Buyer's Guide
Free Tutoring Software: What “Free” Actually Means
Every tutoring tool claims to be free. Most aren't. Some charge monthly fees after a trial. Others take 25% of your earnings. Here's an honest breakdown of what each option really costs.
What to look for in “free” tutoring software
Before you sign up for anything, ask these three questions:
1
Free how long?
“Free trial” means you'll pay monthly once it ends. “Free to join” usually means a percentage cut.
2
Free of what?
No monthly fee doesn't mean no cost. Check for per-session fees, percentage cuts, and payment processing markups.
3
Free at what volume?
Some tools are cheap with 5 students but expensive at 20. Look for a pricing model that scales with you.
The Real Costs
6 tutoring tools, decoded
What each tool actually costs when you read the fine print.
TutorTab
Claims: Free
Actual Cost
Free for tutors. 2.5% parent service fee (max $1/inv)
Hidden Costs
None. Always $0 for tutors. Service fee is on parent invoices.
Best for: Independent tutors wanting autopay + zero monthly fees
Tutorbase
Claims: Free
Actual Cost
1% of every invoice
Hidden Costs
No per-invoice or monthly cap. 1% adds up with no ceiling.
Best for: Tutoring centers wanting CRM + WhatsApp integration
Google Calendar + Venmo
Claims: Free
Actual Cost
$0
Hidden Costs
No invoicing, no reminders, no booking page, no payment tracking. You're the software.
Best for: 1-2 students, cash-only, no billing needs
TutorBird
Claims: "Free trial"
Actual Cost
$14.95/mo after trial
Hidden Costs
Trial ends, then you're locked in at $14.95/mo even during summer break.
Best for: Solo tutors wanting simple scheduling (if you're OK paying monthly)
Teachworks
Claims: "Free trial"
Actual Cost
$16.49/mo + $0.32/lesson
Hidden Costs
Per-lesson fee on top of monthly fee. Costs climb with every session.
Best for: Multi-tutor businesses (if you need lesson-level tracking)
Wyzant
Claims: "Free to join"
Actual Cost
25% of every session + 9% student fee
Hidden Costs
Students pay 9% on top of your rate. A $60 session costs them $65.40 and you keep $45.
Best for: New tutors who need to find students (marketplace)
At a Glance
Monthly cost at 12 sessions ($60/hr)
What each tool costs a tutor doing 12 sessions per month at $60/hour ($720/month in revenue).
| Tool | Monthly Cost | % of Revenue | You Keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| TutorTab | $12.00 | 1.7% | $708.00 |
| Tutorbase | $7.20 | 1.0% | $712.80 |
| Google Calendar + Venmo | $0.00 | 0% | $720.00 |
| TutorBird | $14.95 | 2.1% | $705.05 |
| Teachworks | $20.33 | 2.8% | $699.67 |
| Wyzant | $180.00 | 25% | $540.00 |
All costs exclude Stripe's standard processing fee (2.9% + $0.30) which applies to any tool that accepts card payments. Google Calendar + Venmo has no software cost but no invoicing, reminders, or payment tracking either.
Calculator
Run your own numbers
Enter your sessions and rate to see what each tool actually costs.
See what you'd actually pay
Enter your numbers to compare real monthly costs. TutorTab is free for tutors — a small service fee is added to parent invoices instead.
Monthly revenue: $720
TutorTab
$0.00
free for tutors
Tutorbase
$7.20
/month
TutorBird
$14.95
/month
Teachworks
$20.33
/month
Wyzant
$180.00
/month
The three types of “free”
Not all free is created equal. Here's how to tell them apart.
Genuinely free (pay-as-you-go)
No monthly fee, no setup cost. You pay a small percentage only when the tool collects money for you. If you don't use payment collection, it costs $0. TutorTab and Tutorbase fall in this category. TutorTab caps costs at $1/invoice; Tutorbase has no cap.
Free trial (pay monthly after)
Free for 14-30 days, then a monthly subscription kicks in. You pay whether you use the tool or not — even during summer break when you have zero sessions. TutorBird ($14.95/mo) and Teachworks ($16.49/mo + $0.32/lesson) use this model.
Free to join (expensive to use)
No upfront cost, but the platform takes a large cut of every session. Wyzant keeps 25% of your rate and charges students an additional 9% service fee. On a $60 session, you keep $45 and the student pays $65.40. The “free” part is the signup — not the usage.
How TutorTab does it differently
Free for tutors, not freemium
No monthly fee. No deductions from your payout. A small 2.5% service fee (max $1 per invoice) is charged to parents, not you. Other tools charge tutors even when they have no students.
You keep 100% of your rate
TutorTab never takes a cut from your payout. The parent service fee is capped at $1 per invoice. Grow from 5 students to 50 — you still keep every dollar of your session rate.
Autopay — the feature that pays for itself
Parents save a card once. After you confirm a session, payment is collected automatically. No invoice emails, no follow-up, no awkward conversations. Most “free” tools don't offer this at any price.
Google Calendar sync
Create a Google Calendar event with a parent as a guest, and TutorTab detects it and asks if it's a session. Confirm, and it gets full invoicing and reminders — no extra steps.
Pricing
Simple, fair pricing
No subscriptions. No monthly minimums. You only pay when we collect money for you.
2.5%
per payment collected
$1
max per invoice
$0
cost to tutors
How it works
Scheduling, reminders, and invoicing are always free. A 2.5% service fee (max $1) is added to parent invoices when we process a payment — you keep 100% of your rate.
Example
You bill $50? Parent pays ~$52.84 ($50 + $1 service fee + ~$1.84 processing). You receive $50.
You keep 100% of your session price. The service fee is added to the parent's invoice. Payments collected outside TutorTab (cash, Venmo, etc.) are never charged.
Try TutorTab free
No monthly fees. No setup cost. Only pay when you get paid.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is there really free tutoring software?+
What's the catch with free tutoring tools?+
Can I use TutorTab without paying anything?+
How does TutorTab compare to just using Google Calendar and Venmo?+
What's the cheapest tutoring software for a solo tutor?+
Stop paying for software that doesn't pay you back
Free scheduling. Free reminders. Autopay included. Always free for tutors — the service fee is on parent invoices.
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