Varsity Tutors vs. TutorLyft

Yes, once you're a member. Varsity Tutors can match you using more than 100 attributes, or you can browse its tutor gallery and book a tutor yourself. You can replace a tutor at any time. Its tutor profiles don't show rates or intro videos. On TutorLyft, you choose from full profiles with intro videos, rates and availability before you pay, and almost every tutor offers a free consultation.

Varsity Tutors' Canadian membership page lists 8 hours of tutoring a month for CA$328 a month on a 6-month plan, or CA$296 a month on a 12-month plan, with unlimited live classes included. That works out to about CA$37 to CA$41 an hour if you use every hour, and hours you don't use expire at the end of each billing cycle. TutorLyft tutors list their rates on their profiles, typically CA$40 to CA$75 an hour, with no subscription.

Memberships charge every month and renew until you cancel, which you do by calling Member Services. Its Canadian page shows 6-month and 12-month plans. Monthly hours you don't use expire when the next month's hours are added, and its terms say unused monthly hours aren't refunded. A payment made in the last 24 hours can be refunded for unused hours; other requests are reviewed case by case. TutorLyft has no contracts or subscriptions: book single lessons, a set of lessons, or a weekly recurring slot, and pause or stop any time.

Varsity Tutors doesn't advertise a free trial. You talk with an education consultant before you're matched, and if you're unhappy after your first session, your next session with a new tutor is free, up to two hours. On TutorLyft, almost every tutor offers a free consultation, so you talk to the tutor themselves before booking.

No. Varsity Tutors offers online tutoring only, and its help centre explains that it doesn't offer in-person sessions. TutorLyft offers both: online lessons with tutors across Canada, and in-person lessons with tutors in many Canadian cities.

Yes. Varsity Tutors is a U.S. company that has run since 2007 and is part of Nerdy, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Nerdy says its tutors go through a multi-step interview process and third-party background checks. Varsity Tutors is rated 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot from more than 13,000 reviews, and 6% of those are 1-star. Before you sign up, know that memberships charge every month, unused hours expire at the end of each billing cycle, and lessons are online only. TutorLyft shows every tutor's rate, has no subscription, and offers lessons online or in person in many Canadian cities.