Best Proofreading Courses Online in 2024

At face value, proofreading often seems like a very simple job to do. After all, what could be harder than just reading a piece of text and fixing grammar here and there? But there is more to proofreading than that in fact, if you want to make a career as a freelance proofreader, then you will need to learn some of the proofreading skills used by top editors.

That way, you will be able to take a holistic approach to proofreading and deliver exemplary value in every text that you edit. The good news is that you don’t have to attend a physical proofreading academy to learn editorial skills. With proofreading courses online, anyone can become a professional proofreader with time.

However, there are many online proofreading courses these days. Each of these courses is designed for people who want to enter the freelance proofreading business. Sadly, not all of them give you the kind of value you need. But don’t worry. We searched the internet and analyzed a myriad of courses to come up with the list below. Keep reading and learn how you can become a professional proofreader with these courses.

Best Proofreading Courses Online

7 Best Proofreading Courses Online

#1. Best for Creative Professionals: CreativeLive

CreativeLive is not a proofreading training platform per se. Instead, it is a comprehensive education company online that offers over 2000 lessons, including editing and proofreading for journal publishers.

It is one of the most revered platforms with highly skilled tutors and superb educational tools for both beginners and professionals. However, the platform is most suited to writers in the creative space who want to write pieces free of grammatical errors. The skills taught here are also quite diverse.

How does it work?

CreativeLive is a full-service educational platform that allows you access to its 2000 courses under one monthly subscription fee. Think of it as a Netflix for courses. Access to these courses starts from as low as $13 a month.

You also get 24/7 access once you sign up with new courses being added every day. There are also several free classes and you are allowed to download various courses to study offline. Simply head to the CreativeLive website, sign up for an account, and start learning.

Pros

• One of the most affordable platforms with monthly subscriptions starting from $13 a month
• You get a huge variety of course options with vetted tutors around the world
• It takes just a few minutes to get started
• You can also download and store a course for future use
• Courses are updated on a regular basis as well.

Cons

• It can be hard finding the exact proofreader course you need due to a huge variety
• The monthly recurring fee can add up in the end to a lot

Price

Unlike the other course platforms in our list that charge a one-time fixed price to access essential proofreading for spelling errors and editing, CreativeLive charges a recurring $13 fee per month to access its collection of courses. There are no other hidden fees or upfront costs.

#2. Best for Experienced Proofreaders: Proofread Academy

In case you are searching for a proofreading course to help you sharpen up your editing and writing skills, then Proofreading Academy is the place to be. The platform is most suited for experienced editors. It offers a 50-hour rigorous proofreading course that includes the basics of Microsoft word and so much more.

The training program also offers guaranteed work as a freelance editor once you are done with online education. You don’t just get to learn important skills with this course but also access to work opportunities that should help you earn some decent revenue.

How does it work?

Proofreading Academy is one of the few online education companies that allow you to try its courses for free. You don’t need any commitment. Also, the courses are geared toward both individuals and companies.

So, once you are on the website, make sure you choose accordingly. The Proofreading Academy is a 50-hour course that has 15 modules, each with a full assessment. It requires a lot of time commitment but it is surely worth it.

Pros

• The course is very comprehensive, making it perfect for professional proofreaders.
• You get up to 50 hours of training including editing skills for Microsoft word
• One of the more affordable proofreading courses on our list
• You also get a free trial to test out the course

Cons

• The course will need you to commit and dedicate time
• There is no training on how to start an editing business for the publishing world

Price

Like the courses we have already reviewed above, Proofreading Academy also features a single one-time payment that allows you lifetime access to its proofreading course. You will pay around $399 so it’s generally cheaper compared to the other courses above. But in case you are still not sure if Proofreading Academy is for you, you can try a free trial and see how it goes.

#3. Best for Professionals: Wordvice

Wordvice is a proofreading and editing company that provides services for creative writers, academic writers, and so many others. While it is not a training platform per se, it still offers a series of incredible resources that you can use, including a formatting test.

You also get writing guides, how to proofread citations and academic references, and so many others. The platform also has general proofreading jobs for people who want a career as a freelance editor in a fast-paced organization.

How does it work?

If you have some question marks about your proofreading skills and would love to learn from Wordvice, just head over to their website. But there is no need to create an account. Instead, head to the tab marked “resources”. Once you click it, there will be a drop-down menu giving you a huge variety of info about proofreading and what it’s really about.

Pros

• The platform offers job opportunities for folks who have the needed skills
• You get a comprehensive learning experience that cuts across academic and creative writing
• You don’t need to open an account to get started
• Every material offered here is free of charge

Cons

• The courses are not customized or tailored in any way
• You will not also get one-on-one tutoring from professionals.

Price

Well, all the essential proofreading materials offered by Wordvice are actually free. You can simply access them as part of the resources section of the online proofreading service. There are no hidden fees and you don’t have to sign up for an account at all.

#4. Best for Aspiring Freelancers: PaperTrue

PaperTrue is actually more of a professional proofreading service designed to help organizations with their editing needs. However, it still offers training for people who would want to join this industry.

Although the training is not as comprehensive as you’d expect from say a Udemy course, it is still good enough to set you on a path towards editing your own work. You will also get a proofreading exercise with every session to ensure you are updated.

How does it work?

To take advantage of PaperTrue, start by heading to their main website. Once you are there, head to the resources section and access the training materials available. The section is updated very regularly to give you up-to-date info about proofreading and how to do it right. In that case, you may want to check back regularly just in case.

Pros

• The platform has a publishing training center with dozens of tips and tricks
• All the info offered here is free of charge
• You can apply for an online proofreading job once you are done
• The firm also gives you practical hands-on skills in this area

Cons

• The courses are not as comprehensive as with the other providers
• You will need to learn mostly on your own

Price

The materials that PaperTrue offers as part of its proofreading training are free. Remember this is a proofreading company that charges fees for people who want to access its professional service. But for the training alone, everything is free.

#5. Best for Students: Skillshare

Skillshare is also an all-inclusive skill learning platform that gives users access to a myriad of creative courses. Although editing and proofreading are offered, Skillshare is more of a marketplace, featuring hundreds if not thousands of courses around creative arts.

Skillshare markets itself as a lifelong learning platform with repeat clients who want to grow into their crafts. You will get the first month for free after which you can pick the annual plans to continue accessing these exciting courses.

How does it work?

So, first of all, go ahead and sign up for an account at Skillshare. You can sign up with Facebook or Google if you wish. Also, the platform provides courses for both individuals and teams. Make sure you chose accordingly.

Once your account is created, you can decide to try the platform for free for one month or basically choose a pricing plan and get the full experience. Either way, you will enjoy a superb variety of courses including an introductory course on power basics and more.

Pros

• Gives you broad access to a wide range of creative courses at one single fee
• You get thousands of courses to choose from with different tutors
• Getting started takes just a few minutes
• Flexible pricing plans for all students

Cons

• This is not a proofreading specific platform
• It can be hard navigating through this huge variety of courses

Price

Skillshare offers three pricing plans. The starter package starts at $159 a year. However, as for the two other packages, the platform offers custom pricing. In essence, you will need to get in touch with the sales team and they will give you a tailor-made price designed to cater to your needs.

#6. Best for Beginners: Proofread Anywhere

Proofread Anywhere is a beginner proofreading course designed to give you all the proofreading basics you need. The course targets mostly students and has been doing this for the last 7 years. So far, tens of thousands have used the proofreading tips and editing tools taught under this course.

The course also teaches you more than just proofreading. While you will learn superb editing skills, you will also learn how to market your skills and start attracting proofreading gigs easily. The course materials here are tried and tested, simple to understand, and you also get hands-on proofreading tests to get you over the line.

How does it work?

So, the first step is to head over to the Proofreading Anywhere site. Click on get started. You will be redirected to the sign-up page where you can open an account. This takes a minute or two. After that, you will see multiple courses on the website. Choose the proofreader course that suits you best, proceed to check out, and wait for a confirmation.

As soon as everything checks out, you will be able to access the proofreading materials offered here, including a 76-minute free workshop and a host of other materials designed to up your copyediting skills. You can learn as fast as you want with Proofread Anywhere. Also, the proofreader online courses are updated on a regular basis to ensure you maintain your writing ability in your own work. There will also be two proofreading tests or more across the entire duration of the course.

Pros

• Offers comprehensive training for aspiring professional proofreaders out there
• You also learn how to market your freelance career in proofreading
• The program also lets you learn at your own pace
• Simple course content with regular updates to ensure you grow into a professional editor
• Superb track record, having trained over 15000 students.

Cons

• The course has several upfront costs that may be off-putting to some learners
• It requires a lot of time and commitment due to its comprehensive nature

Price

Proofread Anywhere is a comprehensive training program designed to give you lifetime access to its training program with one single fee. However, the fees are not standard and will depend on the type of course you want. But despite this, there are so many free goodies for aspiring proofreaders who want to build a successful proofreader career.

Nonetheless, you get two pricing plans. The first is the Ignite plan which comes for $497 and the second is the Ignite plus which comes for $597. These fees are inclusive of the final exam and other additional copyediting and proofreading skills needed.

#7. Best for High-Level Proofreading Pro: Edit Republic

Formerly known as the Art of Proofreading, Edit Republic is a top-rated proofreading education platform designed to provide students with new skills in editing. The platform offers a series of comprehensive courses that will set you up on an exciting journey of becoming a proofreader.

You also get lessons about business strategy that should help you build a new career with your skills and access guaranteed work and job opportunities in many other organizations. The Edit Republic also offers a free masterclass that should help you get around the basics of professional proofreading.

How does it work?

So, in case you would like to explore Edit Republic and what it offers, the first thing is to head over to its official website. Click on “Let’s get started”. You will be redirected to the free master class page where you will learn in-depth style guides in proofreading English grammar. But more so, you will also get to learn an important skill set, and that is building a proofreading business that targets independent authors.

Additionally, you also get to meet and choose your tutors at this stage. Edit Republic offers a huge variety of proofreading courses. So, start with the most basic if you are new but in case you have some experience, then you can use specific courses to sharpen up your style sheet and skills.

Pros

• The course offers professional publishing training for a new career in general proofreading
• You also learn how to start and run a proofreading and editing business
• There are so many freebies including an introductory masterclass on proofreading and written communications
• You also learn some of the highest proofreading standards in the world
• The program allows users to pay the upfront fees in simple installments

Cons

• The course can be a bit intimidating for beginners
• There is only one payment plan which is high compared to other training programs.

Price

Edit Republic strives to offer a comprehensive and in-depth professional proofreading course with a work guarantee. This is done under one single price. Although there are a lot of freebies, if you want the top proofreader course, you will need to pay a one-time fee of $597.

In case you don’t have the means to pay the full amount, Edit Republic allows you to pay in 3- or 6-months installments. This should make it easier for anyone to afford the leading copyediting and proofreading courses here.

How we rank the Best Proofreading Courses Online?

Our ranking of the best proofreading classes was based on a set of important criteria. First, we looked to see just how comprehensive these courses are. In essence, we wanted to give you courses that teach more than just proofreading. Classes that offered business-related content on becoming a proofreader were ranked higher.

There was also some consideration on the pricing. While we did the best we could to bring you courses that have a lot of freebies, we still realized that for you to access the very best, you will need to pay something. Nonetheless, all the courses we included in our list are fairly priced.

Finally, the team also looked at what it takes to complete these classes. Yes, most courses will need a lot of time and commitment on your part. But we chose to focus on programs that gave users more flexibility about training hours and such.

How to choose the Best Proofreading Courses Online?

As you can imagine, there are so many course options for people who want to learn style guides in proofreading and editing. But not all these courses are ideal for the average person. There are important considerations you will need to make before you choose an online course.

First, ask yourself what do you want to learn. If you are just starting out, then a full beginner course should be ideal. But for folks who are already experienced in editing and simply want to pick up on new skills, then picking a professional course is the way to go.

Also, it is important to check the course content. This is basically the material that the course will use from the start to the final exam. The content will give you a rough idea of what to expect should you decide to start training. Finally, check the price. Most of these programs charge a one-time fee to access their materials. Pick a provider that offers the best value for every buck.

Conclusion: Best Proofreading Courses Online

Learning how to proofread and getting a career in editing takes a lot of skills. This is why you need a course that you can truly trust. While there are many options out there, Proofread Anywhere has to be the stand-out and for good reasons.

For starters, the course gives you comprehensive coverage, allowing you to explore the world of editing and proofing like a pro. In addition, to this, the course material is so broad that it lets you learn business skills as well. You will also get one-on-one training and certification at the end of it all.

Despite this, the initial upfront fees can be very high for a beginner. You may also need to dedicate a lot of time to learn through this program. But other than that, this is a decent course that anyone who wants a career in editing and proofreading can take today.

Best Proofreading Courses Online FAQs

How can I learn proofreading skills for free?

You can get a free Udemy course or basically explore some of the online training services that offer free workshops and training for beginners.

How much can a freelance proofreader earn?

It depends on your skills level and the amount of work you are getting. But you should on average be able to earn a decent income that you can rely on fully.

Is proofreading course worth it?

Yes, there are in fact so many opportunities out there for proofreaders. So, even if you end up spending some money on this, you still get to benefit a lot a few years down the line.