Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team
Future Skills Academy vs The TEFL Institute
Future Skills Academy vs The TEFL Institute: the differences
| Compare |  Future Skills Academy |  The TEFL Institute |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $25Lower | $40 |
| Certificate fee | $299 | $0Lower |
| Free tier | YesHas it | No |
| Money-back period | 7 days | 14 daysHigher |
| Access period | 12 monthsHigher | 6 months |
| Price per month | $25 to $75 | Not confirmed |
| Free trial length | Not confirmed | 3 days |
| Number of courses | 20 | Not confirmed |
| Markets | Not confirmed | GB, US, CA, ZA, IN, AU, NZ, CN, RU, DE, FR, ES, NL, VN, AE, IT, PL, TH, TR |
Same on both: Platform type (Curated), Graded assessments (Yes), Offline downloads (Yes), Team plan (Yes).
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Key differences
- The TEFL Institute scores higher overall: 9.0 vs 8.8.
- Price from is lower at Future Skills Academy: $25 vs $40.
- Certificate fee is lower at The TEFL Institute: $0 vs $299.
- Free tier: only Future Skills Academy.
- Money-back period is higher at The TEFL Institute: 14 days vs 7 days.
- Access period is higher at Future Skills Academy: 12 months vs 6 months.
- Support channels: only The TEFL Institute offers Phone, Help centre, Community.
- Credit recognition: only The TEFL Institute offers Ofqual.
- Subjects: only Future Skills Academy offers Coding, Data, It.
- Subjects: only The TEFL Institute offers Languages.
Our verdict on each
Future Skills Academy
Future Skills Academy suits IT learners who want a professional certificate fast and a plan that already carries the exam. Entry costs $25, monthly pricing runs $25 to $75 and the certificate adds $299, the figure to weigh against Hotmart at $0 and a refund window of 7 days.
The TEFL Institute
The TEFL Institute fits readers who want a single online route to a TEFL certificate: the exam fee is included, tutor support and job support come with it, and 120 hours of study ends in a certificate bundled with the course. The catch is no free tier and no practicum attached.
Score breakdown
| Area | Future Skills Academy | The TEFL Institute |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.9Entry plan at $25, monthly plan at $25 to $75, and a separate certificate at $299 keep the opening outlay low but the award costly. | 9.2HigherEntry at $40 with a $0 certificate fee, so the certificate adds no charge of its own. |
| Offer | 8.8Free tier, offline download, assessments, job support and tutor support sit alongside 20 courses inside 12 months of access. | 8.9HigherAssessments, offline download and a team plan, with 6 months of access after enrolment. |
| Trust | 8.8CPD credit recognition, assessments and a professional certificate support the claim, while the refund window of 7 days is the weak point. | 9.1HigherAccredited by deac with credit recognition for cpd and ofqual, from a provider founded in 2017. |
Choosing between them
Pick Future Skills Academy if price from, free tier, and access period matter most.
Pick The TEFL Institute if cost, trust, certificate fee, and money-back period matter most.
What we checked
Future Skills Academy
- futureskillsacademy.com: 15 facts, checked September 30, 2026
The TEFL Institute
- teflinstitute.com: 18 facts, checked September 30, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Future Skills Academy | The TEFL Institute |
|---|---|---|
| Online course platforms | 2 of 269 | 1 of 269 |
| Online professional certificates | 2 of 86 | 1 of 86 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Future Skills Academy | The TEFL Institute |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects | Coding, Data, It, Business | Languages |
| Certificate types | Professional | Completion, ProfessionalCovers more |
| Credit recognition | Cpd | Cpd, OfqualCovers more |
| Legal entity | Not confirmed | The TEFL Institute Limited |
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | Ireland |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2017 |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centre, CommunityCovers more |
Certifications
| Fact | Future Skills Academy | The TEFL Institute |
|---|---|---|
| Certification type | It | Tefl |
| Course hours | 10 hours | 120 hoursHigher |
| Teaching practicum | YesHas it | No |
| Accreditation | Not confirmed | Deac |
| Exam fee included | Yes | Yes |
| Tutor support | Yes | Yes |
| Job support | Yes | Yes |
| Typical completion time (weeks) | 4 | 2 to 4 |
| Delivery | Online | Online |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Future Skills Academy | The TEFL Institute | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | $25below the median | $40below the median | $50.00 |
| Price per month | $25 to $75below the median | Not confirmed | $35 |
| Certificate fee | $299highest quarter | $0at the median | $0 |
| Free trial length | Not confirmed | 3 dayslowest quarter | 14 days |
| Money-back period | 7 dayslowest quarter | 14 daysat the median | 14 days |
| Number of courses | 20lowest quarter | Not confirmed | 240 |
Median across 169 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Future Skills Academy
Pros
- The entry plan at $25 sits above Hotmart at $0 and level with Academy for Health and Fitness at £25.
- The exam fee is included, so $299 is the full cost of the professional certificate rather than the start of it.
- A free tier, offline download and job support all sit inside the plan, so a learner can sample the material and keep studying away from a connection.
Cons
- The refund window of 7 days ranks 120 of 159, the weakest of the measures tracked here.
- The certificate fee of $299 sits at 47 of 47 among the brands compared.
- Support runs on email alone, so questions to the platform travel in writing.
The TEFL Institute
Pros
- The exam fee is included in the course price, so there is no separate exam payment to budget for on top of tuition.
- The advanced TEFL course runs 120 hours of study, with a completion pace of 2 to 4 weeks for anyone planning a study schedule.
- Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so a phone line and a help centre sit alongside email during the course.
Cons
- There is no free tier, so the only no-cost option is the test TEFL course that runs 3 days.
- The certification carries no practicum, so supervised classroom practice has to be arranged outside the programme.
- A free trial length of 3 days places The TEFL Institute low on that measure among the brands compared here.
Who each suits
Future Skills Academy
Who it suits
- Learners in IT who want a professional certificate with the exam fee already inside the price.
- Self-paced learners who want delivery fully online, with a free tier and offline download for study on the move.
- Teams covering several learners, since a team plan is available.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who need a free start, since Hotmart lists $0 as its entry plan price.
- Learners who want a wider catalogue than 20 courses and can accept another subject, where DRCertifications starts at $19.99.
- Anyone who needs a refund window longer than 7 days, since the field reaches 360 days at its most generous.
The TEFL Institute
Who it suits
- Learners who want a TEFL certificate with the exam fee already included and no separate certificate charge.
- Anyone who wants tutor support and job support built into the same course rather than sold as an add-on.
- Schools and employers buying training for several teachers, since a team plan is offered and lessons can be downloaded for offline study.
Who should look elsewhere
- Readers set on the lowest entry price should start with DRCertifications, listed at $19.99.
- Anyone after a free catalogue to browse rather than a paid certificate should compare Hotmart, listed at $0.
- Shoppers after a fitness qualification rather than a TEFL certificate should compare Academy for Health and Fitness, listed at £25.
Current offers
The TEFL Institute
Current offer
Free trial
Free 3-Day Level 5 Diploma Trial: 3 days
Sample 3 real Level 5 Diploma modules with unlimited access over 3 days
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Questions about each
Future Skills Academy
What does it cost to join Future Skills Academy?+
The entry plan is priced at $25 and the monthly plan runs $25 to $75. A free tier is offered as well, so a learner can look at the material before paying anything. The professional certificate is not folded into either figure and is charged on its own.
How much is the certificate, and is the exam included?+
The professional certificate costs $299. The exam fee is included in the plan, which means $299 is the whole award cost rather than a starting point with an exam charge on top. Course fees and the certificate sit on separate lines in the budget.
The TEFL Institute
How much does a TEFL certificate from The TEFL Institute cost?+
The listed entry price is $40 and the certificate fee is $0, so the certificate is not a separate charge added on afterwards. Read those lines together rather than the headline figure alone. A cheaper starting price elsewhere does not always mean a cheaper finished certificate, since certificate charges often sit outside the entry number.
Can I try The TEFL Institute for free before paying?+
There is no free tier, so nothing on the paid catalogue opens at no cost. What is free is a test TEFL course that runs 3 days, long enough to see how the material is organised and how the assessments are framed. It samples the course rather than granting permanent free access, so the paid course still has to be budgeted for.
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