The three pricing models in the UK tutoring market
Once you peel away the differences in branding, the UK tutoring platform market organises itself around three distinct pricing structures for the introduction of a tutor to a student. Each has its own pros and cons.
Per-lesson commission (most common)
The dominant model. The platform sits between tutor and student for every lesson: students pay the platform per lesson, the platform pays the tutor minus a commission deduction, and the platform's involvement is ongoing for as long as the tutoring relationship continues.
- MyTutor describes a maximum platform fee of 49% in clause 8.10 of its published terms. Hourly rates published on its pricing page vary by tutor band.
- Spires publishes a sliding fee structure on its help centre: a 35% standard platform fee that drops by 1% every 5 hours of tuition completed on a given job, down to a 20% minimum.
- Tutorful describes its model as a "service fee on top of the tutor's rate" paid by the student, with tutors receiving their full advertised rate (not as a deduction from earnings). The exact percentage is not publicly disclosed on its primary pages — see Tutorful's how it works page for its own description.
- Tutor Hunt states on its about page that "displayed rates include our fees and there are no other charges". The platform's cut is not publicly broken out as a percentage.
Monthly subscription unlock
A subset of platforms charge a recurring subscription that unlocks the ability to message tutors. Tutors are typically free; the subscription is paid by students.
- Superprof charges a recurring "Student Pass" that auto-renews monthly and unlocks tutor messaging. The Pass is separate from lesson fees, which are paid directly to the tutor. Pricing and cancellation conditions are described on superprof.co.uk's help pages.
The defining feature: students pay every 30 days for as long as they continue the subscription, regardless of whether they're actively talking to new tutors.
One-off finder's fee
The original UK directory model: students pay a single fee to unlock a tutor's contact details, then deal directly with the tutor for everything that follows.
- First Tutors has historically operated a sliding finder's fee model with the fee varying by tutor and level. (At the time this page was last reviewed their site was undergoing maintenance — verify current pricing on firsttutors.com.)
- Tutorperch charges a flat £20 across every tutor, every subject, every level — once. After unlock, students get the tutor's contact details and arrange everything off-platform.
Premium agency hybrid
A separate category, distinct from marketplace platforms: agency-style services that combine concierge tutor matching with hourly rates already including the agency margin.
- The Profs publishes a £70 registration fee plus tiered hourly rates ranging from £60/hr (school) to £150/hr (admissions support) on its pricing page. Tutor compensation is described as a revenue-share with percentages not publicly disclosed.
- Tutor House describes itself in its site metadata as an "agency-style" platform where tutors are personally interviewed and DBS-checked, with in-platform booking and packages. Specific commission terms are not published on its public-facing pages.
This category isn't directly comparable to a generalist directory — agencies do work (matching, vetting, ongoing support) that justifies the higher cost, and serve a premium-tutor segment.
Where Tutorperch fits
Tutorperch sits in the finder's-fee category, with the simplest pricing of any platform in the UK market — a flat £20 per unlock, regardless of tutor, subject, or level. The rationale is straightforward:
- We don't run lessons. No video classroom, no scheduler, no payment processing for tuition fees. After introduction, the tutoring relationship is between student and tutor.
- The fee is for the introduction itself. Platform operating costs, manual DBS review, content moderation, infrastructure. Once the introduction is made, there's no ongoing involvement justifying a recurring or per-lesson cost.
- Tutors keep 100% of what they earn from students. Because we don't take commission and don't process lesson payments, every penny a student pays a tutor goes to the tutor.
- Manual, free DBS verification. Tutors don't pay for the check; we review certificates manually and grant verification on a 3-year currency cycle.
Trade-offs to be honest about
Different platform models suit different students. Some honest trade-offs:
- You won't get a video classroom from Tutorperch. If you specifically want lessons inside a platform with shared whiteboards, recording, and integrated payments, MyTutor, Tutorful, and Spires offer those. Tutorperch deliberately doesn't.
- You arrange your own scheduling. No platform-managed booking calendar. Tutor and student set this up between them.
- Concierge matching isn't part of the £20. Agencies (The Profs, Tutor House) actively match tutors to students; we provide the directory and the search.
- The platform doesn't intermediate disputes about lesson quality. Once student and tutor are connected, the relationship is theirs. We do step in if a safeguarding concern arises, and we operate a refund clause for unresponsive tutors — see terms.
How to use this page
Use it for orientation, not as a buying guide. Pricing models change, fees change, and any specific number quoted on a competitor's page may be out of date by the time you read this. We last reviewed the public pages cited above on the date stamped at the footer of this page; for current pricing, click through to the platform's own pricing page before making a decision.
And if Tutorperch's flat-£20 model fits — browse tutors or read more about why we structured it this way.