Best Software for Independent Tutors (2026)
Compare the top management tools for solo tutors, private tutors, and independent teaching businesses.
Quick Answer
We ranked 5 tools against solo-tutor-specific needs: getting paid on time, converting inquiries without a sales team, affordable pricing, and growing from solo to small business. Tutorbase ranked #1 for its free core with CRM and WhatsApp automation. TutorBird is cheapest at $14.95/month for basics. Limitation: Tutorbase is newer (2024) and lacks a native mobile app.
5 tools compared
Disclosure: Tutorbase publishes this comparison and is included as a ranked option. We list our honest limitations alongside every competitor. All feature data is independently verified.
Top Solo Tutors software at a glance
Quick comparison of key details to help you narrow down your options
| Software | Best For | Price Range | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
Tutorbase #1 software | Solo tutors who want free scheduling and CRM with room to grow | Free Core + 1% for billing | Get started |
TutorBird | Budget-conscious solo tutors who need basic scheduling at the lowest price | $14.95–$60+/month (+ $4.95/extra tutor) | Compare |
Fons | Solo tutors who want automated billing and strict cancellation enforcement | $29.95–$149.95/month + 2.9% + $0.30/transaction | Compare |
HoneyBook | High-ticket solo tutors ($100+/hour) who need polished client proposals and contracts | $29–$97/month + 2.9% + $0.30/transaction | Compare |
Teachworks | Solo tutors and small businesses prioritizing simplicity and proven track record | $16.49–$89/month + $0.07–$0.32/student-lesson | Compare |
Tutorbase
TutorBird
Fons
HoneyBook
Teachworks
Pricing spans all available tiers. Check vendor websites for current rates. Updated January 2026.
Which software fits your priority?
Find the best match based on what matters most to your solo tutors.
| Your Priority | Best Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo tutor wanting free all-in-one with CRM | Tutorbase#1 | Free core with scheduling, invoicing, CRM, and WhatsApp—no monthly fee until you need advanced automation at 1% of billing |
| Cheapest paid option for basic scheduling | TutorBird | $14.95/month for unlimited students, simple scheduling, and invoicing—no CRM or WhatsApp but lowest cost |
| Automated billing with cancellation enforcement | Fons | $29.95/month + 2.9% fees—automatically enforces cancellation policies and charges no-shows |
| Client proposals and contracts for high-ticket tutoring | HoneyBook | $29-97/month—polished proposals and e-signatures, but missing attendance, packages, group classes, and payroll |
| Proven track record over newest features | Teachworks | $16.49-89/month + $0.32/lesson—70,000+ users since 2014, reliable but no autopay or CRM |
Tutorbase
WinnerSolo tutors wear every hat—teacher, marketer, bookkeeper, receptionist. Tutorbase eliminates the bookkeeper and receptionist roles with autopay and automated WhatsApp reminders, replaces the marketer with a CRM that captures inquiries while you teach, and costs $0 on the free core. When Sarah finishes a lesson, the invoice auto-generates, the parent gets a WhatsApp notification, and payment processes automatically. No other tool gives solo tutors CRM, WhatsApp, and autopay at zero monthly cost.
Saves 5+ hours/week on payment chasing and inquiry follow-up—worth $13,000+/year at $50/hour teaching rate
- No native mobile app yet—web-only (mobile responsive)
- Newer tool with smaller user base than Teachworks (70K users)
- Limited third-party integrations compared to established competitors
Why Solo Tutors Have Unique Software Needs
Understanding these differences helps you choose the right software.
Getting Paid Without Chasing
You teach 20 lessons this week but three parents haven't paid last month's invoices. You're texting reminders between lessons, checking PayPal, and losing track of who owes what. Manual payment tracking wastes 3-5 hours weekly and creates awkward conversations that damage client relationships.
Impact: Autopay eliminates payment chasing entirely—parents are charged automatically, you get paid within 2 days, and you never send another awkward reminder text
Converting Inquiries Without a Sales Team
A parent texts 'How much for SAT tutoring?' on Tuesday. You're teaching until 7pm. By Wednesday morning when you reply, they've booked someone else. Without a CRM, 30-50% of inquiries slip through the cracks because you're too busy teaching to follow up promptly.
Impact: CRM with automated responses captures inquiries 24/7—parents get instant replies and enter your pipeline while you teach
Affordable Pricing That Doesn't Eat Your Margins
You earn $3,000-6,000/month tutoring. Every $50/month in software costs equals one lesson you're working just to pay for tools. Per-student fees, per-lesson surcharges, and transaction fees compound quickly when you're the only revenue source.
Impact: Free or low-cost entry means software pays for itself in time savings rather than eating into already-thin solo tutor margins
Growing from Solo to Small Business
Today you're teaching 25 students alone. In 12 months, you want to add a second tutor and offer group classes. If your software can't handle multi-user access, group scheduling, or payroll, you'll need to migrate everything—costing 20-40 hours and risking lost data.
Impact: Software that scales from 1 tutor to 5+ without migration eliminates the painful 'outgrew my tools' moment that costs weeks of admin work
All 5 Options Compared
Ranked by overall value for solo tutors.
Tutorbase
Top PickAI-native tool with free core, CRM, WhatsApp integration, and automated billing
TutorBird
Budget-friendly scheduling and invoicing for solo tutors
Fons
Automated billing software with cancellation policy enforcement for music teachers and tutors
HoneyBook
Client management CRM for creative professionals with proposals, contracts, and e-signatures
Teachworks
Established tutoring management software with strong scheduling
Solo Tutors software feature comparison
How each tool compares across key capabilities for solo tutors.
| Feature | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop scheduling | Basic calendar, lacks modern drag-and-drop | Calendar with booking, not true drag-and-drop rescheduling | Scheduler for appointments, not lesson management | Drag-and-drop calendar with multiple views | |
| Recurring lesson series | Recurring invoices but no recurring lesson scheduling | ||||
| Group lesson support | Built for 1-on-1, limited group support | Workshop/event support, not recurring group classes | No group lesson support—project-based, not class-based | Group lessons with attendance—per-student fees multiply | |
| Automated invoicing | Automated billing with auto-charge on file | Strong invoicing with proposals and contracts | Invoice generation but NO autopay—manual charging required | ||
| Package & subscription billing | No lesson package support with auto-deduction | ||||
| Teacher management & payouts | Basic payroll, limited for multi-tutor | Basic payroll for multi-staff but solo-focused | No payroll—built for solopreneurs, not employers | ||
| Built-in CRM & lead tracking | No CRM or lead management | No CRM or lead pipeline | Strong CRM with lead forms and automated nurturing | No CRM or lead pipeline | |
| Parent/student portal | No client-facing portal | Client portal with booking and payment | Client portal for proposals, contracts, and payments | Limited portal—no full parent self-service | |
| WhatsApp integration | |||||
| Automated reminders | SMS reminders (Essentials+) | ||||
| Gamification & engagement | |||||
| Room management | |||||
| Multi-location support | Multiple companies on Premium plan | ||||
| Progress reports | No progress reporting or student tracking |
Comparison based on publicly available information. Last updated January 2026.
How We Evaluated
The key criteria we used to rank these options for solo tutors.
Payment automation
Solo tutors lose 3-5 hours weekly chasing payments. Autopay with automatic card charging eliminates this entirely.
CRM and lead capture
Without a CRM, 30-50% of inquiries fall through while you're teaching. Built-in lead tracking is essential for growth.
Affordability
Every dollar in software cost comes directly from your pocket. Free tiers and low-cost options matter for solo operators.
Parent communication
Parents expect quick responses. WhatsApp (95% open rate) beats email (20% open rate) for lesson reminders and updates.
Growth path
Software that scales from solo to small business avoids painful migration when you hire your first assistant or add group classes.
Hands-on testing
Rankings based on actual usage, not marketing claims.
How to Choose the Right Software
Follow these steps to find the best fit for your solo tutors.
Calculate your 'payment chase tax'
How many hours per week do you spend creating invoices, sending reminders, checking if payments arrived, and following up with late payers? At $50-80/hour teaching rate, 3 hours weekly = $7,800-12,480/year in lost income. If this exceeds software cost, autopay pays for itself immediately.
Count your monthly inquiries
Track every tutoring inquiry you receive for one month—texts, emails, website forms, referrals. If you get 5+ inquiries monthly and convert fewer than 60%, a CRM will capture the 30-50% you're currently losing. At $2,000-4,000 annual value per student, even one extra conversion pays for software.
Test the parent experience
Sign up for each tool as a parent would. Can they find your availability, book a trial lesson, and pay online without calling you? If parents can't self-serve, you'll spend 5+ hours weekly answering 'when are you free?' and 'how do I pay?' questions.
Calculate true monthly cost including hidden fees
Add base price + per-lesson fees + per-student fees + transaction fees at your actual volume. TutorBird at 30 students: $14.95/month. Fons at $4,000 billing: $29.95 + $116 fees = $145.95/month. HoneyBook Essentials: $36.75 + $116 fees = $152.75/month. Tutorbase free core + Stripe: $0 + $116 = $116/month.
Which Solo Tutors alternative is right for you?
Different tutoring businesses have different needs. Here's our honest assessment of which tool fits which scenario.
Budget-conscious solo tutor (under 20 students)
Recommended:
Tutorbase (free core) or TutorBird ($14.95/month)
Tutorbase free core provides more features (CRM, WhatsApp) than TutorBird's paid plan. Choose TutorBird if you prefer established software.
Growing solo tutor (20-40 students, planning to hire)
Recommended:
Tutorbase
CRM converts more inquiries, WhatsApp automates parent communication, and the tool scales to multi-tutor without migration.
High-ticket tutor ($100+/hour, SAT prep or executive coaching)
Recommended:
HoneyBook for client acquisition, Tutorbase for operations
HoneyBook's proposals and contracts convert high-ticket clients. Pair with Tutorbase for scheduling and billing if you need tutoring-specific features.
Online tutor with international students
Recommended:
Tutorbase
WhatsApp is essential for international communication—email response rates under 30% for international clients vs 80%+ for WhatsApp.
When to Choose Each Option
Different tools excel for different needs. Here's our guidance.
Choose Tutorbase if you want free core features with room to grow...
- Free core with scheduling, invoicing, CRM, and WhatsApp—no monthly fee
- You lose leads because you're too busy teaching to follow up
- You want autopay so parents are charged automatically
- You plan to add a second tutor or group classes within 12 months
- You teach international students who prefer WhatsApp over email
Choose TutorBird if you need the lowest monthly cost...
- Absolute lowest price at $14.95/month
- You only do 1-on-1 tutoring (no group classes planned)
- Basic scheduling and invoicing is enough
- You don't need CRM, WhatsApp, or parent portals
- You manage leads via word-of-mouth and don't need inquiry tracking
Choose Fons if no-shows and cancellations are your biggest pain...
- Automatic cancellation policy enforcement—no-shows are charged automatically
- You want a tool designed by a teacher who understood the pain
- You're willing to pay 2.9% transaction fees for automated billing
- You don't need CRM or WhatsApp
- Mobile-first PWA experience matters to you
Choose HoneyBook if you need polished proposals for high-ticket work...
- You charge $100+/hour and need professional proposals and contracts
- E-signatures and polished client experience justify the cost
- You're willing to track attendance and packages in separate spreadsheets
- Client acquisition is your bottleneck, not operational efficiency
- You understand it's not built for tutoring operations
Choose Teachworks if proven track record matters most...
- 70,000+ users since 2014 matters more than newest features
- You're comfortable with manual payment collection (no autopay)
- Simple scheduling without complex automation needs
- You manage leads in spreadsheets or external CRM
- You don't need WhatsApp or advanced parent communication
When to Avoid Each Option
No software is perfect. Here's when each option might NOT be right for you.
Skip Tutorbase if...
- You need a native mobile app today (web-only, mobile-responsive)
- You want 10+ years of track record (launched 2024)
- You need extensive third-party integrations beyond core tools
- You prefer software from an established company over a startup
Skip TutorBird if...
- You need to convert inquiries into students (no CRM at all)
- Parents expect to log in and see schedules (no client portal)
- You want parents charged automatically (no autopay)
- You plan to add group classes (built for 1-on-1 only)
Skip Fons if...
- You want to avoid transaction fees (2.9% + $0.30 on every payment)
- You need a full CRM to track and nurture leads (no lead pipeline)
- You want two-way calendar sync (read-only sync to Google/Apple)
- You need room management for in-person teaching (no room features)
Skip HoneyBook if...
- You need attendance tracking for lessons (not built for tutoring)
- You sell lesson packages with auto-deduction (no package billing)
- You run group classes with individual billing (no group lesson support)
- You want to avoid 89.5% price increases (raised prices dramatically in 2025)
Skip Teachworks if...
- You want parents charged automatically (no autopay, manual collection only)
- You need CRM to track inquiries (no lead pipeline, use spreadsheets)
- You want WhatsApp for parent communication (email and SMS only)
- Per-lesson fees add up at scale ($0.32/student-lesson on Starter)
Honest recommendations
We believe transparency builds trust.
Why Tutorbase is #1
From a real independent tutor
“I went from tutoring part-time to making more than my teaching job—but the admin was killing me. I was spending Sunday nights reconciling payments and sending invoices instead of prepping lessons. Now Tutorbase handles all of that. My clients think I'm way more professional, and I actually take weekends off.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about choosing software for solo tutors.
Tutorbase ranks #1 for solo tutors with its free core that includes scheduling, invoicing, CRM, and WhatsApp automation—no monthly fee for essentials. For the absolute lowest cost, TutorBird offers basics at $14.95/month but lacks CRM and parent portals. For strict cancellation enforcement, Fons charges $29.95/month + 2.9% fees.
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Best Software for Solo Tutors
After evaluating 5 tools against criteria specific to solo tutors, here's our recommendation.
Tutorbase
#1 PickSolo tutors wear every hat—teacher, marketer, bookkeeper, receptionist. Tutorbase eliminates the bookkeeper and receptionist roles with autopay and automated WhatsApp reminders, replaces the marketer with a CRM that captures inquiries while you teach, and costs $0 on the free core. When Sarah finishes a lesson, the invoice auto-generates, the parent gets a WhatsApp notification, and payment processes automatically. No other tool gives solo tutors CRM, WhatsApp, and autopay at zero monthly cost.
Saves 5+ hours/week on payment chasing and inquiry follow-up—worth $13,000+/year at $50/hour teaching rate
No native mobile app yet—web-only (mobile responsive)
Based on hands-on testing of 5 tools against criteria including payment automation, crm and lead capture, and more.
Set up your solo tutor software in 15 minutes
Free core plan—no credit card, no commitment. See why we ranked #1.
Data Sources & Verification
Transparency matters. Here's where our data comes from:
Last Updated
January 27, 2026
Migration Data
Based on actual customer migrations from Solo Tutors to Tutorbase
Found outdated info? We strive to keep our competitor data current. Email us at contact@tutorbase.com and we'll verify and update within 48 hours.