you get to meet new kids every day. You also can have up to 4 students in each class. This means less of a connection with each child individually, but potentially more fun and friendly competition within a group setting.
3. Software			The classic powerpoint style is interactive, but reviews mention it can feel a bit stagnant at times.  Teachers are encouraged to use their own 3-dimensional props and visual aids for added interest. The software has its own reward system, but to fuel their ratings and gain bookings, teachers often supplement with unique individual reward systems.			Software is clearly one of the best things about the QKids Platform for one reason: Gamification. It has been reviewed as being super user-friendly as well as fun and interactive for kids.  The comprehensive nature of the program means less prep work for teachers. An engaging rewards system is built into the software that gives lucky boxes full of diamonds and encourages motivating competition among students.
4. Cancellation Policy			This policy has earned a bad reputation for being  notoriously strict among VIPKid teacher reviews.  Teachers are allowed 6 class cancellations per contract and must be cancelled with more than 24 hour’s notice or the company charges a $10 penalty for each class cancellation.  This can really add up if you are teaching several classes in one day. Also, cancelling too many classes affects your reviews and evaluations for raises.			We all know life happens, and QKids seems to grasp this concept a little more firmly than the competition.  The company sites a 24 hour notice for cancellations, but cites in the contract’s fine print that as long as you can give a minimum of 5 hour’s notice, you’ll still be cool with them.  The penalty for cancelling with less than 5 hour’s notice is missing out on your $1 bonus per class.
5. Contract			The contracts for VIPKids are for a 6 month period, after which time teachers are evaluated to determine their eligibility to continue teaching.			QKids offers open-ended, flexible contracts that can last as long as both parties are satisfied with the arrangement.  If you ever need to take a leave of absence or break from teaching, simply give them a heads up, and you are free to come back when you’re ready, provided you are in good standing with the company.
6. Hours			There is no minimum or maximum number of classes teachers are required to teach, meaning you could teach even one class per week while maintaining employment However, they are encouraged to keep the same hours each week.  Teachers also have the option to teach short-notice classes. Posting your offering up to 24 hours prior gets you $2 extra per class it books.			Submit your availability hours each week on Wednesday for the following Sunday through Saturday. This allows you to keep different hours to fit your unique schedule week-to-week.  As long as you get in 12 classes each week, or roughly 6 ½ hours, you are free to schedule yourself whenever you want. The company caps a maximum of 19 hours, or 38 classes per week.
7. Pay			Hourly wages can vary from $15 up to $24, depending on how long you’ve been with the company, your performance, whether you have a teaching certificate, a bachelor’s or master’s degree, or other relevant experience.  VIPKids does offer the potential for raises with each 6 month evaluation. However, the criteria is quite strict, and if you don’t meet every expectation, you will not qualify.			The pay is a little less at QKids. They offer a flat rate of $20 per hour. To break it down, classes pay $8 for 30 minutes, plus a $1 scheduling bonus and a $1 performance bonus.  I like that there’s no surprises here, making for more reliable income. However, there is no potential for a raise.
8. Reviews			VIPKids has an average review of 3.95 stars out of 5.			QKids enjoys a slightly higher average review, coming in at 4.5 stars out of 5.

            

My Pick: QKid

After taking stock of the pros and cons of each ESL teaching platform, I realized they definitely each have their own merits, For my own personal situation, I decided to go with QKid for several reasons, including:

• Less pressure: VIPKids seems intense with the competition for reviews and booking.  Just starting out as an ESL teacher, I’d rather be booked through the site. 
• Less Teacher-Prep Time: Because the QKids software is so comprehensive and interactive, there is no expectation that the teacher provide props or visual aids of their own. 
• More Flexibility: Things like contract length and cancellation policy matter to a busy mom like me. Who needs the stress of feeling like you have to scramble to teach a class so you don’t get fined? 
• Teacher-Friendly: Not only were QKid’s teacher reviews better but overall, they seem to make the needs of teachers more of a priority. 

So, folks, it looks like I’ll be applying with QKid in the near future to pad my monthly budget. If I manage to get hired, I have a feeling I will really enjoy this new adventure.