Tutoring is one of the most portable high-value skills a person can have. But the standard marketplace model — posting a profile, waiting for session bookings, and billing by the hour — has real limits. No-shows, slow seasons, and the difficulty of building a client base from scratch all eat into what should be reliable income.
Comparing the tutoring marketplace options
Wyzant. The largest US tutor marketplace. Students search by subject and grade level, book sessions, and pay through the platform. Wyzant takes 25% for new tutors, dropping to 20% as you accumulate hours. Sessions are typically 45-60 minutes, scheduled in advance. Strong for building a steady client base; slow to ramp up.
Preply. Subscription-based for students, which gives tutors recurring lesson slots with the same learners. Preply takes a sliding commission (33% to start, dropping to 18% as hours accumulate). More structured and community-focused; less suited for one-off help sessions.
Varsity Tutors. Pays tutors a flat hourly rate ($15-$35 depending on subject). Predictable income, but less upside than percentage-based models for high-demand subjects.
Outschool. Group class model for K-12. Tutors create class listings; students enroll asynchronously. Outschool takes 30%. Best for tutors who prefer teaching groups over 1:1.
Cheddify — per-minute on-demand Q&A. Cheddify is not a traditional tutoring marketplace, but tutors use it as an on-demand help channel: a student stuck on a problem at 10pm taps your Cheddify profile and connects for a quick video call to work through it. At $2-$8/min, a 15-minute Q&A session earns $30-$120 — more per hour of active time than most scheduled-session platforms. No subject filtering or student matching — you bring your own traffic via your bio link or social media. Learn more about setting up a creator profile on Cheddify.
Comparison at a glance
| Platform | Format | Cut | Student type |
| Wyzant | Scheduled 1:1 | 20-25% | All ages, broad subjects |
| Preply | Recurring subscriptions | 18-33% | Language learners |
| Varsity Tutors | Scheduled 1:1 | Flat rate paid | K-12, test prep |
| Outschool | Group classes | 30% | K-12 |
| Cheddify | On-demand video Q&A | 20% | Bring your own |
Which model fits your situation?
If you want a steady client base that builds over months: Wyzant or Preply. If you want on-demand income with existing social followers: Cheddify fills gaps between scheduled sessions. Many tutors run both — traditional sessions for core income, per-minute calls for the overflow and late-night Q&A that students urgently need. Read more about pricing your video calls and other creator income models for 2026.