ProofreadingPal Review: Legit? (Full Truth Revealed)

Working from home as a proofreader sounds like a great way to earn extra income. After all, if you have strong grammar skills and enjoy editing documents, getting paid to proofread seems like a natural fit.

One company that often appears when you search for proofreading jobs is called ProofreadingPal. Now, the big question is: is it legit?

Before you spend time applying, it is important to understand how the platform works, who qualifies, and whether it is legit and actually worth your effort.

In this ProofreadingPal review, I'll take a close look at what it offers so you can see the full truth of what this site is all about. Then, you can decide if it is the right opportunity for you.

What is ProofreadingPal, and what does it offer?

ProofreadingPal is a professional proofreading and editing company that has been operating since 2010. It provides editing services for academic papers, business documents, books, manuscripts, resumes, cover letters, and other written content.

And yes, it is indeed legit since you can really earn by working as a proofreader/editor. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it's the right fit for you. To find out if you should apply for a proofreader position on ProofreadingPal, we must take a closer look at the earning opportunity it offers, so you will have a clear idea of how to earn.

So, here’s how you can earn from ProofreadingPal.

The earning opportunity – Proofreading and Editing Assignments

Once you become a ProofreadingPal editor, you’ll be assigned proofreading and editing tasks according to your skills as a proofreader and/or editor. Then, you’ll be sent the document you have to work on.

Simply do what the assignment is asking you to do and submit the deliverables before the deadline.

The types of documents you have to work on will vary. As shown in the photo above, there are five general categories of documents you will encounter while working on ProofreadingPal, namely: academic documents, business documents, books and manuscripts, personal documents, and resume/cover letters.

Since you’ll be working on different types of documents, you should expect to know all the different writing styles, like APA, MLA, CMS, AP, and CSE.

Now, what I’ve observed, the work you usually have to do will be much closer to line editing rather than proofreading.

So, you will mostly have to improve the style, flow, clarity, and word choice while working on assignments. It’s a bit more work than the usual proofreading and editing jobs you encounter on other platforms that offer the same kind of earning opportunity.

Once you submit your work, it will actually be reviewed by another proofreader/editor, since ProofreadingPal uses the two-proofreader model. This is to ensure that the client is paying for quality work.

One important thing you need to know when you work for ProofreadingPal is that you’ll be required to set a “guaranteed availability” time every month. When you set your schedule for “guaranteed availability”, you are required to accept all of the assignments given to you during that time.

I’m not a fan of this system because it won’t give you the flexibility to work whenever you want. If you set a schedule for your “guaranteed availability”, but there are no assignments for you, then you will have essentially wasted your time waiting for work.

I also find it strange that, as an independent contractor, you are obligated to set aside some time every month, but you are not guaranteed to get assignments during that time. And from what I’ve noticed, there aren't many assignments available.

This is especially true during slow seasons. Now, I’ve heard feedback from other people who’ve had experience working with ProofreadingPal that if you don’t set enough hours for your “guaranteed availability”, you’ll get fined a certain amount.

I can’t guarantee this is true, since the website doesn’t really go into much detail about working as a proofreader or editor and I have not seen this myself. So, you must take that feedback with a grain of salt. But if it were true, then it totally defeats the idea of being an independent contractor, in my opinion.

The advantage of an independent contractor or freelancer is that you have control over when and how much work you want to do. So, the fact that it might penalize you for not providing a certain amount of time as “guaranteed availability” per month just makes it a less flexible way to earn extra cash, in my opinion.

Recommended: Check Out the Best Online Proofreading Jobs

How do you get paid?

As mentioned above, ProofreadingPal doesn’t really go into much detail about working as a proofreader or editor. This includes how their payment system works.

It’s not clear whether they pay per word, per hour, or per assignment. The only thing clear about how their payout system works is that they pay once a month via direct bank transfer. And since you will be working as an independent contractor, you’ll be responsible for your own taxes.

Overall, I would say its payout system is relatively convenient. I like the fact that you’ll get paid directly via bank transfer, because it is the most convenient payout method, in my opinion.

If you are interested in more sites that use a convenient payout method, I suggest you also check out the top sites that pay via direct bank transfer.

How much money can you make?

The amount you can earn from ProofreadingPal will depend on how many assignments you can complete. As for the amount you can earn per assignment, I can’t give you an exact amount, because, as explained earlier, the site doesn’t really elaborate on how their payment system works.

However, the website says their editors typically earn between $500 and $3,000 per month. It can sound like a lot, but later, you will understand why the compensation is not as competitive as you might think.

And honestly, from what I’ve observed, the pay-per-assignment doesn't feel worth the amount of work you have to put in, in my opinion. And as mentioned earlier, the earning opportunities aren’t that many.

So, while it is definitely possible to earn the amount the website mentions, I would still say its earning potential isn’t that great, mainly because of the limited earning opportunities it offers.

That’s why it’s not something you should expect to earn a full-time income from, in my opinion.

Can you use it on mobile?

Due to the nature of the work that needs to be done, the answer is NO.

You’ll definitely need a computer to earn from Proofreading since you will mostly be using word processing software like Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, or Foxit Standard.

Who can join ProofreadingPal?

Now, here’s the most important part you need to know about ProofreadingPal. It is only available in the US, so if you live somewhere else, this is not for you.

As you can see in the photo above, the requirements to be eligible as a ProofreadingPal are quite specific. You need to be employed by or enrolled as a graduate or postgraduate student in an accredited United States college or university and have a minimum GPA of 3.5, or you have a graduate degree with a minimum of five years of professional proofreading and editing experience.

This significantly filters out who can apply as a proofreader/editor. This is also the reason why I would say the pay it offers isn’t that competitive. The average earnings it mentions on its website are actually quite low for someone who has a graduate or postgraduate education, in my opinion.

But if you are eligible to apply, you must fill out the application form. Then, after submitting your application, you’ll be asked to take the proofreading/editing test, so the site can get a good glimpse of your skills.

If you pass the test and they are interested in hiring you, you’ll receive an email with the instructions on how to proceed. Now, I’ve gotten feedback from people who’ve applied that if they think that your skills and experience aren’t up to par, they might still offer you a “training” position.

This “training” position will supposedly let you accept assignments without getting paid. But after you’ve completed a certain number of assignments, they will re-evaluate your position, and you will be considered for the paid position.

Again, I can’t confirm or deny whether this is true because, as mentioned, their website really lacks more information about how the proofreader/editor opportunity works. And another thing you need to know is that they are not always accepting applicants.

So, if you want to apply, you must first check their application page to see if they are currently hiring.

Can you get support?

As I’ve explained in the review, ProofreadingPal’s website lacks important information regarding how its earning opportunity works. So, you will most likely have questions regarding how it works, and the only way to get answers is to contact their support.

Fortunately, the website does provide an easy way for you to do so. You can just fill out the contact form provided by its website. So, overall, I would say it does provide the minimum required support to its members, since it offers an easy way to ask for help.

That being said, I do wish their website would provide more details of how its earning opportunity works to reduce the chances of having to contact support.

Final Verdict

ProofreadingPal is a legit site that lets you earn by working as a proofreader or editor. It has some decent features, but it also has specific limitations you need to know.

Let me wrap up this review with a summary of its pros and cons, so you can see a clear overview of what it offers. Then, you can decide whether it is a good fit for you.

In my opinion, ProofreadingPal is not for everyone. It’s very specific about who they will accept as proofreaders or editors. It’s not suitable for people who have little or no prior experience working as a proofreader or editor.

And even if you are eligible, it’s not something you can expect to earn regularly from, because the earning opportunities are a bit limited. It’s not always accepting applicants as well, so if you are looking for an immediate way to earn extra cash, this is not the most ideal option, in my opinion.

I suggest you check out the best online proofreading jobs instead if you are looking for proofreading or editing jobs.

But if your goal is just to find an easy way to earn extra cash, there are better options out there. For a list of great sites and apps to join, I recommend you check out the top survey and GPT sites in your country instead.

The sites and apps on this list all have good earning potential, so you can earn a decent amount regularly. Plus, you will definitely find a site or app you can join regardless of where you live.

If you have any comments, questions, or experience with ProofreadingPal, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.