A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.
Henry Adams
For any business or online platform, the business model is hugely important. Facebook, for example, offers its services to its main users for free. However, you'll likely know that it doesn't make its money from its users but rather from payments from advertisers. It's often said that when a product like this is free, the user isn't a customer; they're the product. In Facebook's case, especially after the platform was discovered to be harvesting and reselling users' data, this was very true. The revelation led to many changes in laws around the world, most notably in the European Union, where data privacy laws were tightened.
Businesses and platforms, especially those operating online, need to be competitive to succeed. They need to offer an unparalleled experience to their customers so that they're the obvious choice and to stand out, you often have to do things differently from your competitors. At Superprof, we believe that we've found a way to do this. Allow us to explain how the charges and payments on Superprof are structured, who pays them, and how you can maximise your return on investment with the platform.
How Superprof Came to Be
When Superprof launched in 2013, the internet was still relatively young, but social media and music sites were already generating significant traffic. This was the time when the Internet of Things began making tremendous advances, and an increasing number of devices were becoming connected to the Internet.
When it came to learning through private tuition, there was a gap in the market and one that a platform like ours could fill. Most private tutoring and learning still took place offline, with face-to-face lessons. Still, technological advancements were making online private tutoring increasingly feasible, especially with the growing availability of better webcams, microphones, and higher-quality video calls.
Superprof started in France, and it only took a year to welcome 100,000 tutors to the platform and become the top tutoring platform there. In our second year, we'd expanded into other European countries.
using the Superprof site in France.
While what Superprof does for students makes it an obvious choice for anyone wanting to learn, what really made the platform so successful is that it was more than just a tutoring platform, and we were doing things very differently from the competition.
2013
Conception and Official Launch in France
Engineers Wilfried Granier and Yann Léguillon come up with the idea for Superprof to make finding tutors easier than using outdated notice boards. Superprof goes live, offering students access to tutors across academic subjects.
2014
Rapid Growth and Expansion
Within a year, more than 100,000 tutors join. Superprof becomes France’s number-one tutoring platform and expands into Belgium and Switzerland.
2015–2016
Going International
Superprof rolls out in Luxembourg, Spain, the USA, UK, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, and Germany.
2017
1 Million Tutors
The platform surpasses 1 million tutors and launches in India, Chile, and Argentina.
2018
Asia-Pacific Growth
Expansion continues with Australia, the Netherlands, Colombia, Indonesia, and Japan.
2019
10 Million Tutors
Superprof hits 10 million tutors, expanding further into Sweden, Poland, Nigeria, Norway, South Korea, and Austria.
2020
Online Shift During COVID-19
The pandemic drives a surge in webcam lessons, with Superprof adapting quickly to support online tutoring worldwide.
2023
A Decade of Superprof
Superprof celebrates its 10-year anniversary.
Now
Looking to the Future
Superprof is the world’s largest tutoring network, with over 34 million tutors, operating in 62 countries and supporting 25 languages.
Superprof's Business Model
The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.
B.B. King
As passionate as we are about promoting learning, we're still a business, and we need to generate income to do so. When we started, there were three main ways that a platform could earn money through private tuition:
- Selling advertising space on the platform
- Charging students a fee for each of the private lessons they take with tutors
- Creating a subscription service that offers access to private tutors
We immediately disregarded the first idea, as it doesn't help students find lessons. Advertisements would be a distraction on the site. While advertising other companies' goods or services is a relatively easy way to monetise any online platform, it wouldn't allow us to create the experience we wanted students to have.
We also didn't want to charge tutors a fee for signing up to the platform, as this would eat into their earnings and could dissuade skilled tutors from trying to advertise their services, particularly if their subject isn't in high demand but is highly technical (such as aerospace engineering).
To get the best out of teachers and tutors, and to offer the variety of subjects we boast, you have to let them focus on providing the best service. We didn't want to penalise them for being good at what they do. Charging students a fee or commission for all their lessons with a private tutor was also something we weren't willing to do, as we were trying to encourage learning and not punish students who wanted to spend more time learning with a private tutor.
and expanded into multiple countries.
Ultimately, we determined that the subscription model was the most effective way to enable students to learn through private tuition. Much like the wholesale supermarket Costco, where only members can shop, we felt we could offer the best value to students and tutors through subscriptions.
Other tutoring and learning platforms charge fees to students and/or tutors to use their platforms, but we offer a subscription service to students, allowing them to connect with millions of tutors. The rate you see on the tutor's page is the rate you'll pay them.
different subjects and skills.
Don't forget that online platforms that don't openly charge anything will be making money elsewhere, either through collecting your data or charging tutors' fees, which will result in the tutors having to charge more for their lessons. Other platforms display intrusive ads while you're trying to browse. In other cases, there may be contracts to sign that tie you into more lessons than you actually need.
Unlike other tutoring platforms that take a significant cut of each lesson, Superprof tutors keep 100% of their lesson fees when paid directly. They can set their own rates, teach in-person or online, and focus on what matters most: delivering high-quality lessons without worrying about platform deductions.
Our model enables tutors to run their own businesses while allowing students to connect with as many tutors as they like, provided they're subscribed to the platform.
Reviews of Superprof
Now that you have a better understanding of how the Superprof business model works, you should be able to see why it's such a good way to run an online tutoring platform. If you review the testimonials for the platform, you'll also see that many others are delighted with what we do and how we do things.
Naturally, there are some negative reviews as you'll find with any business or platform online. You'll see that most of the negative reviews are mainly aimed at our subscription model and the fact that some students weren't aware that they were signing up for a subscription, and are naturally unhappy when they end up paying again the following month.
Students
- Pay a Student Pass subscription to contact unlimited tutors
- Pay tutors directly for each lesson (no extra Superprof fee)
- Can cancel subscription anytime once they’ve found a tutor
- Browse across academic, hobby, fitness, and arts subjects
Tutors
- Create a free profile and set their own rates
- Keep 100% of earnings when paid directly
- Choose whether to offer the first lesson for free
- Teach online or face-to-face, building a flexible schedule
This is all laid out throughout the platform, from the email notifications to the help centre. However, some are so eager to get in touch with potential tutors that they either don't read it or agree without fully understanding what they're agreeing to.
In addition to outlining how it all works in several articles on our blog, you can also find the full explanation of our subscription model in our Terms of Use section, which explains how you're able to end your subscription, the circumstances in which you can be refunded, and what and how you'll pay.
As with any membership or subscription, it's essential to read the terms and conditions, check reviews, and understand precisely what you're signing up for before doing so. Only once you're satisfied with the cost should you provide your payment details and sign up for any subscription.
The Charges and Fees on Superprof
To clarify, Superprof is a platform that connects private tutors and teachers with students. Tutors can create a profile and offer their educational services through the platform.
Students can connect with potential tutors through the site, but to do so, they must have a subscription. We call this subscription the Student Pass, which allows you to connect with private tutors in New Zealand and around the world.
The Student Pass fee is $59 and is only for contacting tutors and teachers, and you don't need it to have lessons with a private tutor. Once you start working with any private tutor, that relationship is entirely separate from your Superprof subscription. For example, the hourly rate that a tutor advertises on their profile is what you'll pay them directly if you get a lesson from them.
In-platform Payments
- Includes a small service fee (10%)
- Payments are split into instalments for lesson packs
- Added security and Superprof support if issues arise
- Useful for dispute resolution
Direct Payments
- No platform fee. Tutors keep 100%
- Students and tutors agree their own terms
- Immediate, flexible transfers via PayPal, bank, or cash
- No safety net if disagreements occur
If you subscribe to the Student Pass and then find the right tutor, you can cancel your subscription and work directly with them, arranging and paying for lessons as needed. Of course, if you don't cancel your subscription, you will be charged for it the following month, as you would with any subscription service that you don't cancel.
Our platform doesn't charge tutors to set up or host their profiles on our website, allowing them to set better rates and run their tutoring business as they see fit. They don't have to offer the first lesson for free, but we do encourage tutors to do this as it's an excellent way for them to find more students and it allows students to find the perfect tutor.
The Student Pass isn’t a fee for lessons. It’s the subscription that gives students the ability to contact unlimited tutors on the platform. Once you’ve found your ideal tutor, you can cancel your pass at any time and continue lessons directly. This keeps the system simple, flexible, and transparent for learners.
We find that tutors can offer better teaching services when they're free to focus on that and aren't charged for each of the services they offer. This business model allows tutors to offer lots of different subjects on Superprof.
Whether you want to learn academic subjects like English, maths, a foreign language, or science, there are plenty of tutors available. However, there are also numerous tutors teaching a wide range of skills, including sports, health and fitness, arts and crafts, and many other subjects.
Our tutoring platform acts as a bridge between students and tutors, and when you have your Student Pass, you're able to cross the bridge as much as you'd like. Once you're on the other side and have found your perfect tutor, then you're free to cancel your subscription.
Students and tutors can arrange payments privately, but Superprof also offers a secure in-platform payment option. While this includes a small service fee, it provides added protection and support for both sides. Whether paying directly or through the platform, the choice gives students and tutors the flexibility to work in a way that suits them best.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
Hi, how does your subscription work and how many days and how long each day is it thanks
Hi Bella, the Student Pass is a no-commitment monthly subscription that allows you to reach out to all active tutors on our platform.
You can find more information in our Help Centre!