Looking for the best online tutoring websites? We’ve got an overview of popular sites where you can find professional tutors who teach a range of subjects. No matter what you want to learn, it’s possible to study it online with a qualified tutor. If you’re already panicking about an upcoming exam, it’s possible to find a tutor within minutes, and get matched within hours on many online platforms. Read on to understand more about the pros and cons of top tutoring websites.
Understanding Online Tutoring
Contrary to traditional in-person tutoring, online tutoring makes the most of modern communication platforms and video services. You can connect with your tutor from anywhere, which is great for learners with a busy schedule. Plus, meeting with an online tutor saves you time on commuting, which can cut into your free time each week. Most students find that online tutoring is as effective as in-person tutoring for learning a subject, and they enjoy the online resources their tutor uses to aid their learning.
Criteria for Selecting the Best Online Tutoring Websites
When looking for an online tutor, it’s important to make sure that you are clear about your expectations. Consider the level of education, teaching qualifications, teaching methods and style that you would like. Also consider how often you want tutoring, and how flexible you will expect your tutor to be. You can learn more about how to select the right tutor for you in our blog 4 Steps to Choose the Right Math Tutor for Your Child.
Below, we discuss some of the benefits of the top sites for online tutoring.
TutorLyft
We might be a little biased, but we’re pretty proud of the quality of our tutors. TutorLyft has a slightly different approach than most online tutoring websites. We ensure that all our tutors meet very selective criteria. These include at least three years of tutoring experience, university educations, and exceptional communication skills. We conduct thorough interviews with our tutors, and accept less than 10% of those who apply. Also, like all the best online tutoring websites, we offer in-depth profiles of every tutor. You can browse their personal videos for an understanding of their personality and teaching style, and feel confident that you're finding a tutor who not only fits your needs, but is highly qualified for their job.
Pricing: Unlike many of our competitors, TutorLyft has no cost or subscription fee to join. Our pay-as-you-go model ensures there’s no risk to you as a student, and you only pay for the time spent with your tutor. You can see more on each tutor’s rate by visiting the Tutors page.
Chegg Tutors
This education technology company offers an online platform for homework help, textbook rentals as a subscription service, online tutoring, classroom notes sharing and other app-based learning. It’s about as full service as you could want, and they add new features often. However, since Chegg is based in the US, be aware that their prices are listed in USD. Also for the conscientious student, you may be put off by the fact that many universities and professors claim that Chegg is a platform that helps students cheat on exams and papers. Be sure to do your research before you commit!
Pricing: A basic Chegg subscription starts at $13.99 USD per month, and customized packages or additional apps increase the price. The model also restricts the number of questions you can ask on a basic plan, so you may want to opt for a more expensive package if you plan to use their services often.
Wyzant
Wyzant is a US-based company offering tutors the opportunity to list a profile and access hundreds of students looking for tutors. The interface is easy to use, and there are thousands of available tutors. However, Wyzant has some drawbacks. Their vetting process is lightweight compared to some other tutoring platforms, which may mean that the overall quality is lower. Also, since the tutors are based in the US only, they may be unfamiliar with the Canadian curriculum. Finally, the rates will be in USD, which will eat up more of your tutoring budget than hiring a tutor based in Canada.
Pricing: Wyzant has no upfront fee, so the cost for their tutoring services varies based on the experience level and subject area of their tutors. You can expect rates between $35 and $80 per hour (USD).
Tutor.com
Tutor.com strives to be the go-to platform for tutoring in the US. With major partnerships and a wealth of educational resources, this service is impressive and far-ranging. However, like with every US-based tutoring platform, students in Canada may find that their tutors are unfamiliar with their provincial curriculum, and that their services are more expensive compared to finding a local tutor.
Pricing: Tutor.com offers packages for high school tutoring, college-level tutoring and homework help. Their packages range from 6 to 60 hours of online tutoring, and are priced to increase the discount as you increase your hours. But with an upfront cost of $5,790 CAD for 60 hours of middle school or high school tutoring, the sticker shock may send students looking elsewhere.
Skooli
Skooli is a Toronto-based service that matches students with qualified tutors. They offer a thorough vetting service with a preference for tutors who hold a government-issued teaching license, so parents and students can feel certain their tutors are qualified to instruct in their subject matter. The service is geared towards K-12 learning, so it might not suit all students, but there are a number of tutors offering university-level instruction as well.
Pricing: Skooli offers no subscriptions or monthly payments, but an unusual per-minute pricing model. You can pay-as-you-go for 82¢ per minute, or buy packages of eight, 16 or 32 hours for a reduced per-minute rate. The pay-as-you-go model might be enticing for those who need specific homework help, but struggling students who need ongoing support will likely want to look for a tutor they can build an ongoing relationship with.
Superprof
Superprof is a global company with a strong Canadian footprint. There are tutors available from coast to coast, and the platform opens up learning to practically any subject you can think of — everything from grade school math to Bollywood dance is on offer here, and most instructors are available to teach both in-person and online. As for drawbacks, the Superprof platform deals in numbers — tutor profiles are only lightly vetted, so you may find lots of potential teachers who are passionate, but not experienced. If you want a professional, you may want to look elsewhere.
Pricing: Superprof charges a monthly subscription fee of $49 (after one month free), in addition to the hourly cost of each tutor. Many students are also surprised to learn that Superfprof charges its tutors a 10% processing fee for payments made through the platform. This platform is useful if you’re looking for a number of different types of lessons (or for families with multiple children) but students looking for instruction in a single subject tend to look elsewhere for tutors.
How to Get the Most Out of Online Tutoring
Whether you choose an online or an in-person tutor, be sure you take the time to do your research and thoroughly vet both the online platform you use for finding tutors and the tutors themselves. Don't be afraid to interview several candidates before you make a decision about the right fit for you. Also remember that after you begin tutoring, you can still try new tutors or switch tutors if you find you're not learning as much or as quickly as you'd like. Remember, you're in charge of your learning journey, and you're investing your money (or your parents’ money!) in the process. So it’s critical that you feel you’re getting the most out of your tutoring hours, and that you enjoy the time you spend with your tutor. A good personality fit is as important as their academic and professional qualifications. You can find more articles on choosing the right tutor on our blog page.
Potential Challenges of Online Tutoring
As with any tutoring service, you might struggle to find someone who matches your ideal of the right kind of tutor. A blend of the right education, teaching ability and personality isn't always easy to find, especially if you are seeking tutoring in a niche subject. Therefore, you have to spend time on your search and selection of the right tutor. Making a sensible investment is worth it!
Once you begin online tutoring, it's possible that you may struggle to connect one-to-one with your tutor. Don't be afraid to spend some time each session chatting and getting to know one another. If it will improve your comfort level and willingness to learn from them, it's time well spent. Finally, working with your tutor on your own computer can be distracting. Silence any email or messaging notifications, put your phone out of reach, and close any tabs you might be tempted to browse during the lesson. For parents of younger children, you might even consider using a tool like Freedom to block certain sites and notifications to ensure your child won’t get distracted during their tutoring session.
Conclusion
There are many great tutoring platforms available both in the US and Canada, so that parents, students and tutors can feel confident in finding the platform that works best for them. When choosing a tutoring online service, be clear about your expectations as you begin researching, and have a budget or hourly rate in mind as you browse profiles. As with any service, don’t be afraid to try a few different sites and different tutors until you find the right fit. Happy learning!
