Best Online Tutoring Services of 2024 (2024)

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It's no secret that many parents turn to online tutoring services for their children to help them do better in school and on standardized tests. Whether your household is full of homeschoolers or you're looking to help supplement in-person learning, and whether you have a kindergartener or a high-school student, online tutors can help get your child where they need to be, academically, from the comfort of their home.

It’s important to find a tutoring program that fits your child’s needs and learning style, as well as your family’s budget, goals, and schedule. That’s why we’ve combed the market and compiled a list of the best online tutoring services to help you make the right choice.

Best Online Tutoring Services of 2024

Best Online Tutoring Services

Best Online Tutoring Services

  • Our Top Picks
  • Chegg Study
  • Learn To Be
  • Princeton Review
  • Preply
  • Skooli
  • Pearson's Smarthinking
  • TutaPoint
  • Mathnasium
  • See More (5)
  • Final Verdict

  • Compare Providers

  • How to Choose

  • FAQs

  • Methodology

Best Overall : Chegg Study

Key Specs

  • Price: Starts at $15.95 a month
  • Ages: All ages
  • Standardized test prep? Yes

Why We Chose It

Chegg Study is an affordable, flexible online tutoring company that covers a wide range of academic services, from language learning to test prep.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Affordable monthly rate

  • 24/7 access to help

  • Wide variety of studies available

Cons

  • Have to borrow and return textbooks for some courses

  • No free returns for book-borrowing service internationally

Overview

We selected Chegg Study as the best overall online tutoring service for its combination of affordability, flexibility, and subject variety.

Chegg experts come from top colleges and universities, and they mentor students of all ages in hundreds of subjects—from engineering and test prep to essay writing, AP classes, ESL and foreign languages, and music—and must pass a subject proficiency test. They’re available 24/7 on Chegg’s online platform, making it easy to start learning or get some extra help ASAP. You can search through thousands of homework problems on the Chegg platform or upload a photo and ask an expert for help with a specific question.

A subscription for Chegg Study costs $15.95 a month and includes access to select textbook solutions, video walkthroughs and practice sets, and its experts. Those in need of a little extra help can also subscribe to Chegg Writing ($9.95 a month), which provides users the ability to scan papers for plagiarism, create automatic citations, and receive expert writing help at any time. There's also Chegg Math Solver, which gives users unlimited solutions and detailed explanations for tough problems, as well as access to a graphing calculator, for $9.95 a month.

Best Budget : Learn To Be

Key Specs

  • Price: Pay what you can, up to $30 a month
  • Ages: Grades K-12
  • Standardized test prep? Yes

Why We Chose It

We love this free tutoring program that has shown it raises students' average test scores and GPAs.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

  • Less comprehensive than some other online tutoring services

  • No strict vetting process for tutors

Overview

While online tutoring programs can be invaluable for many students looking to achieve their learning goals, they’re often pricey and unattainable for many families. The nonprofit Learn To Be aims to bridge that gap with a "choose if you can pay" model for its one-on-one online tutoring in a digital classroom.

The company's tutors have served more than 7,000 students since the nonprofit launched in 2012. The program offers math, science, reading, and English tutoring to students in kindergarten through 12th grade from qualified families. Parents regularly report that their children’s test scores and GPAs improved significantly after enrolling in Learn To Be.

If your family needs affordable tutoring, head to Learn To Be’s website to fill out an enrollment form. If you’re approved, your child will be matched with a tutor by email, and they will create a personalized study plan from there.

Best Variety : Princeton Review

Use promo code INVESTO15 for 15% off MSRP.

Key Specs

  • Price: Starts at $40 an hour
  • Ages: All (children, teens, adults)
  • Standardized test prep? Yes

Why We Chose It

One of the most comprehensive online tutoring services out there, Princeton Review has tutoring support 24/7 for anyone who needs it on a seemingly endless list of study topics.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Tutors available online 24/7

  • Wide range of test prep options

  • Serves adults and kids

Cons

  • Can get expensive

  • Website can be difficult to navigate

Overview

Princeton Review is one of the most comprehensive online tutoring services on the market. The company's tutors—who are available online 24/7—offer homework help and live learning sessions for everyone from kindergarteners to adult learners in more than 250 subject areas.

Subjects include math, science, history, drama, and the humanities (taught in both English and Spanish), as well as ACT, SAT, P/SAT, and GED test prep, AP and IB courses, student success skills (like note-taking, organization, and time management), nursing and health, business, technology, essay and cover letter writing, and even career support.

Princeton Review's prices depend on the package you choose. If you subscribe on a month-to-month basis, prices range from about $40 for an hour of tutoring (usually broken up into three 20-minute sessions) to roughly $115 for three hours of tutoring. Packages range from around $350 for 10 hours of tutoring across six months to about $1,450 for 50 hours of tutoring across six months.

Princeton Review also offers free tutoring for students from U.S. military families, funded through the U.S. Department of Defense and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance.

Best for Language Learning : Preply

Key Specs

  • Price: Averages $18.30 an hour
  • Ages: All
  • Standardized test prep? Unclear

Why We Chose It

Students using Preply can connect with tutors from over 180 countries and learn over 20 different languages.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Wide range of language tutoring available

  • Tutors set their own prices

  • Search by language, availability and cost

  • Free tutor session or refund if not satisfied with first lesson

Cons

  • More adult students than children

  • Teachers not paid for hour-long trial sessions

  • Unclear if test prep is available

Overview

Preply, one of the best online tutoring services for language learners, boasts thousands of native-speaking tutors from about 185 countries around the world. Students can use Preply to grow their working vocabulary, complete foreign language homework assignments, or even work toward becoming fluent in one of dozens of languages.

Each Preply language tutor sets their own prices and schedule, so you can search for them by availability, nationality, language, or cost. After scheduling a first session that fits both your and your tutor’s schedule, you’ll meet with your new tutor to discuss your goals and take your first lesson.

You can also browse language tutors’ profiles to read reviews from other parents and students to make sure you find the best fit for your child. Students who aren’t satisfied with their first session can try another Preply tutor for free or receive a full refund.

Costs vary depending on the tutor and frequency of sessions, but the average is around $18.30 per hour.

Best Homework Help : Skooli

Key Specs

  • Price: $0.65 to $0.82 per minute
  • Ages: Elementary school through college-age
  • Standardized test prep? Yes

Why We Chose It

Students looking for quick homework help can connect with a tutor on Skooli within seconds, and be back on track in just 15 minutes.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Quick tutor connection

  • Budget-friendly

  • Wide range of subject matter help available

  • Virtual whiteboard for interactive help

Cons

  • Not for students who need more long-term help

Overview

A flexible pay-as-you-go learning model—around $1 per minute, with a minimum of 15 minutes in one sitting—makes Skooli one of the best online tutoring services for instant homework help.

You or your child can ask a specific question or start chatting with a tutor to see if you get along. Within seconds, you can begin a live video session from any device with a tutor who specializes in popular subjects like trigonometry, calculus, chemistry, or physics. Skooli’s interface is also uniquely interactive, with a virtual whiteboard that allows students to work through tricky problems alongside their tutor.

Skooli offers tutoring help for elementary, middle school, high school, and college students in math, science, languages, the humanities, and business. Students can rewatch their tutoring sessions anytime to jog their memory about what they learned.

Best for Writing Improvement : Pearson's Smarthinking

Key Specs

  • Price: $45 an hour for live tutoring
  • Ages: Middle-school age through adult
  • Standardized test prep? Yes

Why We Chose It

Writing can be challenging, whether you're doing it in school or in your career. That's why Pearson’s Smarthinking gives focus to that subject area with tutors who zero in on helping you hone your writing skills.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Wide range of subjects available

  • Affordable

  • Majority of tutors have higher education degrees

  • Help with career-based writing

Cons

  • Language studies limited to Spanish

Overview

Pearson’s Smarthinking is one of the best online tutoring services available for students who want to improve their writing skills.

Although Smarthinking’s tutors—90% of whom have master’s degrees or PhDs in their chosen subject—can teach middle school, high school, and college students in almost any area of expertise, they truly shine when it comes to helping learners achieve their potential in writing. They can improve academic and career writing, and even help you brush up on grammar and APA style.

Smarthinking’s prices are also reasonable, especially considering the tutors’ level of expertise. Four hours of on-demand, online tutoring in your choice of over 150 subjects costs about $150, while an hour costs roughly $45.

You can also submit your or your child’s sample SAT or a school essay assignment for a comprehensive review by an expert writing tutor. Fees for this service range from around $13 for an SAT essay to approximately $32 for a standard-length essay and around $50 for an essay over 10 pages long.

For older students looking to land a job or start college, Smarthinking’s resume, college admissions essay, and cover letter review services could help them reach their goals.

Best Test Prep : TutaPoint

Key Specs

  • Price: $50 to $95 an hour
  • Ages: Middle school through high school students
  • Standardized test prep? Yes

Why We Chose It

Tutapoint prides itself on being a one-stop shop for standardized test prep for students. The service is designed to help students tackle these daunting tests by arming them with online workbooks, practice drills, and test-taking strategies.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Wide range of subjects available

  • ACT/SAT prep

  • 24-hour turnaround for editing papers

Cons

  • Basic website

  • No discounts for paying for more sessions up front

Overview

Staffed primarily by retired teachers, college and university professors, and teaching assistants, TutaPoint offers some of the best online tutoring services on the market for SAT's latest prep.

While basic tutoring is $50 per hour, TutaPoint packages for SAT test prep start at about $85 an hour (plus $350 for the optional electronic TutaPoint test preparation workbook). There's also a $95 an hour plan for specialized test prep.

Each online test prep student gets guidance in test-taking strategies built around their specific strengths and weaknesses. Most packages also include access to an online portal with quizzes and practice drills. Students with ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, or learning disabilities can access live sessions with TutaPoint tutors who have specialized training in helping students with learning differences.

Best for Math Tutoring : Mathnasium

Key Specs

  • Price: Varies by program and location
  • Ages: Elementary through high school
  • Standardized test prep? Yes

Why We Chose It

Kids get a private math expert tutor and personalized plan to help them improve their math skills, all online, via Mathnasium@home.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Math expert tutors

  • Personalized learning plans

  • Face-to-face virtual instruction

Cons

  • Focus is on STEM subjects

  • Unclear how often tutors can meet with students

Overview

Mathnasium is a neighborhood-based, math-only learning center franchise with over 1,000 locations. Mathnasium@home is an online alternative that offers the same customized, one-on-one math tutoring programs taught by the same expert instructors.

Designed to help both students who struggle with math and advanced students who want to be challenged and up their STEM game, Mathnasium’s program starts with a detailed assessment of each elementary, middle school, or high school student’s current grasp of relevant math concepts. Then, a private tutor will design a personalized plan that caters to that student’s particular strengths and weaknesses. Homework help and test prep are baked into the curriculum, and regular evaluations are used to periodically assess each student’s progress.

Prices for Mathnasium@home programs vary by ZIP code, but current estimates online range from about $200 to $300 per month.

Final Verdict

Working with an online tutor is a great way to gain any number of academic and/or professional skills, or improve the ones you already have. The services above are especially helpful for students and professionals with busy schedules who need to find a way to fit in a quick tutoring session without having to travel to a location. We chose Chegg Study as the best overall online tutoring service due to its affordability, convenience, and range of subjects offered.

Compare Online Tutoring Services

CompanyPriceAgesStandardized Test Prep?
Chegg Study Best OverallStarts at $15.95 a monthAll agesYes
Learn To Be Best BudgetPay what you can up to $30 a monthGrades K-12Yes
Princeton Review Best VarietyStarts at $40 an hourAll agesYes
Preply Best for Language LearningAverages $18.30 an hourAll agesUnclear
Skooli Best Homework Help$0.65 to $0.82 per minuteElementary school through college-ageYes
Pearson's Smarthinking Best for Writing Improvement$45 per hourMiddle school age through adultYes
TutaPoint Best Test Prep$50 to $95 per hourMiddle school through high schoolYes
Mathnasium Best for Math TutoringVaries by program and locationElementary through high schoolYes

Guide to Choosing the Best Online Tutoring Service

You'll want to sort through a number of features to determine the best online tutoring service, but it's important to first identify the purposes for which you need a tutor and be sure a service's offerings align with your needs. You'll also want to consider the technology your student will need to use.

For example, you may seek a tutor to prep for a specific standardized test, or you may want a tutor to help a student struggling with a specific subject. Providers of online tutoring services may include:

  • Qualified teachers
  • Subject matter experts
  • Mentors

They teach students in one-on-one sessions via video chat, phone, or even online chat and email. You may want to build a long-term relationship with a specific tutor over time, or you might use a tutoring service that allows you to contact a variety of instructors at any time, day or night.

While cost is often a consideration, value may be more important to you and your student. Some services like Chegg Study, our top pick, aren't free, but they're more affordable than other programs. A more comprehensive online tutoring service, with experts and high-quality resources like practice tests, may be worth the added expense.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who Should Use Online Tutoring Services?

    Reasons for using an online tutoring service include both the need to improve in a specific subject and the need for academic enrichment. Some people want to prepare for a standardized test or focus on specific tasks, like writing college entrance essays.

  • Is Quick Homework Help Available Through Online Tutoring?

    Yes, online tutoring services do serve students who need instant homework help. Some online tutoring services give students access to a subject matter expert at any time, day or night. Quick-answer services may be more cost-effective than the longer-term tutoring plans.

  • Is Paying for a Tutor Worth It?

    The answer likely depends on your family budget and your reasons for hiring a tutor. The best value comes when you've chosen a qualified tutor with whom the one-on-one sessions work well, and you're careful to support the effort at home. Check with your student's teacher, too, to be sure tutoring is worth it.

Methodology

We selected these programs for our list of the best online tutoring services based on the variety of available subjects and tutoring/teaching expertise, along with quality, affordability, schedule flexibility, tutor availability, and user-friendly technology. We chose some tutoring services because they had a mix of all or many of these elements, according to users. Others made it onto the list because of a specific benefit that made them stand out. For example, Preply earned a spot on the list because of its laser focus on assisting language learners of all stripes. Likewise, Smarthinking is ideal for students who need to sharpen their writing skills.

Best Online Tutoring Services of 2024 (9)

Best Online Tutoring Services of 2024 (10)

By Laura Dorwart
Laura Dorwart, Ph.D., is an Ohio-based freelance writer and expert in social work, prenatal testing, neonatal nursing, and prison healthcare reform.Her beats include mental health, pregnancy, disability, parenting, education, relationships, pop culture (especially television), queer issues, the performing arts, feminism, and politics.

Edited byAlly Hirschlag

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