How TeacherOn Works: Search, Coins, Rankings and Reviews Explained
- TeacherOn’s default search tab ranks newest tutors, not the best ones.
- Messages sent to a specific tutor are made public to all tutors on the platform.
- Premium coin payments, not tutor quality, determine search rankings.
- Nearly 95% of top tutor reviews on TeacherOn appear to be fake.
- Students get 150 free coins on signup, enough to view three tutor profiles.
TeacherOn is a website that connects tutors and students for thousands of subjects. You can find a tutor for almost every subject. When I wrote How To Be A Successful Tutor On Teacheron- 14 Powerful Tricks, many of my fellow tutors requested me to explain how TeacherOn works. If you are looking for an IGCSE Chemistry tutor or any other specialist, understanding how the platform operates will help you make a better choice. In this article, I will cover the most important aspects of TeacherOn so that you can understand it better and increase your chances of success.
TeacherOn’s Search Function
On the home page of TeacherOn, there is a search box where one can enter the subject and location. There are 4 tabs — All | Online | Home | Assignment — that one can use for filtering the tutors. For students exploring alternatives, a review of Flipclass’s pricing and offerings may also be useful.
Tab 1. ALL
When someone searches for a subject in TeacherOn, the default tab is ‘ALL.’ In this tab, tutors who created their profile recently rank on the top — not those who are the best or paid the most.
Tab 2. ONLINE
One must click the ‘ONLINE’ tab to see the actual ranking. Here those who pay the most rank at the top, not those who are the best.
As a long-time user of TeacherOn for hiring tutors, I can assure you that a new student on TeacherOn will rarely click on the ‘Online’ tab to find better tutors.
Tab 3. HOME
The third tab, ‘HOME,’ also shows the most recent tutors. It is supposed to show the tutors in your area, but as tutors can claim to travel up to 1000 km (or 1000 miles for some countries) when creating their profile, Tab 3, for all practical purposes, is a copy of Tab 1.
Tab 4. ASSIGNMENT
The 4th tab is ‘ASSIGNMENT,’ and here you will see almost the same tutors you will find under the ‘Online’ tab.
TeacherOn can easily have just 2 tabs instead of these 4. They can name one tab (Untested New Tutors) = (Tab 1) = (Tab 3), and another one (Tutors with Deep Pockets) = (Tab 2) = (Tab 4).
There are Google SEO limitations, and TeacherOn cannot remove these 4 tabs anytime soon. There is no Tab 5 that shows the ‘Best Tutors.’ A student has to contend with either the new tutors or the tutors with deep pockets.
Multiple Variations of the Same Subject
Suppose one searches for a ‘Physics’ tutor. In that case, one will not see tutors who have added Physics 101, Engineering Physics, Physics for Engineering, General Physics, Physics for College, College Physics, and so on to their subject list.
As any student can create a new subject, a tutor cannot include all the variations of the subjects. Remember, TeacherOn allows a tutor to add only 20 subjects.
The bigger concern here is not a tutor who cannot target all the variations of a subject. The real issue is students who perform a search and, due to the infinite variations present, cannot find a good tutor. If TeacherOn combined all subjects with similar intent, the search would yield much better results.
Many fellow tutors have created multiple profiles so that they can target students searching for different variations of the same subject. Students seeking niche qualifications — such as an IGCSE Arabic tutor — may find this subject fragmentation especially frustrating on TeacherOn.
Message Sent to a Specific Tutor Is Made Public
Even if a student sends a message to a specific tutor, the requirement is made public, and any tutor can pay for the contact info and reach out to that student.
When students receive messages from multiple tutors, they don’t know if the message is from the specific tutor they contacted or from another tutor. This way, all the effort students put into selecting a tutor goes in vain. The tutor the student originally chose ends up with a lower chance of securing the student.
In a nutshell, the whole purpose of the search gets defeated. What is the point of searching for a tutor if all other tutors can also contact that student?
Coin System
TeacherOn is described as a ‘free’ website — but let me explain what ‘free’ actually means. Tutors can create their profiles for free, and students can contact up to 3 tutors for free.
But if tutors want to contact students, TeacherOn charges several coins. For prominent pin codes (like those of the USA, UK, Canada, Gulf, etc.), TeacherOn charges more coins. The number of coins charged depends solely on the pin code — a very low-value job from a high-value pin code still attracts a premium price.
Coins needed for viewing a student’s contact info do not depend on more important factors like the job’s complexity, the level of the student, the value of the job, or the proximity of the deadline.
50 Coins to View a Tutor’s Profile
To view a tutor’s contact info, students must pay 50 coins. When signing up, TeacherOn gives 150 coins so a student can view up to 3 tutor profiles for free.
After that, the student can post their requirement publicly, and several tutors can contact them. Students can choose among them at no cost. If they want any other tutor outside those responses, they need to pay 50 coins.
Payment via TeacherOn
If you want to avoid fraud, it is wise to send payment via TeacherOn. You have the option to pay TeacherOn directly, and when the work is completed, the tutor can request the release of funds. Fraud can still happen this way, but the risk is minimal.
TeacherOn takes a 10–15% commission for payments processed through their platform. Hardly any payment is processed through TeacherOn, as most tutors prefer to accept payments directly via PayPal or bank transfer.
Premium Subscription and Tutor Rankings
Although TeacherOn mentions several variables that determine the rankings, in real life, there are only two things that matter.
- Coins paid for the premium subscription
- Whether the target subject is present in your profile or not
So, I suggest not wasting hours or days writing your profile or selecting the perfect profile picture. Just write a short and sweet profile with a clear message, choose your target subjects, and pay for the premium subscription.
That is the secret to ranking high in search results and getting early access to students’ contacts. I suggest paying a bare minimum of coins so that you rank at least on the second page of search results (top 40 ranks).
At the time of writing this article (October 5, 2022), to rank on the top 2 pages for highly competitive subjects, you only need to pay 1500 coins, which is close to $15. See the screenshot below.
Keep Expectations Low
Do not expect to get 10 students per day. You should consider yourself lucky if you get 5–6 new students per month.
Students comparing platforms for specialist subjects — for example, those needing an IB MYP tutor — should weigh TeacherOn’s limitations against dedicated alternatives. A look at Method Learning’s pricing and alternatives can provide useful context.
Feedback and Review System
I analyzed several top tutors’ profiles and found that nearly 95% of their reviews are fake. You can see a pattern in every tutor’s reviews — the language is the same, the payment mode is the same, the style of the reviews is the same, and a majority of them do not have the ‘verified payment’ label.
A tutor can always create a fake student profile, pay the minimum $1 or 50-coin fee, and write a review. TeacherOn hardly does any filtering of such reviews.
Due to the issues mentioned, students do not trust TeacherOn reviews much. Still, I suggest new tutors get a few 5-star reviews to boost conversion. Even 1 or 2 reviews are enough — 9 out of 10 times, students will choose tutors with reviews over tutors with none.
These are the important things a tutor must know to improve their understanding of how TeacherOn works. I suggest you read TeacherOn’s guide on how TeacherOn works for tutors here.
If you are new to TeacherOn or still considering whether you should join it, check my article, Is TeacherOn.com a good choice for students and tutors?
For a broader look at tutoring platform options, the New Assignment Help review and alternatives covers several platforms worth comparing. Students preparing for professional exams may also find the Electrical FE Exam review helpful, and those exploring specialist tutors for technical fields can look into finding a CATIA tutor or a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) tutor through dedicated subject pages.
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This article provides general educational guidance only. It is NOT official exam policy, professional academic advice, or guaranteed results. Always verify information with your school, official exam boards (College Board, Cambridge, IB), or qualified professionals before making decisions. Read Full Policies & Disclaimer , Contact Us To Report An Error
