Online tutoring cost in 2026: a US and Canada price guide
Answer in brief
In 2026, online tutors on marketplaces commonly charge about $25 to $80 an hour, live group classes cost roughly $10 to $40 per class, and learning centres such as Kumon and Mathnasium charge monthly fees set by each centre. Premium small-group programs sit higher: Wren School is $399 to $949 per child per month for 8 live classes. Free options include Khan Academy and, in Ontario, TVO Learn Mathify.
Tutoring prices are hard to compare because providers charge in different units: per hour, per class, per week, per month or per package. This guide converts them into the two numbers most parents need, cost per hour of live teaching and cost per month, and links every figure to the page it came from. All prices are in US dollars unless marked CAD, and were last checked in November 2026.
Typical price ranges at a glance
| Type | Example | Published price | Source (last checked: November 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace, 1:1 | Wyzant | Math tutors $33–55 an hour on average, plus a 9% service fee | Wyzant math tutors; Wyzant fee |
| Marketplace, 1:1 | Preply | Math lessons from $3, average $17; US-based tutors average $30 an hour | Preply math tutors |
| Managed 1:1 | Varsity Tutors | No public price; a competitor’s review reports $70–100 an hour | Varsity Tutors; PrepMaven review |
| Live group classes | Outschool | Typically $10–12 per learner for a 30–45 minute group class (Outschool’s guidance to teachers) | Outschool educator handbook |
| Live group classes | Think Academy | Around $35–40 an hour on average | Think Academy |
| Learning centre | Mathnasium | Set by each centre; one California centre lists $559 a month for two 1-hour sessions a week | Mathnasium Redwood City |
| Learning centre | Kumon | Varies by location, charged monthly per subject | Kumon FAQ |
| Premium small group | Wren School | $399 (group of 8), $649 (group of 4), $949 (group of 2) per child per month for 8 live 50-minute classes | Wren School pricing |
| Free | Khan Academy | Free; Khanmigo AI tutor $4 a month or $44 a year | Khan Academy; Khanmigo pricing |
Prices change often. Treat this as a starting point and confirm on each provider’s site before you sign up.
Marketplace one-on-one tutoring
Marketplaces such as Wyzant and Preply list independent tutors who set their own rates. Wyzant says its math tutors cost $33–55 an hour on average (Wyzant), and it adds a student service fee of 9% of the lesson cost (Wyzant). Preply’s math listings start from $3 a lesson with an average of $17, and tutors based in the US average $30 an hour (Preply).
The spread is wide because you are hiring an individual. The lowest prices tend to come from tutors outside North America or new to the platform; experienced, specialist or US-based tutors charge more. You also do the vetting yourself: reading profiles, booking trial lessons and judging quality.
Managed tutoring companies
Managed services match you with a tutor and handle scheduling. Varsity Tutors doesn’t publish prices; its homepage invites families to talk to its team about “options, availability, and pricing” (Varsity Tutors). PrepMaven, a competing tutoring company, reports Varsity Tutors at $70–100 an hour and a Learning Membership at $299 a month (PrepMaven, August 2026). Because that comes from a competitor, confirm the current price directly.
Group classes
Group classes cost less per hour because several families share the tutor’s time. On Outschool, teachers set their own prices; Outschool tells teachers that group classes typically run $10–12 per learner for 30–45 minutes (Outschool), and its listing standards cap group classes at 18 learners (Outschool). Think Academy, which runs live math classes, puts its average at around $35–40 an hour (Think Academy).
The trade-off is attention. In a class of 10 to 18, a child may speak only a few times. That is fine for enrichment and less useful for a child who is stuck.
Learning centres: Mathnasium and Kumon
Centres charge a monthly fee and are independently owned franchises, so prices vary by location. Kumon says tuition “varies by location” and is “typically charged per subject” (Kumon). TutorLyft, a competing service, says the Canadian Kumon centre pages it checked in October 2026 listed $150 to $220 per subject a month, plus a registration fee of about $80 (TutorLyft). Mathnasium doesn’t publish a national price either; one centre in Redwood City, California, lists $559 a month for its K–8 program with two 1-hour sessions a week (Mathnasium Redwood City). We compare the two in detail in Mathnasium vs Kumon vs online small-group classes.
Where premium small groups like Wren School sit
Wren School teaches live classes capped at 2, 4 or 8 students. Prices are per child per month for 8 live 50-minute classes (two a week):
| Group size | USD / month | CAD / month | About per class (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group of 2 | $949 | $1,299 | $119 |
| Group of 4 | $649 | $899 | $81 |
| Group of 8 | $399 | $549 | $50 |
That is more per class than most marketplace tutors and large group classes. What the price pays for: a very small group matched by level, the same tutor and classmates every week, tutors who live in the US or Canada and are background-checked, and the planning and placement a marketplace leaves to you. Whether that is worth it depends on what your child needs; for some children a $30-an-hour tutor or a free app is the right answer.
What drives the price
- Group size. The tutor’s hour is split between students. One-on-one costs the most per student; large classes the least.
- Tutor location and experience. For context, the median pay for tutors in the US was $20.84 an hour in May 2025 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics), and Canada’s Job Bank lists a median of $20 an hour for secondary-subject tutors (Job Bank). Those figures are what tutors earn, not what families pay; platforms add vetting, scheduling, software and support on top.
- Consistency. Programs that keep the same tutor and group week after week need more planning than one-off lessons.
- Frequency. Two sessions a week costs about twice as much as one. Evidence suggests frequency matters: J-PAL notes that students learn the most with at least three sessions a week (J-PAL).
How to budget
Convert every option to a monthly figure before comparing. A tutor at $40 an hour, twice a week, costs about $347 a month (40 × 2 × 4.33 weeks). Then ask three questions:
- How many hours a week does my child need? A specific gap may need two sessions a week for two or three months; enrichment can be once a week.
- For how long? Budget for a term, not a month. Most children need several weeks before progress shows.
- What else is included? Placement, progress reports, make-up classes and materials can be free with one provider and extra with another.
Does tutoring cost more in Canada?
Canadian families often pay in CAD at similar nominal numbers, which makes some services cheaper in real terms and others more expensive. Wren School publishes CAD prices: $549, $899 and $1,299 a month. Kumon prices in Canada are set per centre (TutorLyft). Ontario families should also know about TVO Learn Mathify, which provides free online math help from Ontario Certified Teachers for students in Grades 4 to 12. See our page for Canadian families.
What is free, and is it any good?
Khan Academy’s stated mission is “a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere” (Khan Academy), and its exercises and videos are excellent for practice. Its AI tutor, Khanmigo, costs $4 a month for learners and parents (Khanmigo). Free tools work best for motivated children who know what to practise. They work less well for a child who is stuck, anxious or avoiding the work, because nobody notices when they stop. Many families combine a free tool for practice with live help for explanation.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a math tutor per hour?
On marketplaces, commonly about $25 to $80 an hour. Wyzant says its math tutors average $33 to $55 an hour plus a 9% fee, and Preply’s US-based math tutors average about $30 an hour, as of November 2026.
Is group tutoring cheaper than one-on-one?
Per student, yes. A tutor’s time is shared, so group classes usually cost less per hour. The trade-off is less individual attention, which matters more for a child who is stuck than for enrichment.
Is free tutoring any good?
Free tools like Khan Academy are good for practice, especially for motivated children. They are less effective for a child who is stuck or avoiding work, because nobody notices when they stop. Many families combine free practice with live help.
Does tutoring cost differ in Canada?
Many providers charge similar numbers in CAD, and centres such as Kumon set prices per location. Wren School charges CAD $549, $899 or $1,299 a month. Ontario students in Grades 4 to 12 can also use TVO Learn Mathify for free.
Why do Kumon and Mathnasium prices vary so much?
Both are franchise networks, and each centre sets its own fees. Neither publishes a national price, so ask your local centre for its monthly fee, registration fee and how many visits a week it includes.
Sources
- Wyzant, Math tutors. Vendor page
- Wyzant, What is the service fee?. Vendor page
- Preply, Online math tutors. Vendor page
- Varsity Tutors homepage. Vendor page
- PrepMaven, Varsity Tutors review (updated August 26, 2026). Competitor of Varsity Tutors
- Outschool, Refining your pricing strategy (educator handbook). Vendor page
- Outschool, Standards for class listings (August 2026). Vendor page
- Think Academy, What is Think Academy? (January 2026). Vendor page
- Mathnasium of Redwood City, enrollment form. Single franchise centre
- Kumon, Frequently asked questions. Vendor page
- TutorLyft, Kumon vs TutorLyft (updated October 9, 2026). Competitor of Kumon
- Khan Academy, About
- Khanmigo, Pricing
- TVO Learn Mathify
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Tutors
- Government of Canada Job Bank, Tutor wages (NOC 43109)
- J-PAL, Tutoring programs lead to learning improvements
Facts and prices in this article were last checked in November 2026. We update it when they change. Spotted an error? Email hello@wrenschool.com.