Pricing
If you tutor in person and you’re starting to offer online sessions, this question shows up fast.
Should online be cheaper because there’s no travel, or the same because the teaching is the same? Tutors are split. But the reasons are more practical than you might think.
Most tutors don’t discount online. Many keep online as the base rate and charge more for in-person because travel breaks up the day.
If you want one rule
Keep online at your standard rate. Raise in-person to reflect travel and lost scheduling density.
A calm place to keep sessions and locations clear.
The short answer is: sometimes, but most tutors don’t.
Tutors who do a mix of online and in-person tend to treat online as the baseline. Not because it’s “worth more”, but because it keeps the week workable. In-person sessions often come with hidden time either side, and that changes the economics of your calendar.
What’s interesting is that this isn’t really a debate about teaching. It’s a debate about the shape of your week.
A lot of tutors keep pricing consistent. The logic is straightforward: your expertise is the same, you still prep, and you still give the student your full attention.
Some tutors also point out that online can be harder in certain ways. You lose some body language cues, and you need a tighter setup to keep things flowing.
This is the most common move as tutors get busier. The reason is not that online is worth more. It’s that in-person often includes hidden time: travel, settling in, packing down, and the fact you can’t always stack sessions back-to-back.
Many tutors describe this as protecting their schedule, not “charging extra”.
Some tutors keep the hourly rate consistent and add a simple travel surcharge when the distance crosses a threshold. It’s transparent and can feel fair, but it does add one more thing to explain.
A few tutors set a firm rule: no sessions beyond a certain travel time or radius. It’s not harsh. It’s clarity. It keeps the week predictable and protects your energy.
The best way I’ve seen this explained is simple: online wins on density. You can run back-to-back sessions with zero commute. In-person breaks the day into fragments.
Even if the teaching is identical, the economics of your time aren’t.
If you want a simple policy that matches how tutors actually behave:
Then write it down in plain English and stick to it. Most pushback comes from surprise, not from the number.
Once you do online, in-person, and library sessions, you also need a reliable way to track where each session is happening. Hybrid tutoring is great until you mix up locations.
Satori is built around that reality: a calm place to keep upcoming sessions, locations, and context clear, so you don’t have to rely on memory.
Keep sessions clear. Keep your week coherent.
Should online tutoring be cheaper?
Not necessarily. Many tutors charge the same because prep and expertise are the same. Online is often more profitable because you can run back-to-back sessions.
How much more do tutors charge for in-person?
It varies. Common approaches are a higher hourly rate for in-person, a travel surcharge beyond a distance, or a firm travel boundary.
Is it rude to charge more for in-person?
No. If you explain it in terms of travel time and reliability, most parents understand.
What’s the real benefit of online tutoring?
Scheduling density. You can run sessions back-to-back with no commute time, which keeps your week calmer and more profitable.
Related reading
Built slowly, carefully, and with respect for your time and your data.
