Wyzant vs Varsity Tutors vs Brighterly: Which Math Tutoring Service is Better? (2025)
reviewed by Jo-ann Caballes
Updated on January 7, 2025
When it comes to math tutoring services in the United States, Wyzant vs Varsity Tutors vs Brighterly is the choice for many parents.
I’m here to help you make an informed decision.
Here, I’ll explore Wyzant, Varsity Tutors and Brighterly, highlighting their pros and cons and comparing each alternative platform.
Key points:
- Brighterly offers the best value for money when it comes to tutoring thanks to its affordable pricing and highly qualified, thoroughly vetted tutors and their proven track record in improving kids’ grades.
- Wyzant is a good option if you have many subjects you want your child to receive support in and if you’d prefer to choose your own tutor.
- Varsity Tutors offers tutoring to people of all levels, from children throughout school into college and adulthood.
Wyzant vs Varsity Tutors vs Brighterly: comparison
The main difference between the companies Wyzant, Varsity Tutors and Brighterly is in the qualifications and experience of tutors, the level of support offered by tutors and the personalization of lessons.
Here is a quick Wyzant vs Varsity Tutors vs Brighterly overview:
Wyzant |
Varsity Tutors |
Brighterly |
|
Company type | Tutoring marketplace | Private and group tutoring | Online private math tutoring |
Subjects offered | Many subjects including English, math and science | Subjects include languages, literature and math | Math |
Mode of learning | Online one-to-one tutoring | Online private and group tutoring | Online private tutoring |
Free trial | Possibly, at the tutor’s discretion | No | Yes, available via a free demo lesson |
Trustpilot rating | 1.7 | 1.8 | 4.7 |
Diagnostic test | No | No | Yes |
Student progress tracking | Possibly, at the tutor’s discretion | Possibly, at the tutor’s discretion | Yes, via regular reports |
Note: Brighterly is a highly rated online math tutoring platform that offers personalized lessons, skills assessments and a free trial. In a comparison between Wyzant vs Varsity Tutors vs Brighterly tutor qualifications, Brighterly’s tutors tend to be the most highly qualified.
What is Brighterly?
Brighterly is an online math tutoring platform offering personalized learning to children who are struggling with math or who want to get ahead in school.
Tutors tailor lessons to kids’ exact needs by first carrying out a diagnostic math test, which identifies their strengths and weaknesses. From this, they create a completely tailored curriculum that addresses their areas for improvement.
Brighterly offers tutoring for kids in grades 1-8 and uses a unique gamified model of learning to keep students engaged and continually learning. Kids can often perceive math as boring, but they certainly don’t with Brighterly math tutors!
How the Brighterly math tutoring platform is different to Wyzant and Kumon
Brighterly differs from Wyzant and Varsity Tutors mainly in the quality of its tutors and in the level of personalization its education offers.
As they both operate more like tutor marketplaces than education providers, both Wyzant and Varsity Tutors don’t offer tailored tutoring as standard, but this may be down to the individual tutors’ discretion. This means Brighterly differs from Varsity Tutors vs Wyzant in the level of its education personalization.
As well as high-quality tutoring that delivers measurable results, Brighterly offers a range of resources free of charge, including math worksheets, practice test problems and a knowledge base filled with informative articles on any math subject matter you could imagine, from the bottom up.
What does the Brighterly math tutoring platform offer?
- All-encompassing math program
- Thoroughly vetted, experienced tutors
- Free suite of resources
- A fully personalized curriculum
All-encompassing math program
The Brighterly math program covers all the learning kids in elementary and middle school need to know. Each of its grade-based online math tutoring programs aligns with the math concepts they’ll be learning at school.
The STEM-focused curriculum aligns with the Common Core standards, ensuring your kids are keeping up with their formal education.
View Brighterly’s math program
Thoroughly vetted, experienced tutors
To ensure all tutors have the right experience and qualifications to teach your kids, Brighterly’s application vetting process is rigorous and thorough. As well as verifying tutors’ background and qualifications, Brighterly conducts demo lessons where tutors will be faced with especially challenging situations to ensure they can handle difficult learners or those who are particularly struggling with math.
Thanks to this thorough verification process, Brighterly’s tutors receive continued excellent feedback from both students and parents. Wyzant and Varsity Tutors don’t undergo such thorough vetting, so their qualifications and experience may not be as relevant.
View Brighterly tutors’ reviews
Brighterly Math tutors | |
1st grade math tutor | 2nd grade math tutor |
3rd grade math tutor | 4th grade math tutor |
5th grade math tutor | |
7th grade math tutor | 8th grade math tutor |
Free suite of resources
To complement private tutoring, Brighterly offers a range of free resources created exclusively by its highly qualified tutors.
Tutors use the free Brighterly math worksheets as part of their lessons. These worksheets feature a mix of puzzles, math problems and activities, ensuring they never get boring. They also helpfully include answer sheets so kids can use them when studying independently too.
The Brighterly math tutoring platform also offers a comprehensive knowledge base that cover all manners of math concepts, from measurements to multiplication and everything in-between. These knowledge base articles also come with practice test questions that mimic real-life exams kids will encounter in school. By taking these practice tests, they can prep for school exams and understand any gaps in their knowledge. For example, check out our knowledge base article and practice test questions on shapes.
A fully personalized curriculum
All children who learn through Brighterly will first take a diagnostic math test. This helps identify their strengths and weaknesses, giving tutors insight into where they need the most support. This supports preparation for their school exams.
Neither Wyzant nor Varsity Tutors offer personalized lessons as standard, because they offer a platform to independent tutors who may offer different styles of learning.
Brighterly reviews
Brighterly reviews focus on the quality, dedication and passion of its tutors. Time and time again, individual tutors are highlighted for their excellent work in improving math grades and supporting children who are struggling with difficult concepts.
Many parents also highlight how much their kids’ grades have improved in their Brighterly math tutoring platform review. As a tutoring service specialising in education for neurodivergent children, Brighterly receives praise for the way its tutors offer support to neurodivergent children.
Tutors’ expertise
“Great program! [It] is good overall. The teachers are very understanding, and knowledgeable on their subject, always on time and making sure my son knows what they are talking about. I highly recommend this tutoring program!”
- Juan, Trustpilot
Support for neurodivergent children
“My daughter is neurodivergent and has challenges with math. She has been working with an awesome tutor, Jennie, who is patient, knowledgeable, kind and professional. As a parent, you want the best for your child, I am extremely happy to say that my daughter is learning and thriving. Most of all she looks forward to [her] math tutoring sessions.”
- Candida, Trustpilot
Improved grades
“We LOVE Brighterly. My 8 year old has gained so much confidence in math thanks to this program. Her tutor Naqsh is AMAZING!! My child is excited for her lesson each week, and we have seen an increase in her math scores at school. As a parent, and an elementary teacher myself I would absolutely recommend Brighterly to anyone who wants to help their child build confidence in math.”
- Ashley, Trustpilot
How much does Brighterly cost?
Brighterly is one of the most affordable math tutoring options around, offering outstanding value for money with its outstanding results.
Packages are available for 1, 3, 6 and 12 months and come with varying discounts depending on the package you choose. The Brighterly cost is lower than many other options, but still offers a high-quality standard of tutoring.
The rate of Brighterly’s tutoring is detailed below:
One lesson a week
If you choose to take one lesson a week, you can expect to pay the following per package:
- 1 month: $124 a month
- 3 months: $118 a month
- 6 months: $112 a month
- 12 months: $105 a month
Two lessons a week
If you choose to take two lessons a week, you can expect to pay the following per package:
- 1 month: $211 per month
- 3 months: $198 per month
- 6 months: $186 a month
- 12 months: $161 a month
Three lessons a week
If you choose to take three lessons a week, you can expect to pay the following per package:
- 1 month: $298 a month
- 3 months: $279 a month
- 6 months: $268 a month
- 12 months: $234 a month
How does Wyzant work? Main features
Best for: a wide choice of subjects and tutors.
Wyzant operates as an online marketplace for tutors, with over 300 subjects available from a range of teachers. You’ll need to select the most suitable tutor, rather than being matched with the most relevant tutor for your child.
- Online tutor marketplace
- Choose tutors based on experience and pricing
- View individual tutors’ ratings
Wyzant pros and cons: according to user’s reviews
If you’re wondering, “Is Wyzant good?”, one of the best ways to find out is via Wyzant vs varsity tutors reviews from real customers. Wyzant reviews focus on a few key benefits and disadvantages:
Wyzant benefits |
Disadvantages of Wyzant |
✅ Over 300 subjects on offer for comprehensive learning ✅ Ability to choose your own tutor based on your and your kid’s preference ✅ Different pricing based on the tutor, offering affordable options |
❌ No automatic tutor matching, so it may take time to find the right fit ❌ More experienced tutors are more expensive ❌ Tutors need to take time to get to know your kid, so learning could start slow |
Wyzant tutoring reviews
Positive Wyzant tutors reviews highlight the platform as a good option for those older than grade 12 age. They praise tutors for their attitudes and commitment to student learning, as well as the tutor profiles and how they make it easy to choose a tutor. However, Wyzant also has many negative reviews that focus on company practices and unreliable tutors.
Users often ask, “Is Wyzant tutoring legit?” and the answer is yes, it is a legitimate service. However, some users have said they have been overcharged by tutors.
“We highly recommend this resource for engaging an excellent tutor. The website is easy to navigate, the tutor profiles make it easy to find what you are looking for, and the lessons have been top-notch. We were anxious about our daughter’s math future, but now feel she is in good hands and will enter 8th grade strong and ready.”
- GE, Trustpilot
“We have used Wyzant on and off over the past 5 years. We have found a few great tutors that were helpful. Recently, we have had tutors cancel at the last minute. In this case, there is no recourse for the student, only for the tutor if the student cancels on them. Also, you cannot review a tutor that is questionable. The system only allows reviews after more than one lesson. This manipulation ensures the high ratings you see on all tutors on their website.”
- KC, Trustpilot
How much does Wyzant math lessons cost?
Because pricing is based on the tutor’s personal rates, which factor in their experience and qualifications, Wyzant tutoring cost for math lessons varies. They generally start from around $15, but could get expensive the more experience and qualifications your tutor has.
Varsity Tutors how does it work? Main features
Best for: education on different subjects for kids up to university level.
Varsity Tutors offers online private tutoring to learners of any age, right from school to adulthood. It covers a range of subjects, meaning it is suitable for kids who need support in multiple areas. Varsity Tutors subjects include sciences, math, language and English.
The program offers homework help outside of lessons and free resources that support children’s learning. Varsity Tutors requirements for tutors include an online way to apply, video interview and creating a specialist profile. These aren’t as rigorous as some other alternatives like Brighterly.
- Personalized learning plans based on students’ needs
- Many different subject areas for comprehensive learning
- Support outside of one-to-one lessons
Varsity Tutors reviews from parents: pros and cons
There are a lot of Varsity Tutors reviews from parents that can give you insight into the values of the platform. Here are some Varsity Tutors pros reviews and cons reviews that users continually highlight.
Varsity Tutors benefits |
Disadvantages of Varsity Tutors |
✅ Multiple subjects available for students who need support in more than just math ✅ Group classes for social students, with class sizes capped at 9 ✅ All-in-one app tracks progress and offers all services in one place |
❌ Varsity Tutors rates are expensive compared to other tutoring services ❌ Popular tutors get booked very quickly, limiting their availability ❌ Not ideal for long-term tutoring due to mixed availability of tutors |
Reviews of Varsity Tutors
Varsity Tutor reviews are mixed. Positive reviews focus on a personalized service offered by the company, making customers feel valued. Some negative reviews have focused around a lack of customer care and confusion around lesson times.
“Varsity Tutors have been helpful and attentive since the first contact I made with them via their website. They have provided an excellent tutor and checked regularly that all is going well. The app to arrange sessions works really well but the personal calls mean you don’t feel like just another customer. I would (and have) recommend Varsity Tutors to other A level students.”
- Melanie, Trustpilot
“My daughter is studying for an ‘A’ level in ‘English Language’. I asked Varsity Tutors to find someone who could help her improve from a grade ‘B+’ to an ‘A+’. Varsity Tutors found a person who was an Oxford graduate with several years’ experience in improving top grades. The tutor was excellent. She was well prepared, very focused and provided insights that my daughter found extremely valuable. Varsity Tutors offer a facility to record each session and my daughter was able to revisit the learning. The quality of customer care is very good with a manager phoning me to check if everything was up to my expectations.”
- BD, Trustpilot
“We paid upfront for a month’s tuition. Minutes later, we get a tutor saying your first lesson is 1-2 AM. I’ve tried to contact the person I spoke to with no reply. We would like our money back and want to know how to go about it. We haven’t even discussed what is to be taught and when yet and they said you should activate your account immediately.”
- Bahadur, Trustpilot
How much does Varsity Tutors cost?
Varsity Tutors is one of the more expensive tutoring options for kids. For 4 hourly sessions a month, Varsity Tutors prices are around $329 a month. Meanwhile, prices for 8 hours a month amount to around $579 per month. Varsity Tutoring prices can vary based on the age and level of your child (or yourself, if you’re a college-age or adult learner) and the chosen subjects. The Varsity Tutors cost is higher than many of its alternatives.
Conclusion: Wyzant vs Varsity Tutors vs Brighterly – which math tutoring program is best for your child?
In this article, we’ve compared Wyzant vs Varsity Tutors and Brighterly. Each of these tutoring platforms offers unique benefits and has distinct pros and cons. Below, we’ve covered which platform is right for you based on your and your child’s specific needs.
- If you care about learning at any age, including college-level and adulthood, then try Varsity Tutors.
- If you have more than one subject your child needs tutoring in, then try Varsity Tutors.
- If you want highly qualified tutors who deliver tangible improvements in your kid’s grades, the best choice is the Brighterly math tutoring platform.
Here, I’ve highlighted the Wyzant vs Varsity Tutors vs Brighterly benefits so you can make an informed decision.
Comparing other platforms
We understand that choosing the right academic tutoring platform for your child is an important decision that you want to get right first time. That’s why we’ve compared many more tutoring platforms beyond Wyzant vs Varsity Tutors vs Brighterly. Check out some of our other comparison articles below: