The No-BS Guide to finding a tutor in 2026

You search "Maths tutoring" and get hit with dozens of platforms, each claiming to be the best. Half of them you've never heard of. Some look sketchy. Others seem identical. How do you even start comparing?

We did the legwork. These nine platforms are the ones students actually use — the biggest, most established names in tutoring globally and regionally. Here's how they stack up.

The 30-Second Overview

What Kind of Learner Are You?

I need affordable tutoring

Go with: TeacherOn, UrbanPro, or Superprof

These three charge zero platform commission and let you pay tutors directly. You can negotiate rates. You'll find tutors from countries with lower costs who charge a fraction of Western rates. TeacherOn has the widest global reach (178 countries), UrbanPro is best for India, and Superprof dominates Europe.

Avoid: Wyzant, Preply, Vedantu, Cuemath — all have platform fees or fixed higher pricing with no negotiation.

I'm preparing for competitive exams

For JEE/NEET (India): Vedantu offers structured courses aligned with these exams. If you prefer choosing your own tutor, TeacherOn and UrbanPro have specialists.

For SAT/ACT/GRE/GMAT (US): Wyzant has vetted tutors who specialize in these tests. TeacherOn and Superprof also have coverage.

The tradeoff: Vedantu gives you a fixed curriculum (less choice, more structure). Marketplaces give you choice but require you to evaluate tutors yourself.

I want to learn a language

Go with: Preply (if you want polished experience and native speaker filters) or TeacherOn/Superprof (if you want lower prices and direct payment)

Preply is purpose-built for languages with excellent filtering by native speakers. But you pay platform fees and can't negotiate. TeacherOn and Superprof have comparable tutor pools with more pricing flexibility.

I want face-to-face tutoring

Go with: TeacherOn, UrbanPro, Superprof, or Wyzant

Only marketplace platforms offer true offline tutoring with independent tutors near you. Vedantu and Cuemath have physical centers, but only in select cities — you can't find a local independent tutor through them.

Best distance search: TeacherOn, UrbanPro, Superprof let you search by location.

I don't want to evaluate tutors — just give me quality

Go with: Vedantu, Cuemath, or Wyzant

Vedantu and Cuemath employ teachers directly — you get consistency without shopping around. Wyzant is a marketplace but emphasizes verification and reviews more than others. You pay more for this curation.

The tradeoff: Less choice, higher prices, but less risk of a bad tutor.

I need something unusual — music, coding, hobbies

Go with: TeacherOn (18,000+ subjects) or Superprof (8,000+ subjects)

Structured platforms like Vedantu and Cuemath only cover academics. Preply focuses on languages. If you want guitar lessons, photography tutoring, specific programming frameworks, or chess coaching — only broad marketplaces will have what you need.

Do You Want to Choose, or Be Guided?

Every platform falls into one of two categories. Understanding this distinction matters more than individual features.

I Want to Choose My Own Tutor

TeacherOn, Preply, UrbanPro, Wyzant, Superprof

These platforms connect you with independent tutors. You browse profiles, read reviews, compare prices, and choose who to work with. Quality varies — the best tutors are excellent, but you need to evaluate them yourself. Pricing is flexible (especially on platforms allowing negotiation). You can switch tutors easily if one doesn't work out.

Best when: You want control, have time to evaluate options, or need niche subjects.

I Want to Be Matched with a Tutor

Vedantu, Cuemath, Tutor.com, TutorVista

These companies employ or heavily vet teachers. You don't choose your instructor — you enroll in courses or get matched. Curriculum is standardized. Pricing is fixed. Quality is more consistent but you sacrifice personalization. Works well for mainstream academics, poorly for niche needs.

Best when: You want predictability, don't want to shop around, or prefer following a set curriculum.

Full Feature Comparison

Legend: ✓ = Yes, ✗ = No, ★ = Strength rating (more = better), N/A = Doesn't apply to this platform type

Platform Deep Dives

Want the full picture on a specific platform? Here's everything you need to know about each one.

TeacherOn

TeacherOn operates as a global tutoring marketplace available in 178 countries, with particularly strong presence in India, South Asia, the Middle East, and the United States. Unlike many competitors, it supports both online and offline tutoring, letting students choose between virtual sessions and in-person lessons with nearby tutors.

What sets TeacherOn apart is its flexibility. Students can pay tutors directly or use the platform's escrow system for added security. The platform charges no commission on lessons, and students can negotiate fees with tutors before committing. This open marketplace model means prices range widely — from very affordable rates for students in developing countries to premium pricing for specialized instruction.

With over 18,000 subjects listed, TeacherOn has the broadest subject coverage of any platform reviewed here. Beyond traditional academics, you'll find tutors for competitive exam preparation (JEE, NEET, GMAT, GRE), programming languages, music instruments, foreign languages, hobby skills, and professional certifications. The platform also allows students to post tutoring requests, letting tutors come to them with proposals.

The distance-based search feature makes finding local offline tutors straightforward. Multi-currency support and a mobile app round out a platform designed for global accessibility.

Strengths: Widest subject range, both direct payment and escrow, zero commission, fee negotiation, global reach, online + offline.

Limitations: Quality varies (it's a marketplace), requires time to evaluate tutors.

Preply

Preply has positioned itself as the go-to platform for language learning. While it does offer some academic subjects, its core strength lies in connecting students with native-speaking language tutors from around the world.

The platform operates exclusively online with all payments processed through Preply — there's no option for direct tutor payments or offline lessons. This centralized approach ensures consistency but limits flexibility. Prices tend toward the medium-to-high range, and negotiation isn't supported.

Where Preply excels is in its language learning experience. The native speaker filter lets students find tutors who speak their target language as a first language, which is invaluable for pronunciation and cultural nuance. The platform covers dozens of languages, from major world languages like Spanish, French, and Mandarin to less common options.

Preply's interface is clean and modern, with solid scheduling tools and a well-designed mobile app. For students focused specifically on language acquisition and willing to pay platform fees for a polished experience, Preply delivers.

Strengths: Native speaker filters, purpose-built for languages, polished user experience, strong mobile app.

Limitations: Online only, no direct payment, no negotiation, narrow subject focus beyond languages, platform fees.

UrbanPro

UrbanPro is India's homegrown tutoring marketplace, built specifically for the Indian education system. It covers CBSE, ICSE, and state board curricula, competitive exams like JEE and NEET, and extends into languages, music, dance, and hobby classes.

The platform supports both online and offline tutoring with robust distance-based search, making it easy to find tutors near your location for in-person sessions. This local focus is UrbanPro's core advantage — tutors understand Indian academic requirements intimately.

Payments go directly to tutors with no platform commission, and fee negotiation is standard practice. This keeps costs accessible for Indian students while letting experienced tutors command higher rates. The platform has strong programming tutor coverage and good representation of Indian classical music, dance, and vernacular languages.

UrbanPro's mobile app is widely used, and the platform maintains active tutor profiles with reviews. For students navigating Indian board exams or competitive entrance tests, UrbanPro's local expertise is hard to match.

Strengths: Deep Indian curriculum knowledge, online + offline, direct payment, negotiation allowed, zero commission, strong local search.

Limitations: India-only, limited for international students, variable tutor quality.

Wyzant

Wyzant is the leading tutoring marketplace in the United States, serving primarily American students with a focus on K-12 academics, college coursework, test preparation, and professional skills.

Unlike some platforms where anyone can list services, Wyzant places stronger emphasis on tutor vetting. Tutors undergo verification, and the detailed review system helps students assess quality before booking. This curation comes at a cost — prices tend toward the higher end, and the platform takes a commission.

The platform supports both online and offline tutoring, though it serves the US market almost exclusively. Payments go through Wyzant's escrow system, providing security but no option for direct payment or fee negotiation.

Wyzant's programming and STEM tutoring is particularly strong, with many tutors holding advanced degrees or industry experience. The platform also excels for standardized test preparation (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT), with tutors who specialize in specific exams and testing strategies.

Strengths: Strong tutor vetting, detailed reviews, US curriculum expertise, excellent test prep and STEM coverage, escrow protection.

Limitations: US-only effectively, higher prices, no negotiation, platform commission.

Superprof

Superprof is a massive European-origin marketplace operating across 50+ countries, with particular strength in France, Spain, UK, Italy, Brazil, and increasingly India. It's one of the few platforms that genuinely competes globally while maintaining strong local presence in multiple regions.

The platform covers over 8,000 subjects spanning academics, languages, arts, sports, and hobbies. Superprof's coverage of non-academic subjects is notably strong — you can find tutors for guitar, photography, yoga, cooking, martial arts, and countless other skills alongside traditional academic subjects.

Superprof operates primarily on a direct-payment model where students pay tutors without platform intermediation. This keeps costs low but means less protection than escrow systems. Fee negotiation is common. Tutor verification is optional rather than mandatory, so quality varies more than on heavily curated platforms.

Mobile app availability depends on your country. The first lesson is often free or discounted, letting students evaluate tutors before committing.

Strengths: Huge subject range (8,000+), strong in Europe, excellent for hobbies/arts/sports, direct payment, zero commission, negotiation allowed.

Limitations: Optional verification means variable quality, no escrow, mobile app limited by region.

Vedantu

Vedantu represents a different model entirely: a structured online education company rather than an open marketplace. Founded in India, it focuses primarily on K-12 education and competitive exam preparation (JEE, NEET) for Indian students.

Unlike marketplaces where any tutor can list services, Vedantu employs teachers directly and delivers instruction through live online classes and recorded content. Students don't choose individual tutors — they enroll in courses with assigned instructors. This approach ensures consistency and curriculum alignment but removes student choice.

The curriculum is designed specifically for Indian board exams (CBSE, ICSE, state boards) and competitive entrance tests. Vedantu's teachers are trained on the platform's methodology, creating a more uniform experience than marketplace tutoring.

Pricing follows subscription models in the medium-to-high range, with no negotiation. There are no public tutor reviews since teachers are employees rather than independent providers. Vedantu has offline learning centers in select Indian cities, though the primary experience is online. The student mobile app is well-developed.

Strengths: Consistent quality, curriculum-aligned courses, structured JEE/NEET prep, no need to evaluate tutors, good mobile app.

Limitations: No tutor choice, India-focused only, fixed pricing, narrow subject range, no hobbies or niche subjects.

Cuemath

Cuemath is a specialized platform focused exclusively on math and coding for children. Operating in India, UAE, US, UK, and Singapore, it takes a curriculum-first approach with proprietary teaching methods designed to build conceptual understanding.

Like Vedantu, Cuemath employs teachers rather than hosting an open marketplace. Teachers undergo Cuemath's training program and follow structured lesson plans developed by the company. This ensures consistency but means students can't choose their instructor or negotiate terms.

The platform targets younger learners — typically elementary through high school — and focuses deeply on math fundamentals. The curriculum emphasizes problem-solving and conceptual clarity over rote memorization. Coding instruction has been added but remains secondary to math.

Pricing follows subscription models in the medium-to-high range. Cuemath also operates offline learning centers in select cities. The student mobile app supports the learning experience.

Strengths: Proven math curriculum, consistent teaching quality, conceptual focus, works across multiple countries.

Limitations: Math only (plus basic coding), no tutor choice, fixed pricing, not for older students or other subjects.

Tutor.com

Tutor.com operates primarily through institutional partnerships with US schools, libraries, and military programs. Many American students access it free through their school or local library rather than paying directly.

The platform offers online-only tutoring focused on K-12 academics, homework help, and test preparation. Access is typically on-demand rather than scheduled — students connect with available tutors when they need help rather than building ongoing relationships with specific instructors.

Because access often comes through institutions, the individual student experience differs from marketplace platforms. You don't choose specific tutors, negotiate fees, or read reviews in the traditional sense. The platform handles matching automatically, prioritizing quick help over tutor selection.

For students with institutional access, Tutor.com provides convenient, often free homework support. As a standalone consumer product, it offers less flexibility than marketplaces.

Strengths: Often free through institutions, on-demand availability, good for quick homework help, covers K-12 and test prep.

Limitations: US institutional focus, no tutor choice, no ongoing relationships, limited subject range, online only.

TutorVista

TutorVista is one of the older players in online tutoring, operating primarily in India and South Asia with some presence among US and UK students seeking affordable options. The platform focuses on school subjects and homework help through online-only instruction.

The platform has faced challenges keeping pace with newer competitors. It lacks a mobile app entirely — a significant limitation in 2026. Subject diversity is narrower than modern marketplaces, and the overall user experience feels dated compared to platforms like TeacherOn, Preply, or Vedantu.

Where TutorVista competes is on price. Rates tend toward the lower end of the market, which may appeal to budget-conscious learners who prioritize affordability over features. The platform uses company billing rather than direct tutor payments.

Strengths: Budget-friendly pricing, covers basic academics.

Limitations: No mobile app, dated interface, limited subjects, narrow geographic relevance, online only.

The Bottom Line

There's no "best" platform. There's only the best platform for your situation.

Want choice and low prices? TeacherOn, UrbanPro, Superprof.

Want structure and consistency? Vedantu, Cuemath, Wyzant.

Want languages specifically? Preply or TeacherOn.

In India? UrbanPro, TeacherOn, or Vedantu depending on whether you want marketplace or structure.

In the US? Wyzant, TeacherOn, or check if Tutor.com is free through your school.

Need niche subjects? TeacherOn or Superprof — structured platforms won't have what you need.

Stop comparing features you don't need. Identify what matters to you — price, subject, location, structure level — and pick accordingly. Most platforms offer trial lessons. Use them.