Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team
Royal Open College vs The TEFL Institute
The TEFL Institute
Royal Open College
Higher score in this comparison
Where Royal Open College and The TEFL Institute differ
| Compare | Royal Open CollegeReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | The TEFL InstituteReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £19.99 | $40 |
| Certificate fee | £12.99 | $0 |
| Free tier | YesHas it | No |
| Platform type | Subscription | Curated |
| Access period | 12 monthsHigher | 6 months |
| Price per year | £49 | Not confirmed |
| Free trial length | Not confirmed | 3 days |
| Number of courses | 6,431 | Not confirmed |
| Offline downloads | Not confirmed | Yes |
| 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: Money-back period (14 days), Graded assessments (Yes), Team plan (Yes).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- Royal Open College scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 9.0.
- Free tier: only Royal Open College.
- Access period is higher at Royal Open College: 12 months vs 6 months.
- Support channels: only Royal Open College offers Chat.
- Support channels: only The TEFL Institute offers Community.
- Credit recognition: only The TEFL Institute offers Ofqual.
- Subjects: only Royal Open College offers Business.
- Subjects: only The TEFL Institute offers Languages.
Our verdict on each
Royal Open College
Royal Open College suits UK learners who want business CPD at a low subscription price and will accept pay per course. The annual plan runs at £49 and the money back period stands at 14 days. Treat the certificate fee as a separate line when you budget.
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 | Royal Open College | The TEFL Institute |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.2Course entry at £19.99, subscription at £49, certificate at £12.99. | 9.2Entry at $40 with a $0 certificate fee, so the certificate adds no charge of its own. |
| Offer | 9.3HigherA free tier, 6,431 courses and 12 months of access per subscription. | 8.9Assessments, offline download and a team plan, with 6 months of access after enrolment. |
| Trust | 8.8CPD credit recognition and a 14 day money back window. | 9.1HigherAccredited by deac with credit recognition for cpd and ofqual, from a provider founded in 2017. |
Positions in our rankings
| Ranking | Royal Open College | The TEFL Institute |
|---|---|---|
| Online course platforms | 191 of 349 | 1 of 349 |
| Online professional certificates | 45 of 95 | 1 of 95 |
A third option
Codeyoung has access period at 6 to 24 months, against 12 months for Royal Open College and 6 months for The TEFL Institute.
Codeyoung reviewEvery fact side by side
| Fact | Royal Open College | The TEFL Institute |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects | Business | Languages |
| Certificate types | Completion, Professional | Completion, Professional |
| 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, Chat, Phone, Help centre | Email, Phone, Help centre, Community |
Certifications
| Fact | Royal Open College | The TEFL Institute |
|---|---|---|
| Certification type | Not confirmed | Tefl |
| Course hours | Not confirmed | 120 hours |
| Teaching practicum | Not confirmed | No |
| Accreditation | Not confirmed | Deac |
| Exam fee included | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Tutor support | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Job support | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Typical completion time (weeks) | Not confirmed | 2 to 4 |
| Delivery | Not confirmed | Online |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Royal Open College | The TEFL Institute | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per year | £49lowest quarter | Not confirmed | £59.99 |
| Free trial length | Not confirmed | 3 dayslowest quarter | 14 days |
| Money-back period | 14 daysat the median | 14 daysat the median | 14 days |
| Number of courses | 6,431highest quarter | Not confirmed | 250 |
| Access period | 12 monthsat the median | 6 monthslowest quarter | 12 months |
Median across 172 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Royal Open College
Pros
- The subscription plan is priced at £49 for the year, well under the €71.91 site median.
- Individual courses start at £19.99, so buying one topic costs less than a year of access.
- CPD credit recognition is in place, which matters for UK professional development.
Cons
- A certificate costs £12.99 on top of study, so the all in figure is higher than the subscription line suggests.
- Catalogue size is the strength and the weakness: 6,431 courses covers a lot but the single listed subject is business.
- The money back window of 14 days is shorter than the 30-day upper quartile of money back periods across the site.
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
Royal Open College
Who it suits
- UK professionals who need CPD credit and can finish a course quickly
- Employers buying a single subscription for staff training
- Learners who prefer paying per course over a yearly commitment
Who should look elsewhere
- Learners wanting university credit, since the only credit recognition listed is CPD
- Anyone comparing cheapest entry, where Hotmart lists a lower starting price
- Fitness and health specialists who need regulated certificates, an area where DRCertifications sits
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
Royal Open College
How much does a course cost at Royal Open College?+
Individual courses start at £19.99, and that is the entry figure readers compare. Some courses sit above it, so the cheapest option is not representative of everything. The catalogue holds 6,431 courses, so prices vary by topic. Business is the single subject area listed.
What does the annual subscription cost?+
The subscription plan lists at £49 for the year and gives 12 months of access. That figure puts Royal Open College at 11 of 78 brands, one of the stronger subscription positions on the site. The annual line is the cheapest way to reach several courses if you study regularly.
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.
Other options to compare
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The TEFL Institute
Royal Open College