Key Takeaway: Tutoring centers outgrow basic schedulers like SimplyBook because they lack integrated billing, complex payroll, and multi-location management. The best alternatives, like Tutorbase, consolidate these functions into one platform, reducing admin time by up to 60% and eliminating costly errors like double-bookings.
While SimplyBook offers solid appointment booking, growing tutoring centers quickly discover its limitations. You are likely juggling scheduling in Google Calendar, billing in QuickBooks, and teacher payroll in Excel. This fragmented system inevitably leads to double-booked teachers, missed payments, and over 10 hours per week spent on manual admin tasks that hurt your profitability.
For tutoring businesses scaling to multiple locations or managing complex class schedules, the problems multiply. Generic schedulers lack specialized features for dynamic tutoring environments. They cannot handle varied teacher pay rates, sophisticated pricing models, or multi-location room management. This operational chaos is a clear sign you need a dedicated tutoring management platform.
This guide explores 12 of the best alternatives to SimplyBook for tutoring that solve these specific challenges. We will analyze each platform's ability to handle everything from automated billing and payroll to intelligent scheduling that saves your team hours every week. Each entry provides a detailed breakdown to help you replace your fragmented system with a single, streamlined platform.
What is tutoring management software?
Tutoring management software is an all-in-one platform that consolidates scheduling, billing, payroll, room management, and student tracking. It replaces fragmented tools like Google Calendar and QuickBooks. This software automates administrative tasks, reduces booking errors, and provides visibility into your business operations.
1. Tutorbase
Tutorbase is an AI-powered management platform designed for the operational complexities of tutoring centers, language schools, and test-prep academies. It’s a robust solution for businesses managing 5 to 100+ teachers and multiple branches. This makes it one of the best alternatives to SimplyBook for tutoring centers that require a unified system.
Unlike generic schedulers, Tutorbase tackles core issues like manual invoicing, double-bookings, and complex payroll calculations. Its AI-driven "Find Slot" feature automatically generates optimal teacher, room, and time combinations, reducing booking time from 10 minutes to under 2. This, combined with its robust conflict detection, ensures zero double-bookings.
Key Features & Use Cases
- Unified Operations: Integrates scheduling, attendance-driven invoicing, complex payroll, and multi-branch room management. This is ideal for owners looking to replace a fragmented system of spreadsheets and separate software tools.
- Financial Automation: Automates the entire financial workflow from attendance capture to invoice generation, payment collection, and payroll settlement. It supports prepaid credit wallets and packages with auto-consumption.
- Advanced Payroll Models: Handles diverse compensation structures, including per-hour, per-lesson, revenue-share, and base-plus-variable models. This is a critical feature for centers with varied contractor and employee agreements.
Who Is It For?
Tutorbase is best for established tutoring centers and language schools struggling with over 10 hours of weekly admin. Its AI-powered scheduling and multi-branch management features deliver a significant return on investment for businesses with 5-100+ teachers. Its comprehensive feature set provides a scalable foundation for those planning to expand.
Pros:
- Reduces admin time by an average of 60% by unifying workflows.
- AI-powered scheduling and conflict detection prevent double-bookings.
- Automates the entire financial process from invoicing to complex payroll.
- Natively supports multi-branch, multi-brand, and hybrid class models.
Cons:
- No public pricing requires a demo, which can slow down the initial evaluation process.
- The extensive feature set could have a steeper learning curve for smaller teams.
Website: https://tutorbase.com
2. Teachworks
Teachworks is a purpose-built management software designed specifically for tutoring centers. It offers a robust suite of tools for scheduling, lesson-based billing, payroll, and multi-branch support. It is an excellent SimplyBook alternative for businesses that need granular operational controls and tutoring-specific workflows.
Teachworks scales with usage by charging based on the number of student lessons scheduled per month. This model can be cost-effective for growing centers, as you get unlimited profiles across all plans. You can explore a detailed analysis in this Teachworks review on Tutorbase.com.
Why does Teachworks stand out?
Teachworks excels at lesson-based billing and operational management. Its key differentiator is the usage-based pricing model, which avoids per-user fees common in other SaaS products. It is particularly well-suited for centers that price on a per-lesson basis and require a system that understands educational workflows.
- Pros: Pricing scales with lesson volume, not user seats. It is specifically designed for tutoring center operations and offers a free 21-day trial to test its features.
- Cons: The variable per-lesson fee can make budgeting unpredictable during high-growth periods. The platform can slow down when managing over 10,000 lessons per week.
- Website: https://teachworks.com
Compared to Tutorbase: While Teachworks offers solid foundational tools, Tutorbase provides more advanced automation. Tutorbase's AI-powered "Find Slot" feature automates scheduling, while Teachworks requires manual calendar searching. Furthermore, Tutorbase includes native prepaid credit management and complex payroll models that Teachworks handles with basic hourly calculations.
3. TutorCruncher
TutorCruncher is an end-to-end management platform designed for tutoring companies that require robust CRM, scheduling, and payment automation in one system. It's a strong SimplyBook alternative for multi-tutor agencies focused on streamlining their client pipeline and financial workflows. It combines client management with powerful billing and payroll tools.
The platform offers clear pricing tiers tailored to businesses from startups to enterprises. This transparency allows growing companies to predict expenses as they scale. TutorCruncher also provides optional add-ons like integrated video tools and SMS messaging. For more in-depth information, you can explore this guide to TutorCruncher alternatives.
Why does TutorCruncher stand out?
TutorCruncher excels at integrating a client pipeline CRM with semi-automated payment and payroll processing. Its key differentiator is the focus on the complete business journey, from capturing a new lead to managing ongoing lessons and paying tutors. It is particularly well-suited for tutoring agencies that need a single source of truth for sales, scheduling, and finance.
- Pros: Clear pricing tiers help startups and growing businesses plan their budget. It offers training and support options for smoother onboarding and provides a comprehensive feature set covering CRM to payroll.
- Cons: Key features like SMS notifications and dedicated support packages come at an additional cost. Its billing is semi-manual compared to fully automated systems.
- Website: https://tutorcruncher.com
Compared to Tutorbase: While TutorCruncher provides a solid all-in-one solution, Tutorbase offers superior automation and multi-branch management. Tutorbase’s AI-powered "Find Slot" feature drastically reduces scheduling time compared to TutorCruncher's manual calendar. Furthermore, Tutorbase includes native multi-brand support and a direct WhatsApp integration for lead capture, features not available in TutorCruncher.
4. Bookeo (Classes & Courses)
Bookeo is a flexible booking system with a dedicated "Classes & Courses" product designed for schools and instructors. It handles group classes, multi-session courses, and term-based structures effectively. This makes it a strong SimplyBook alternative for tutoring centers that focus on group instruction like test prep or language learning.
Its pricing is structured around the number of teachers or resources (like rooms) and a monthly booking limit. This model is transparent and allows businesses to choose a plan that directly matches their operational scale. Bookeo also supports numerous payment gateways without charging a commission on your revenue, a significant advantage.
Why does Bookeo stand out?
Bookeo's primary strength is its purpose-built functionality for managing group sessions and multi-part courses. Its features are designed for educational enrollment workflows, including managing class capacity, selling packages, and offering a multi-language interface. This makes it ideal for schools with a diverse student base and a focus on group learning.
- Pros: The platform is specifically designed for class and course management. It offers transparent pricing based on booking volume and includes a generous 30-day free trial.
- Cons: Monthly booking limits can be restrictive, forcing a plan upgrade if you exceed the cap. Key add-ons like SMS reminders and digital waivers come at an extra cost.
- Website: https://www.bookeo.com/classes
Compared to Tutorbase: While Bookeo is excellent for managing group class enrollments, it lacks the deep operational automation Tutorbase provides. Tutorbase's AI-powered "Find Slot" automates finding teacher and room availability for private lessons, a manual process in Bookeo. Furthermore, Tutorbase offers native prepaid credit management and sophisticated payroll calculations.
5. Appointy
Appointy is a generalist online scheduling software that serves a wide range of industries, including education. It offers multi-location support and robust resource scheduling. It is a functional SimplyBook alternative for businesses that need to manage tutors and physical resources like classrooms or equipment. The platform integrates well with the Google ecosystem.
While not built exclusively for tutoring, its tools can be adapted for educational workflows. Tutors can be set up as staff, and classrooms can be managed as resources to prevent double-bookings. Its tiered plans allow businesses to start small and add capabilities like online payments through Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.Net as they grow.
Why does Appointy stand out?
Appointy excels with its accessible pricing, including a true free-forever plan, and its deep integration with Google Calendar. This makes it an attractive option for new or smaller tutoring businesses already operating within the Google ecosystem. The ability to manage multiple locations and resources on higher-tier plans provides a clear growth path.
- Pros: Competitive pricing with a generous free tier for basic scheduling. It features strong integrations with Google products and offers a 14-day free trial without requiring a credit card.
- Cons: As a generalist tool, it lacks tutoring-specific features like lesson-based billing or student progress tracking. Advanced capabilities are locked behind expensive enterprise-level plans.
- Website: https://www.appointy.com
Compared to Tutorbase: Appointy provides solid generic scheduling, but it cannot match the specialized operational tools of Tutorbase. Tutorbase’s AI-powered "Find Slot" automates the complex task of matching students, teachers, subjects, and rooms, a process that remains manual in Appointy. Furthermore, Tutorbase includes native prepaid credit management and complex payroll rules.
6. Squarespace Scheduling (Acuity)
Squarespace Scheduling, formerly Acuity Scheduling, is a robust appointment scheduler suitable for solo tutors and multi-staff tutoring centers. Its mature feature set supports unlimited services, client self-booking, and complex scheduling rules. This makes it a powerful SimplyBook alternative for tutors who prioritize a polished booking experience.
It handles payments through Stripe, Square, or PayPal and supports selling appointment packages, gift certificates, and memberships. This allows tutoring businesses to offer prepaid lesson bundles, a common requirement that many generic schedulers lack. While it integrates most seamlessly with Squarespace websites, its standalone functionality is strong.
Why does Squarespace Scheduling stand out?
Squarespace Scheduling's strength lies in its powerful client-side automation and flexibility. It excels at managing appointment availability across multiple staff calendars, automatically sending customized reminders, and processing payments upon booking. For tutoring centers that want to empower parents to book, pay, and reschedule on their own, it offers a streamlined experience.
- Pros: Mature feature set with powerful automation rules. It can be used without a Squarespace website and scales well from a single user to multiple calendars and locations.
- Cons: Advanced features like SMS reminders and removing "Powered by" branding are locked behind higher-priced plans. The best website integration is within the Squarespace ecosystem.
- Website: https://www.squarespace.com/scheduling
Compared to Tutorbase: While Squarespace Scheduling offers a best-in-class external booking experience, it lacks the internal operational depth of Tutorbase. Tutorbase is a complete management system that handles complex teacher payroll, multi-branch room management, and automated invoicing based on attendance. Squarespace Scheduling does not provide tools for post-lesson operations like billing cycles.
7. Calendly
Calendly is a ubiquitous meeting and class booking tool perfect for managing 1:1 or group sessions. While not a full tutoring management system, it serves as a powerful front end for lead intake, trial bookings, and consultations. Its deep integrations with CRMs and calendars make it an excellent SimplyBook alternative for academies that prioritize a smooth sales and onboarding pipeline.
The platform allows parents and students to book available slots without back-and-forth emails. For tutoring businesses, its team features, like round-robin routing, can automatically assign new trial lesson requests to the next available tutor. Payment collection for single sessions is streamlined through Stripe and PayPal integrations.
Why does Calendly stand out?
Calendly excels at simplifying the initial booking process, especially for converting leads into paying students. Its key differentiator is the incredibly familiar user experience and its powerful integrations with sales and marketing tools like Salesforce and HubSpot. This makes it ideal for tutoring centers with a dedicated sales process.
- Pros: The user experience is familiar to most parents and students, reducing booking friction. It's quick to set up and offers a free tier for basic needs, along with deep CRM integrations.
- Cons: Per-seat pricing can become expensive for large tutor rosters. Advanced administrative controls and security features are often gated behind more expensive Teams or Enterprise plans.
- Website: https://calendly.com
Compared to Tutorbase: Calendly is a specialized booking tool, whereas Tutorbase is a comprehensive operational platform. While Calendly manages the initial appointment, it lacks Tutorbase's native capabilities for recurring billing, complex payroll, student tracking, and multi-branch room management. Tutorbase handles the entire student lifecycle from lead to long-term client.
8. Setmore
Setmore is an easy-to-use scheduling platform with a generous free plan, making it a strong SimplyBook alternative for individual tutors and small centers. It focuses on simplifying the booking process with features like a public booking page, social media integrations, and seamless payment processing. The optional live receptionist service is a unique offering for handling trial lesson intake.
Its primary value lies in its accessibility and straightforward interface. Tutors can quickly set up a booking page, integrate it with their website, and start accepting appointments with minimal technical effort. While not built specifically for tutoring, its core scheduling and payment tools cover the essential needs of a growing solo or small-team operation.
Why does Setmore stand out?
Setmore excels with its powerful free tier and user-friendly design, making it ideal for tutors who need a professional booking system without an initial investment. Its integrations with social media and Google make it easy to capture bookings directly. The platform is best for those prioritizing simple appointment scheduling and payment collection.
- Pros: A generous free plan supports small teams. It offers unlimited appointments on paid plans and provides 24/7 human support. Social and Google integrations help drive new bookings.
- Cons: Key features like SMS reminders, two-way calendar sync, and branding removal require a paid plan. The live receptionist add-on is a separate, additional fee.
- Website: https://www.setmore.com
Compared to Tutorbase: Setmore is a general-purpose scheduler, whereas Tutorbase is a comprehensive tutoring management system. Setmore lacks Tutorbase's specialized tools for curriculum management, multi-rate payroll, and automated invoicing based on attendance. Tutorbase's "Find Slot" feature automates the coordination of teachers, rooms, and availability, a manual process in Setmore.
9. Square Appointments
Square Appointments is a scheduling solution that tightly integrates with the broader Square ecosystem of payments, invoicing, and point-of-sale hardware. It is an excellent SimplyBook alternative for tutoring businesses already using Square for payment processing. The platform combines unlimited staff calendars and client self-booking with powerful, built-in financial tools.
The platform is particularly appealing to solo tutors, offering a robust free plan that includes scheduling, reminders, and payment processing. As a business grows, it can add more staff members and locations through tiered pricing plans. This model allows for a seamless transition from a single-person operation to a multi-tutor center.
Why does Square Appointments stand out?
Square Appointments excels with its unified payment and scheduling system. Its key differentiator is the seamless hardware and software integration, making it ideal for centers with a physical front desk. It simplifies the entire client journey from booking online to paying in person, all within a single ecosystem.
- Pros: It offers a free plan for individual tutors with integrated payments, has transparent processing fees, and connects effortlessly with Square's hardware.
- Cons: Multi-staff support requires paid plans charged per location. Tutoring-specific features like lesson-attendance billing or complex payroll are not native.
- Website: https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments
Compared to Tutorbase: While Square simplifies booking and payment processing, it lacks the deep operational logic for running a tutoring center. Tutorbase offers specialized features like AI-powered slot finding, automatic billing based on attendance, and native prepaid credit management. Square requires manual workarounds for these education-centric workflows, whereas Tutorbase automates them.
10. Zoho Bookings
Zoho Bookings is an affordable scheduling tool that becomes a powerful SimplyBook alternative when integrated within the broader Zoho ecosystem. It excels at managing resources, workspaces, and staff assignments. This makes it ideal for tutoring centers already using other Zoho applications like CRM or Campaigns.
For tutoring centers invested in Zoho’s suite, this integration is the key advantage. You can link bookings directly to customer profiles in Zoho CRM and trigger automated follow-ups with Zoho Campaigns. This creates a unified operational workflow that extends far beyond simple appointment scheduling.
Why does Zoho Bookings stand out?
Zoho Bookings stands out for its deep integration capabilities and highly competitive pricing. Its ability to manage not just staff but also physical resources like rooms is a significant plus for in-person tutoring centers. The platform’s round-robin assignment feature ensures fair distribution of new student inquiries among tutors.
- Pros: Very competitive per-user pricing makes it accessible for smaller teams. Its strong ecosystem integration offers immense value if you already use other Zoho apps. A HIPAA compliance option is also available.
- Cons: Key features like online payments and certain integrations are locked behind premium plans. SMS notifications require configuration with external providers, adding complexity.
- Website: https://www.zoho.com/bookings
Compared to Tutorbase: While Zoho Bookings provides a solid scheduling foundation, it lacks the specialized tutoring-centric logic found in Tutorbase. Tutorbase offers native prepaid credit management, automated lesson-based invoicing, and complex teacher payroll calculations. Zoho Bookings requires significant customization or integration with other Zoho apps to replicate these core functions.
11. vcita
vcita is a client management platform that combines scheduling, billing, payments, and lightweight marketing into a single ecosystem. Its strong client portal and recurring payments functionality make it a practical SimplyBook alternative for tutors who need to manage the entire client lifecycle. The platform is designed to streamline front-office tasks.
It offers an all-in-one workflow that handles appointment scheduling with reminders, invoicing, and package sales. The inclusion of email and SMS marketing campaigns allows tutors to engage with their client base directly within the same system. This integrated approach is a key differentiator for businesses looking to consolidate their software stack.
Why does vcita stand out?
vcita excels as a comprehensive business management tool for service-based businesses. Its key strength is connecting the booking process directly to client management and revenue generation, including features like recurring payments and prepaid packages. The platform is ideal for solo tutors or small centers wanting a unified system for client interaction.
- Pros: Provides an all-in-one workflow covering scheduling, billing, and marketing. It supports multiple staff members with distinct roles and permissions and offers transparent SMS costs in the US.
- Cons: It can be more expensive than basic schedulers, especially as your business scales. Advanced features, such as HIPAA compliance, are reserved for higher-priced plans.
- Website: https://www.vcita.com
Compared to Tutorbase: While vcita offers a strong suite of general business tools, Tutorbase is engineered specifically for tutoring centers. Tutorbase provides advanced, tutoring-specific features like AI-powered slot finding, native prepaid credit management, and complex teacher payroll calculations, which are absent in vcita. Vcita is more of a client management tool with scheduling.
12. Classcard
Classcard is a student and class management platform built for tutoring and coaching centers that prioritize client relationships and operational efficiency. It provides a comprehensive toolset for scheduling, attendance tracking, memberships, invoicing, and parent communication. A key feature is its branded student web app, which gives clients a professional booking experience.
The platform supports both group classes and one-on-one sessions, making it a flexible SimplyBook alternative for diverse educational models. Its focus on memberships and packages helps centers secure recurring revenue, while automated reminders streamline communication. Classcard also offers migration assistance and 24/7 support.
Why does Classcard stand out?
Classcard excels at creating a branded, user-friendly experience for students and parents while giving administrators powerful backend tools. Its focus on class-based operations, such as attendance with self-check-in and membership management, is specifically tailored for coaching centers. It’s a strong choice for businesses looking to enhance client retention.
- Pros: Designed for multi-teacher tutoring and coaching centers. It emphasizes renewals, attendance, and parent communication, and offers 24/7 support with migration help.
- Cons: Public pricing is not prominently displayed, requiring a conversation with sales for confirmation. Its ecosystem is smaller compared to some larger, legacy US competitors.
- Website: https://www.classcardapp.com
Compared to Tutorbase: While Classcard offers a robust branded portal, Tutorbase provides deeper operational automation for complex scheduling and financial management. Tutorbase’s AI-powered "Find Slot" feature automates the entire booking process, eliminating manual calendar checks required in Classcard. Additionally, Tutorbase has native prepaid credit management and multi-brand support.
Feature Comparison Table of SimplyBook Alternatives
| Feature | Tutorbase | Teachworks | TutorCruncher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find Slot/Spot | ✅ AI-powered | ❌ Manual | ❌ Manual |
| Auto billing | ✅ | Semi-manual | Semi-manual |
| Prepaid credits | ✅ Native | Limited | Add-on |
| Complex payroll | ✅ | Basic hourly | Basic hourly |
| Multi-branch rooms | ✅ | Limited | Limited |
| Multi-brand | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | |
| Scale (10k+/week) | ✅ | Slows | Slows |
How do you choose the right platform?
Choosing the right platform requires an honest assessment of where your business is today and where you want it to be in two years. Use these questions as a final checklist to guide your decision:
- What is your biggest time sink? If it’s purely scheduling, a tool like Setmore might suffice. If it's creating invoices, chasing payments, and calculating payroll, you need a purpose-built system like Tutorbase to automate those specific financial tasks.
- How complex is your pricing and payroll? Do you offer packages, subscriptions, and prepaid credits? Do you pay teachers different rates? Generic schedulers cannot handle this complexity, leading to manual workarounds that defeat the purpose of automation.
- Are you planning to scale? A solo tutor might manage with a simple scheduler. However, once you add a second teacher or location, fragmented tools begin to break. A unified platform is essential for scalable, error-free growth.
- What is the cost of not upgrading? Calculate the hours your staff spends on manual admin each week. This often amounts to thousands of dollars per month in lost productivity. The investment in a robust system often pays for itself within a few months.
Ultimately, moving beyond a basic scheduler is an investment in efficiency, accuracy, and professionalization. It frees you from the back-office chaos, allowing you to focus on what truly matters: delivering exceptional education and growing your business.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the best alternative to SimplyBook for a multi-location tutoring center?
Tutorbase is the best alternative for multi-location tutoring centers. Its platform natively supports multi-branch room management, centralized billing, and location-specific pricing. This allows you to manage all operations from a single dashboard while maintaining distinct settings for each branch.
Can these alternatives handle different teacher pay rates?
Yes, specialized platforms like Tutorbase are designed to handle complex payroll. You can set multiple pay rates for each teacher, including per-hour, per-lesson, revenue share, and premiums for weekends or specific subjects. The system automatically calculates payroll from attendance records, saving hours of manual work.
Which SimplyBook alternative is best for automating invoicing?
Tutorbase offers the most robust automated invoicing. It generates invoices directly from attended lessons, automatically applying the correct pricing policies. The system also supports prepaid credit wallets, deducting lesson fees automatically and sending low-balance alerts to parents, which increases monthly renewal rates by up to 42%.
Do I need special software for online tutoring?
While some platforms offer integrated video conferencing, most modern tutoring software integrates with tools like Zoom. A platform like Tutorbase excels at managing hybrid classes, where some students attend in-person and others join online simultaneously, tracking attendance for each delivery mode.
How much admin time can I save by switching from SimplyBook?
Switching from a generic scheduler like SimplyBook to a unified tutoring management platform can reduce administrative time by up to 60%. Automating tasks like scheduling, invoicing, payment chasing, and payroll processing can save an operations manager over 10 hours per week.
What is the main difference between a general scheduler and tutoring software?
A general scheduler like Calendly or SimplyBook manages appointments. Tutoring management software like Tutorbase runs your entire business. It connects scheduling to automated billing, complex payroll, student management, and multi-location operations, eliminating the need for fragmented tools.
Ready to eliminate administrative chaos and build a scalable foundation for your tutoring business? Tutorbase was designed by tutoring center owners to solve these exact problems, replacing fragmented tools with a single, intelligent platform. See how our automated scheduling, billing, and payroll can save you over 10 hours per week. Start your free trial at Tutorbase.
