If you have landed here looking for First Tutors, there is something you should know first: after more than twenty years online, First Tutors closed in 2026. The website now shows a closure notice, and the service is no longer taking bookings. If you used it before, or were about to, this guide explains how it worked and where you can go instead.
Quick answer: First Tutors closed in 2026 after twenty years. Its model — a one-off finder's fee (£9.99–£34.99) to unlock a tutor's contact details, then everything handled directly — is gone. iTutorOnline is the closest match in spirit: a transparent directory with no connection fee, a flat 15% tutor commission, and verified tutors with lessons and payments kept safely on-platform.
How First Tutors worked
First Tutors was a "find your own tutor" directory rather than a managed service. You searched by subject, level, and location, then browsed tutor profiles showing qualifications, experience, hourly rates, and student feedback.
Its money model was unusual and, for a long time, well liked:
- A one-off connection fee. When you were ready to start with a tutor, you paid a finder's fee, typically between £9.99 and £34.99 depending on the tutor's rate, to unlock their contact details.
- No commission after that. Once you were connected, all scheduling, pricing, and payment happened directly between you and the tutor. First Tutors took no ongoing commission, and it was free for tutors to advertise.
That model rewarded long-term arrangements, since you paid once and then dealt with the tutor directly. The trade-off was that lessons, payments, and safety all moved off-platform after the introduction.
How iTutorOnline works
iTutorOnline keeps the parts people liked about First Tutors, a transparent directory and low fees, while keeping lessons, payments, and safety inside one place.
- No connection fee to browse or book. You can search, message, and book tutors without paying to unlock anyone.
- Flat 15% tutor commission. Tutors keep 85% on every lesson. For students, the €5 per hour platform fee is already included in the price shown, with no subscriptions or booking fees.
- Everything stays on-platform. Lessons run in an encrypted video room with a revisitable whiteboard, and payments go through secure, regulated processing, so you are protected rather than arranging cash off-site.
- Every tutor is verified. ID and age verification are required, with optional diploma verification, so you know who you are learning with.
Who this suits
First Tutors suited people who wanted a single introduction and were happy to manage everything themselves afterwards. That self-managed approach worked well for in-person, local tutoring.
iTutorOnline suits people who want that same transparency and low cost, but with online lessons, secure payments, and verified tutors handled in one place. For former First Tutors users, it is the closest match in spirit while filling the gaps the old model left open.
The bottom line
First Tutors is gone, but the idea behind it, trusted tutors at a fair price without heavy platform cuts, lives on. iTutorOnline takes that further with verified tutors, a flat low commission, and everything you need in one secure place.
FAQ
Is First Tutors still open? No — it closed in 2026 after more than twenty years. The website shows a closure notice and no longer takes bookings.
How did First Tutors' pricing work? A one-off finder's fee of £9.99–£34.99 unlocked a tutor's contact details; after that, everything happened directly between you and the tutor with no commission.
What is the closest alternative to First Tutors? iTutorOnline: a transparent directory with no connection fee, a flat 15% commission, and ID-verified tutors with lessons and secure, regulated payments on-platform.
Why not just arrange lessons off-platform like First Tutors allowed? Off-platform saves a fee but moves payments and safety out of anyone's oversight. On-platform you get verified tutors, secure payments, and an encrypted lesson room with a revisitable whiteboard.
Looking for a replacement? Find a tutor today, or read about our transparent pricing. See also how much tutoring costs.