Online tutoring platforms in the UK: which fits your child?

An online service where families can find, book, pay for or attend tutoring lessons, often with built-in messaging, payments and lesson tools.

A service where parents compare individual tutor profiles, rates, subjects, experience and availability before choosing who to contact or book.

A service where the provider takes a stronger role in matching, packaging or coordinating tutoring instead of leaving parents to browse alone.

A live online lesson with one tutor and one learner, usually using video plus tools such as a whiteboard, shared documents, notes or recordings.

A criminal-record check used in England and Wales. GOV.UK lists basic, standard, enhanced and enhanced-with-barred-lists checks, depending on role eligibility.

Northern Ireland’s criminal-record checking system. nidirect lists basic, standard and enhanced AccessNI checks.

Special educational needs and disabilities. GOV.UK SEND guidance is England-scoped, so UK-wide articles should avoid implying that terminology and support systems are identical in every nation.

Broad online tutor marketplace

Tutorful states lessons start from £20 per hour, with booking and payment through the platform and no monthly fees.

Online lessons through the Tutorful platform with tools such as whiteboard, screen sharing, messaging and recordings.

Tutorful highlights background checks, Enhanced DBS wording, platform-only messaging and recorded online lessons.

Strong visible SEN signal: Tutorful says parents can filter tutors by SEN experience and references SEN specialist support.

Tutorful publishes first-lesson replacement wording if the first tutor or lesson is not the right fit.

Parents who want a large marketplace but still want visible rates, filters and platform safeguards.

Fully online one-to-one platform

Sherpa states tutors start from £20 per hour, most lessons average £25–£30, and there are no subscriptions or upfront payments.

One-to-one lessons in Sherpa’s built-in classroom, with whiteboard, document tools, notes and recordings.

Sherpa says tutors complete identity verification; its safeguarding policy says sessions are recorded and off-platform contact is prohibited.

The public pages checked for this guide did not show the same prominent SEND filtering as Tutorful.

Sherpa offers a free 20-minute introduction and free cancellation up to 12 hours before the lesson start time.

Parents who want online-only one-to-one lessons in a more controlled lesson environment.

Managed, matched membership-style service

Pricing is membership-dependent, so avoid comparing it as a simple hourly marketplace until the current package terms are checked.

Personalised one-to-one online tutoring with matched tutors and flexible scheduling.

GoStudent says only 8% of new tutor applicants pass its five-step selection process and highlights vetted tutors and secure payment.

The public pages checked for this guide did not surface the same prominent SEND filtering as Tutorful.

GoStudent promotes a free, non-binding trial lesson and says families can switch tutor for free.

Families who want matching and packaged support rather than browsing many tutor profiles themselves.

Very broad open marketplace

Tutors set their own rates, and Superprof terms describe a separate £39 monthly Student Pass for messaging tutors.

Online and in-person options across academic and non-academic subjects.

Superprof says it is an intermediary; its terms say parents and legal guardians are responsible for checking relevant disclosures such as DBS certificate status.

The main strength is breadth, not prominent platform-led SEND matching in the researched pages.

Many tutor profiles display first-lesson-free labels, but parents should read the Student Pass and cancellation terms carefully.

Parents who want maximum subject breadth and are comfortable doing more of their own checks.

Major UK online tutoring brand

Current sources checked for this guide did not verify a detailed public price model, so MyTutor is not compared here by price.

Trustpilot profile information supports MyTutor’s visibility as an online tutoring brand, but lesson-policy details need current official confirmation before relying on them.

Do not rely on review pages alone for tutor-checking or safeguarding details.

No strong SEND comparison claim is made here from the available sources.

Trial, guarantee and cancellation details should be checked directly on MyTutor’s current pages before relying on them.

Worth considering because of market visibility and review volume, but not used here for detailed operational claims.

Superprof, and some aspects of Tutorful

You want the widest possible choice of tutors, subjects, prices and teaching styles.

Parents may need to do more checking around credentials, background checks, pricing terms and whether the tutor is a suitable fit.

Sherpa

You want lessons kept inside one online classroom with tools such as whiteboard, notes and recordings.

It may offer less in-person flexibility, and provider-specific safeguards should not be assumed for other platforms.

GoStudent

You want the provider to play a stronger role in matching and lesson packaging.

Membership pricing can be harder to compare with simple hourly rates.

Latimer

You want to explain the subject, level, schedule and budget, then receive a short tutor list without joining a subscription first.

Availability still depends on tutor fit, timing, subject and budget.

Tutors set or display a lesson price, often varying by subject, level and experience. Tutorful and Sherpa publish starting-rate examples.

Ask whether there are platform fees, minimum commitments, cancellation deadlines or separate access charges.

A provider packages lessons and matching into a membership-style offer. GoStudent is better compared this way than as a simple hourly marketplace.

Compare the package length, lesson frequency, tutor-switching policy and total monthly cost.

Superprof terms describe a £39 monthly Student Pass for messaging tutors, separate from any tutor hourly rate.

Check renewal, cancellation and refund terms before sending several tutor requests.

Latimer says matching is free and no-obligation, and parents pay after choosing a tutor and booking a first lesson.

Confirm tutor availability, hourly rate, lesson length and expectations before booking.