Clients in education often ask me for a "simple tutoring site" and then describe booking, packages, parent logins, and monthly billing. Those are very different projects. Here is how I scope and price them.
The three questions that set the budget
- How many tutors? One tutor means one calendar and one bio. Ten tutors means ten profiles, ten availability rules, and subject matching.
- How are bookings taken? A contact form is cheap. A live calendar with time zones, reminders, and rescheduling is a real feature.
- How is money collected? Card payment at booking adds gateway setup, receipts, refunds, and tax settings. Packages and subscriptions add credit and renewal logic.
Typical build ranges (general market ranges, not a quote)
| Business type | Build cost | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Solo tutor, inquiry form | $1,500 – $3,000 | $20 – $50 |
| Solo tutor, booking + payment | $2,500 – $5,000 | $40 – $90 |
| Small center (3-10 tutors) | $5,000 – $12,000 | $70 – $150 |
| Larger academy / portals | $12,000 – $25,000+ | $150 – $400+ |
Platform choice
- Website builder: fast and low upfront cost, but booking and billing logic is limited and monthly fees grow with features.
- WordPress with booking and payment plugins: more setup, but you own it and it scales from solo to center.
- Tutor marketplace: good for finding first students, but the platform takes a share and owns the relationship.
Where budgets blow up
- Building a marketplace when a booking calendar would do
- Parent portals before there are enough families to justify them
- Fully custom design when a customized template converts just as well
- Several overlapping plugins doing the same job
Where to save
- Launch with an inquiry-only site, add booking later
- Pick one scheduling tool and one payment gateway
- Get the scope in writing so extras are priced before they are built
Do not forget student privacy
If students are minors, collect only what you need and explain how you use it. Rules differ by country, so check with a qualified professional. This is not legal advice.
FAQ
How long does a tutoring site take? Usually 2 to 6 weeks. A solo site with a contact form can be ready in two.
Is WordPress a good fit? Yes, because you can start with a few pages and add booking, payments, and accounts later without a rebuild.
Do I need online booking on day one? No. Add it when scheduling by email takes more time than teaching.
I wrote the full version, with ongoing costs and three example budgets, here: What a Tutoring Business Website Costs.
