Which tutoring platform is right for you? We break down the pros and cons to help you decide.
Kumon is a Japanese after-school math and reading program. Toru Kumon started it in Osaka in 1958, and the first Canadian centre opened in Toronto in 1980. Most centres are independently owned franchises. Children from age 3 to high school do short worksheets every day at home, and most visit a centre twice a week, where staff grade work and give hints. Kumon says it is not tutoring.
Pricing: Kumon.ca does not post prices. It says tuition varies by location and is charged per subject. Canadian centre pages we checked in October 2026 list $150 to $220 per subject a month, plus an $80 registration fee. Many also list a $20 to $30 materials fee.
TutorLyft is a Canadian tutoring marketplace. You choose your own tutor from profiles with intro videos recorded with our team. About 5% of tutor applicants are approved after phone and video interviews. Lessons are 1-on-1, online or in person in many Canadian cities, and cover school subjects, test prep and university courses.
Pricing: there's no subscription or sign-up fee. Tutors set their own rates, typically CA$40 to CA$75 an hour, shown on their profiles. You pay by card only for sessions you book, with 5% off when you book 10 or more lessons with the same tutor. Almost every tutor offers a free phone consultation.
Choose Kumon if you want a steady daily habit in math or reading at a set monthly price, and your child can do about 30 minutes of worksheets a day.
Choose TutorLyft if your child needs help with current classes, a test or another subject, from a tutor you chose, paying only for lessons you book.
TutorLyft is the simplest way to find a vetted tutor for you or your child.
Not 1-on-1 teaching – Your child mostly works through worksheets alone. Staff grade work and give hints instead of teaching lessons.
Homework every day – Kumon assigns work daily, so you'll need to keep your child on track at home seven days a week.
Its own sequence, not your child's class – Kumon places students on its own levels, so it won't cover this week's homework or an upcoming test.
You choose the tutor – Watch intro videos, compare rates, and book a free phone consultation with almost any tutor.
Help with what school is asking now – Your child's tutor works on this week's homework, a provincial course or test prep.
Pay only for lessons you book – No subscription or sign-up fee, and our Tutor Match Guarantee covers you if the first session isn't the right fit.
Kids learn best when the help matches the problem. Some need more practice to build speed and confidence. Others need someone to explain a concept in a new way.
Practice programs like Kumon are built for repetition and steady habits. A 1-on-1 tutor can listen, find the gap and teach it directly, using your child's own class work. On TutorLyft, about 5% of applicants are approved, tutors average 3 to 5 years of experience, and tutors who teach in person pass a background check.
Most TutorLyft families book a weekly lesson with the same tutor. That consistency helps the tutor know your child and track progress through the school year.
Kumon.ca does not publish prices. It says tuition varies by location and is charged per subject. Canadian centre pages we checked in October 2026 list $150 to $220 per subject a month, with Toronto and Vancouver centres at the higher end. Most also list an $80 registration fee, and many list a $20 to $30 materials fee. Two subjects cost about double. Ask your local centre for its current written price list.
Often, yes. One subject at a Toronto Kumon centre listed at $195 a month. The first month adds an $80 registration fee and a $30 materials fee, for $305. After that it's $195 a month.
Four 1-hour TutorLyft lessons with a $55/hour tutor cost $220 a month, with no sign-up fee. Book 10 or more lessons with the same tutor and you save 5%.
So Kumon can cost less per month. The difference is what you get: Kumon gives about two short supervised centre visits a week plus daily worksheets. TutorLyft gives four hours of 1-on-1 teaching with a tutor you chose.
They do different jobs. Kumon says it isn't tutoring. It builds skills through its own daily worksheet sequence, and your child works mostly alone. Kumon itself suggests a tutor may be the better choice when your child has a test coming up or limited time. Choose Kumon for long-term practice. Choose a tutor for help with current classes, a specific topic or test prep.
Kumon doesn't say it follows any provincial curriculum. It places students with its own test and moves them through its own levels, based on ability rather than grade. It doesn't help with current homework. If your child needs help with a provincial course or this week's assignments, a tutor is the better fit.
About 5% of applicants are approved. Every tutor passes phone and video interviews and records an intro video with our team, so you can see how they teach before you book. Tutors average 3 to 5 years of experience, and tutors who teach in person pass a background check.
Yes. Almost every tutor offers a free phone consultation, so you can ask about their approach and your child's goals first. There's no subscription or sign-up fee, and if the first session isn't the right fit, our Tutor Match Guarantee has you covered.
