QKids vs VIPKID

QKids Vs VIPKID: Comparing the Pros and Cons in 2023

With online English teaching quickly rising in popularity, it’s important to learn about the benefits and disadvantages of each online English teaching company. In this post, you’ll learn about the pros and cons of QKids vsVIPKID, so that you can decide which company is best for you.

1. Hiring Process

Each online English teaching company has its own hiring process. Speaking from experience, both VIPKID and QKids have a grueling process. Personally, I think this helps weed out anyone who isn’t up for a bit of work to be hired on. Check out the hiring process for QKids vs VIPKID below.

QKids vs VIPKID: Which is the best online english teaching platform

VIPKID

1.Basic Info Application: this stage of the application process just includes filling out your name, amount of experience, and whether or not you have a college degree.

2.Smart Demo + Interview: this step is quick and easy. VIPKID asks aspiring teachers to read a bit of info on teaching methods, take a short quiz, and record themselves teaching one slide.

3.Mock Class: the VIPKID mock class can be a doozy. VIPKID asks their teachers to practice teaching a specific lesson and then deliver this lesson to a VIPKID mock class mentor.

4.TESOL Certificate + Training:as part of a new law that went into effect in China recently, VIPKID now requires their teachers to hold a teaching license from their home country OR a TESOL certificate (teach English as a second language).

Luckily, VIPKID has developed its own TESOL certificate, saving aspiring online English teachers A LOT of money. You’ll need to complete this step before you begin teaching with VIPKID.

5.Sign Contract: when you’ve made it this far, you’re there! Sign your contract and start opening classes.

For more information about the VIPKID hiring process, check out my post:The VIPKID Application Process: 7 Steps to Success.

QKids

1.Resume, Teaching Availability, Video Interview:during this step, QKids wants its applicants to submit their resumes, teaching availability and hours, and a short recording of themselves. This recording will be 1-2 minutes and it’ll be of the applicant reading or telling a children’s book.

2.Demo Interview 1: for the first demo interview, you’ll show QKids that you are able to use their platform correctly and efficiently. You’ll also answer a few questions about student interaction.

3.Demo Interview 2:during the second demo interview, you’ll have a 1-on-1 Q&A interview with a QKids employee. After the interview, they’ll ask you to teach a couple of slides of a lesson.

4.Trial Class Period:before you can become an actual teacher, QKids asks their applicants to finish a trial class period. You will teach 2-5 lessons with actual students and receive feedback from the families. A perk is that you do get paid during the trial class period.

Hiring Process Comparison: Qkids Vs VIPKID

The hiring process with Qkids is much easier and more straightforward than the demanding hiring process with VIPKID.

Completing mock lessons with VIPKID is daunting and time-consuming. If you’re looking for the easier hiring process, Qkids is your answer!

The better hiring process?Qkids!

2. What Are The Requirements?

Both VIPKID and QKids have similar requirements. Below we will compare the requirements for QKids vs VIPKID.

VIPKID

1.Bachelor’s degree: this could be in any subject from any accredited university.

2.Eligibility to work in the USA or Canada: unfortunately, VIPKID only hires teachers that have eligibility to work in the United States or Canada. Sorry to those from the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, etc.

3.Experience working with children: as a VIPKID teacher, you must have at least one year of experience working with children. This could include mentoring, tutoring, nannying, coaching, etc.

For more on VIPKID requirements, read this post:13 Necessary Requirements for Aspiring VIPKID Teachers.

QKids

1.Bachelor’s degree: VIPKID requires the same thing.

2.Eligibility to work in the US or Canada:again, QKids is looking for North American accents, meaning they only hire teachers that have eligibility to work in the US or Canada.

3.Prior teaching experience: this includes mentoring, tutoring, home-schooling, etc.

4. Teaching license or ESL certificate: due to the new law put in place by the Chinese government, each online English teacher must have a teaching license OR a TESOL/TEFL certificate.

To earn your accredited TESOL/TEFL certification quickly and easily, use Premier TEFL. This is the best online company for acquiring your certification.

Premier TEFL 120 Hour Online Certification

For a more in-depth look at Qkids’ requirements, check out our post:QKids Requirements for Aspiring Teachers 2021.

Requirements Comparison: Qkids Vs VIPKID

Overall, the requirements for VIPKID and Qkids are the same. The only difference is that with VIPKID you don’t have to pay for a TESOL certification.

VIPKID offers its applicants a free TESOL certification. Qkids requires that you obtain a TESOL or TEFL certificate from a third party.

The easiest company for requirements?VIPKID!

3. Pay

Each online English teaching company has a different way to pay their teachers. Some pay a higher base rate with fewer bonuses, while others pay a lower base rate with more opportunity to earn extra. Below, you’ll find the pay rate between QKids vs VIPKID.

Which is the Best Online English Teaching Platform

VIPKID

As of 2020, VIPKID has completely changed its payment system. Unfortunately, the payment scale isn’t what it used to be.

Instead of receiving $19-21 per hour, you’ll receive your base pay plus an additional incentive for each class which is based upon a tiered scale.

$7.50 base rate per class(25-minute classes): as of approximately February 2020, VIPKID has put a freeze on their base pay offers. Every teacher, despite your educational background and experience, will be starting at $7.50.

+$2 per class for short notice lessons: these are any lessons booked within 24 hours of the class start time. This could mean $4 per hour extra if you have two back-to-back short notice lessons.

+ A tiered scale payment: your tiered incentive will depend on how many classes you’ve overall with VIPKID and how many classes you teach each month. You can see the tiered incentive rates for VIPKID below:

Qkids VS VIPKID Pay

Bonuses

VIPKID also offers bonuses to their teachers. You’ll receive $5 for each trial student that signs up for VIPKID after you’ve taught them.

You can also earn $100 for every friend or family member that you refer to VIPKID and help through the hiring process. When that applicant teaches their first lesson, you’ll earn a bonus for helping them.

If this is confusing, take a peek at some more information aboutpayment with VIPKID.

QKids

$8 base rate per class:every QKids teacher starts off at a base rate of $8 per class. Since classes last 30 minutes, you’ll be making approximately $16 per hour.

$4 for any standby lessons: standby lessons are classes that teachers are on-call for. QKids has standby lessons to ensure that every student has a teacher during class. If a student doesn’t show up for a standby lesson, you’ll be able to leave after 10 minutes in the classroom. For those classes, you’ll receive $4 per lesson.

Full pay for student no shows: QKids pays teachers full-rate for any student that doesn’t show up to class(unless it’s a standby lesson).

+$1 for positive feedback: QKids gives teachers a bonus for receiving positive feedback from parents of their students.

+$1 for each finished class: you’ll also receive an extra dollar per class when you teach 15 classes per week.

You can read more about Qkids pay here:Qkids Pay

Pay Comparison: Qkids Vs VIPKID

Back in 2019, I would have easily rated VIPKID higher than Qkids for pay.

Unfortunately, after VIPKID has completely changed its payment system, it is actually more lucrative to teach with Qkids (unless you are a veteran VIPKID teacher that has been grandfathered into the old payment system).

The best company for pay?Qkids!

4. Are There Any Minimum Hours?

While some online English teaching companies require a minimum amount of teaching hours each week, others don’t. You’ll find all the information about minimum teaching hours with QKids vs VIPKID below.

VIPKID

Luckily, VIPKID doesn’t require any minimum set of hours. You’re able to freely set your schedule based on your availability. If you can’t work for an entire week, no worries! Need a month off from teaching? Do it!

QKids

Unlike, VIPKID, QKids does require their teachers to commit to a minimum set of teaching hours each week. Teachers are expected to teach at least 6 hours per week or an equivalent of 12 lessons.

Minimum Hours Comparison: Qkids Vs VIPKID

While Qkids requires a set of minimum hours, VIPKID does not. I love the flexibility that VIPKID offers me.

✅ The best company for flexibility?VIPKID!

5. What Are The Teaching Hours?

Teaching hours are drastically different for each online English teaching company. Many online English teaching companies cater to Chinese students, which means that teachers need to be available to teach during peak Beijing hours.

However, some companies restrict teaching hours, while others offer more opportunities to teach and earn money.

Let’s take a look at teaching hours for QKids vs VIPKID:

VIPKID

VIPKID allows teachers to open as many as 25 classes per day. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should open that many or that they’ll all get booked, but as a VIPKID teacher, it’s an option.

Teaching time slots start at 8:30am (Beijing Time) each day and run until 9pm. This holds true for every day of the week.

Take into consideration that many students will be in school during the daytime, so filling all of those time slots might not be very doable(some teachers do fill all of those slots though!).

Note:new laws in China have restricted students from taking classes past 9pm Beijing Time. So although VIPKID classes run until 10pm, you might not see many students past 9pm anymore.

QKids

Unlike VIPKID, QKids has a completely different teaching schedule. Available time slots are restricted to 2.5 hours during weekdays in addition to 3 extra hours on the weekends. This is approximately 24 hours of available teaching hours per week.

Teaching Hours Comparison: Qkids Vs VIPKID

If you’re looking to teach English full-time, you won’t be able to earn a full-time income from Qkids alone. VIPKID offers full-time hours or you can combine the two companies.

The best company for hours?VIPKID!

6. Who Are The Students?

For each online English teaching platform, the number of students in each class will vary as well as the ages of students. Comparing QKids vs VIPKID, you’ll see how drastically different both of these companies are.

VIPKID

As a VIPKID teacher, you’ll teach one student at a time. Students will range in age from 3 – 15 years old.

I will randomly have two siblings taking a class with me at the same time, but this is very uncommon and it’s not technically allowed on the VIPKID platform.

QKids

While working for QKids, you’ll teach 1 to 4 students at a time. You’ll be placed with students that range in age from 4 to 12 years old.

Students Comparison: Qkids Vs VIPKID

尽管学生们通常在同一ag)e group, the number of students in each class differs drastically. You’ll be teaching one student with VIPKID and you’ll be teaching up to 4 students with Qkids.

The best company for teacher to student ratio?VIPKID!

7. Any Class Preparation?

有一些教学平台,需要茶chers to come up with their own curriculum while others provide teaching materials and lessons for you. When comparing QKids vs VIPKID, you’ll notice that preparation for classes is relatively the same.

VIPKID

Apart from reviewing the slides, there is no preparation for lessons. VIPKID provides all of the lessons for you. Once you become an experienced teacher with this platform, you won’t even have to review the slides before teaching them.

VIPKID does expect their teachers to prepare props for each lesson, which can seem demanding for new teachers, However, I have found that using my whiteboard is plenty.

QKids

Similar to VIPKID, QKids just expects their teachers to be prepared for the lesson by previewing the slides and materials.

Class Preparation Comparison: Qkids Vs VIPKID

Based on the curriculum, it’s easier to prepare for classes with Qkids. Instead of teaching a lot of new materials, you’ll be playing a lot of games with your students.

Although class preparation is easier for Qkids, VIPKID has better teaching materials and overall curriculum.

The best company for class preparation?Qkids!

8. Is It Difficult To Get Bookings?

One of the biggest concerns that aspiring online English teachers have is, “will I be able to get bookings?” Check out how these two companies compare when it comes to booking classes and keeping a consistent schedule.

VIPKID

One of the most important things to note about VIPKID is that the parents are responsible for booking the teachers. This holds true for the majority of online English teaching companies.

This can be a downfall for new teachers because it has posed to be very difficult for new teachers to fill their teaching slots with a steady stream of students, at least for the first few months.

If you’re struggling with bookings, be sure to check out my post:How To Quickly Get Bookings With VIPKID.

Qkids

Unlike VIPKID, Qkids takes responsibility for assigning classes to their teachers rather than having the parents choose. This has seemed to work more effectively for new teachers looking to fill their teaching schedules.

Bookings Comparison: Qkids Vs VIPKID

As of April 2020, it has seemed that new teachers have had better luck getting classes with Qkids vs with VIPKID.

The best company for bookings?Qkids!

9. What Are The Cancellation Policies?

Although other aspects of online English teaching companies remain relatively the same, cancellation policies vary drastically. Some teaching platforms have a lenient cancellation policy for teachers, others have a very stingy(and annoying)cancellation policy for teachers.

QKids vs VIPKID: Which Online English Teaching Company is Better?

VIPKID

Ahh.. VIPKID’s cancellation policy. The one thing that makes this online English teaching company crappy (for lack of a better word).

Let’s just say that if a teacher has to cancel a lesson, you’ll be held accountable. It’s quite unfortunate considering LIFE HAPPENS. Give us a break!

But alas, let me get into a few details about the cancellation policy for VIPKID. For any class cancellation that a VIPKID teacher makes prior to 24 hours before the start of the lesson, it’ll go against you when you’re trying to get a raise. If a VIPKID teacher cancels a class within 24 hours of the start time, they will be fined $10 per lesson.

Note:There are exceptions to this policy including death, birth, natural disasters, and severe illnesses.

Let’s just say.. the cancellation policy isn’t good for teachers.

QKids

Unlike VIPKID, canceling classes with QKids is much more flexible. You won’t be penalized financially, but you will have to notify them of the emergency.

Cancellation Policies Comparison: Qkids Vs VIPKID

Canceling classes with VIPKID can be a real pain. Unless you want to be penalized, you’ll need to teach the classes you have booked. Qkids is far less strict and much more understanding.

The best company for flexible cancellation policies?Qkids!

10. Remote Work Possibilities

One of the main reasons I wanted to teach English online was to have the ability to travel and work remotely.

这里有几件事你应该知道的mote work opportunities of QKids vs VIPKID.

VIPKID

The thing I love most about VIPKID(besides my regulars)is the ability to work from anywhere in the world. As long as I have strong WiFi, I can teach classes and make money.

I have usedVIPKID to travel the world full-timewhile working in places like Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Scotland, Iceland, Montenegro, and so many other places.

Another perk is that I can set my own schedule. I book classes around my travel schedule. If I plan to visit a national park or fly to a new country, I don’t open classes for that day. If I want two months off to explore an off-grid location, I can do it without asking anyone’s permission.

QKids

One of the downfalls of teaching with Qkids is that you must be physically in the United States or Canada. Their platform isn’t supported in other countries. As a traveler, this is not ideal.

Although I have never tried it, I’ve heard that you can teach with Qkids from other countries as long as you have a VPN.

Remote Work Possibilities Comparison: Qkids Vs VIPKID

It is stated in Qkids’ policy that you must be physically in the US or Canada to teach with this company. With VIPKID you can teach from anywhere in the world as long as your internet is stable.

The best company for working remotely?VIPKID!

Teaching with VIPKID

If you haven’t yet signed up to teach with VIPKID, sign up using this link:Teach VIPKID. If you want, feel free to use my referral code:LAURA0279so I can help you through the hiring process. If you plan on using my code, send me an emaillaura@www.viveton.comso I can contact you.

For even more information about working with VIPKID, read our post:VIPKID Reviews: An Honest Review of Teaching With VIPKID.

Teaching with Qkids

If you haven’t signed up for Qkids yet, feel free to sign up using this link:Teach Qkids. This is my friend, Taylor’s, referral link. If you use her link, send her an email so she can contact you:taylanier21@gmail.com.

The Wrap Up: QKids vs VIPKID

既然你已经学了一点关于在线English teaching companies, I hope you’ll be able to choose the platform that works best for you. Although there are a lot of differences when comparing QKids vs VIPKID, there are pros and cons to consider for each company.

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    10 Comments

    1. Hi there!

      I just wanted to point out: Qkids pays FULL RATE for student no shows. Standby classes with Qkids are when you have NO class assigned, and are simply ‘on call’ as a fallback for another class that may have technical issues or a teacher no show. They pay $4 for classes you are on call for that DO NOT convert to regular classes, and full rate for standbys that DO convert.

    2. Hi! I have been working with VIPKid for about a month. I am looking for advice regarding scheduling. Do you have any scheduling recommendations for teaching both VIPKid and Qkids?

    3. Thank you so much for all this fabulous info!

      Much appreciated, in my pursuit to teach remotely. Also, could you confirm if a VPN is actually viable when working remotely with QKids? I’m hoping to work remotely with QKids in NA (Canada) initially, but traveling outside of NA towards fall of 2021.

      Thanks in advance,
      Candace

        1. Regarding QKids and the 6hr minimum per week: if you need to take off a few days or a week here and there, is that okay? Or do you have to make up the time? How do they enforce the 6hr min? New VIPKid teacher here and looking to maybe diversify! Thanks for all the great info!

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