If you ever wondered about Superprof’s fees and found them a bit confusing, you’re not alone. Our business model differs from traditional tutoring agencies and many other competitor platforms. We’re a non-commission-based platform that emphasises freedom, flexibility, and direct connection between tutors and students, rather than acting as an intermediary agency.
In short, Superprof separates platform access from individual lesson payments. Students subscribe to the Student Pass to connect with millions of tutors worldwide, while tutors set their own rates and manage lesson payments independently. Payments for lessons are arranged directly between students and tutors, not through the Superprof platform.
In this article, we’ll be clearing up all the questions and doubts you may have about our payment and charges. So, keep reading!
Superprof Charges & Payment Types
| Payment Type | Who Pays | How It Works | Where Payment Happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Pass Subscription | Student | Monthly subscription fee | Paid via the Superprof platform |
| Pro Pass Subscription | Tutor | Optional premium subscription | Paid via the Superprof platform |
| Individual Lessons | Student to Tutor | Tutors set hourly rates | Paid privately between tutors and students using preferred methods |
The Superprof Backstory
In 2013, the year Superprof launched, the mainstream internet was a teenager. Barely 18 years had passed since society's broad embrace of the home computer, and the most popular websites were social media pages - MySpace, WeChat, Whatsapp and, yes, even Facebook.
Music sites also enjoyed regular, high-volume traffic. 2013 was the year of the Internet of Things. Exponential advances in technology made new and improved methods of communication possible. Connecting disparate devices to the internet - from refrigerators to robotic hoovers was the next big wave.
Anything was possible, and the internet had nowhere to go but up. With all of the entertainment and information available on the internet in 2013, there was nevertheless a gap in the market.
At the time, education was still mostly thought of as something to be delivered face to face, despite a long history of correspondence courses and distance learning; educational formats that had been going on for centuries.
In 2013, thanks to advances in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and better webcams, online education - especially one-to-one learning surged, and Superprof was ideally positioned to ride that wave. In just one year, Superprof welcomed its 100,000th tutor to the platform.
Two years after that, Superprof went worldwide. We'd already built a strong presence in France - we became the #1 tutoring service just a year after launching the programme, and gradually expanded to other countries across the world and in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia.
The Superprof model isn't just a beneficial learning community; it's an economic exemplar of how an ideal business should run. After all, what Superprof does for students and tutors is unparalleled; we're so much more than just a tutoring platform.
Building on this success, Superprof is now recognised as one of the leading global tutoring platforms. According to the latest Online Tutoring Portals Market Report, Superprof is listed among the leading global tutoring platforms alongside names like Wyzant, Preply, and Varsity Tutors. The market is expected to grow at about 17.4 % annually between 2024 and 2033, underscoring the increasing demand for digital, subscription‑based tutoring services1.
A New Business Model
The Superprof team motto includes words like 'caring', 'involved' and 'utopic'. Indeed, those concepts and qualities drive our service aims. Still, despite our altruistic spirit, we are a business; we have to generate income to sustain what we do so well. In the relatively uncharted waters where Superprof began its operations, there were many ways to generate revenue:
- partnering with outside firms that would pay us to post ads on our sites
- collecting a commission from tutors' per-lesson fees
- charging students a percentage of their per-lesson fee
- setting up a subscription service to allow students the maximum availability and access to tutors
The first idea was a non-starter. We're about students getting the help they need and the tutors exercising their passion for teaching, not about promoting other companies' products. Collecting a commission from tutors' fees was likewise unfeasible. To give our tutors maximum flexibility, we insist on their right to set their own rates. It would be impossible for us and for us, to run a business without knowing what income to expect.
Besides that, why should we take anything away from tutors who sign up to our platform to exercise their passion for teaching? The same logic applies to fees from students, except, for them, it's a need to learn, not to earn.
The fourth option became our solution. Just as some retailers invite you to become a member - Costco, as an example, and others promote the use of rewards cards (lower prices in exchange for your permission to track your shopping habits and profit from that data), we concluded that offering subscriptions yielded the best possible value for your money.
In the US, Superprof signed up 100,000 students and facilitated 125,000 lessons in the American market, demonstrating rapid adoption of its model2.
So, where other tutoring platforms may require their tutors and/or students to pay fees, Superprof makes things simple. The student subscribes to our platform, has access to more than 36 million tutors around the world and whatever hourly rate the tutor lists on their profile page is the per-lesson amount that they will collect.
Make no mistake. Just like with social media sites, if other platforms aren't charging you access fees, you are paying for access in other ways: through data harvesting, higher tutor prices and/or the tutors having to pay a fee to use the platform.
You may also be subject to periodic adverts. Or, you may be required to sign a contract that could extend far beyond the time you need your tutor, obliging you to pay more in fees.
You might say that Superprof for tutors is an efficient way for passionate mentors to launch themselves into a tutoring business, all while protecting students' interests and parents' pocketbooks.
Is Superprof Free for Students?
While it’s free to register an account, it’s not entirely free of use. In this section, we’ll explain the fees for students to contact our tutors on the platform and how it works.
Student Pass Subscription
The Superprof Student Pass is a monthly subscription plan that allows students to contact tutors without limits. This subscription gives you access to thousands of Superprof tutors worldwide, so you can browse profiles, compare rates, read reviews, and send lesson requests.
The Student Pass subscription is priced at RM29 per month in Malaysia. Here are the key features of the Student Pass:
- Unlimited ability to contact tutors
- Access to the best tutors available
- Ability to compare profiles, rates, and free reviews
- Option to arrange lessons online or in person
- Free first lesson to get to know your tutor
- No commission or extra charges
- A dedicated team to support you
- Flexibility to cancel subscription anytime
The video below features our founder, Wilfried Granier, explaining what motivated him to start the world's leading tutoring service.
How Much Does Superprof Cost?
Keep in mind that the Student Pass fee does not cover individual lesson costs. You pay RM29 monthly to contact tutors on the platform and find the one that suits your goals and learning needs. Once you have found one, you may get a free first lesson in which you’ll chat with the tutor, understand their learning style and decide if you want to take subsequent lessons with them.
For the subsequent lessons, you need to pay for the lessons at the rate set by the tutor or as discussed. If you instead decide to keep searching for a tutor, you may do so while your subscription is active. In the event you have already found a suitable tutor, you are free to cancel the subscription from your account.
This subscription fee allows us to enhance your overall experience on the platform and cover essential services, including user support and lesson-related tools.
I have been with Superprof since September 2021 and ever since then, students who had been introduced to me were all genuine in their request to find out how they could improve and upgrade in their English learning, and there after ended up making payment to begin their lessons with me. And I knew that students trusted me mainly because of Superprof. With such a great platform to support me from behind, I must say that I am very grateful to be able to be attached to Superprof that more and more students get to know me as an English tutor.
Robert Yap, a tutor on Superprof
Available Payment Methods
The Student Pass can be paid using:
- Credit card
- Debit card
Payment is processed securely via Superprof’s built-in payment system. You will only be charged if your tutor accepts your lesson request.
Create your student account
Browse tutor profiles in the subject and skills you’re interested in and select a tutor.
Click “Contact” to speak to the tutor and organise the first lesson.
Fill in your availability, lesson location, phone number and a personalised message to the tutor.
Subscribe to the Student Pass by entering your card details and proceeding to submit.
Your payment (RM29/month) is only charged if your tutor accepts your request.
The process is simple and straightforward. With this pass, you can contact as many tutors as needed until you find an ideal one for every skill and subject you’re interested to learn.
Tutor Rates
One of the strengths of our platform is flexibility and freedom. Tutors can set their hourly rates as they deem fit based on their own criteria, such as:
- Level of expertise
- Years of experience
- Subject demand
- Online vs face-to-face lessons
- Travel time (for in-person tutoring)
- Speciality (special needs kids, professional certificates, and so on)
As mentioned earlier, tutors operate independently; they are on this platform as a business themselves. This creates a competitive marketplace for students, which allows them to compare pricing and choose what fits their budget.
New tutors have the "1st lesson free" tag automatically applied to their ads, and over 95% of our tutors offer their first lesson for free. One of the benefits of this is that students can get to know their tutors before committing to paid lessons, which is perfect for scouting for their desired teacher.
We have looked into Student Pass thus far. Let’s take a look at the differences between the Student Pass and the Pro Pass to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding.
| Feature | Student Pass | Pro Pass (Tutors) |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription Type | RM29/month | Optional (RM400/year) |
| Ability to Contact Tutors | Yes | N/A |
| Increased Profile Visibility | No | Yes |
| Customer Support | Standard | Priority |
| Lesson Payments | Private between students and tutors | Private between tutors and students |
Superprof Pricing for Tutors
Profile Creation and Maintenance
Creating a tutor profile is completely free of charge. Anyone who wishes to teach their knowledge and skills in exchange for money can sign up for a tutor account. Tutors can sign up, create ads, and maintain their profiles without paying a setup fee. This includes:
- Creating a profile
- Customising their profile and changing information anytime
- No limitation on the number of subjects to advertise
- Earning a verified status by uploading their certifications and other important documentations
- Sharing reviews from their past or current students to boost their profile
- Requesting to list a subject (well, if it's not featured in our list of over 2,000 subjects!)
Superprof does not charge tutors for simply being listed on the platform. Tutors can create their own tutor ads to attract students. Over time, if you feel like changing the information on your ad, you can do so by going to your account and making the necessary edits on the "My Ads" tab in your profile.
Superprof has helped me through the years by closing the gap between student and teacher. It gives me an opportunity to share my skills and gain knowledge as well. Thank you!
A satisfied user about the Superprof platform
Pro Club Subscription for Tutors
Tutors who wish to maximise their presence on the platform can choose to subscribe to the Pro Pass. This optional subscription is designed to provide tutors with additional advantages that help them grow their teaching activity. Here are the key benefits of the Pro Pass:
- Greater visibility across the platform
- Listing insurance for added security
- Access to performance statistics, helping tutors improve their ads and increase profile views and clicks
- Dedicated support from the Superprof team (reach out at hellomalaysia@superprof.com)
- Invitations to trainings, workshops and ambassador evenings
This pass gives tutors extra tools and insights to optimise their profiles and attract students, especially when many other tutors are offering the same subjects as you do. It’s not mandatory, but optional for interested tutors. Like all subscriptions on this platform, this can also be managed, reactivated, or cancelled directly from the tutor’s account dashboard at any time. If you need help, you can always reach out to our support team.
Lesson Payments and Commissions
A common question is: Does Superprof take a commission on lessons?
On Superprof Malaysia, tutors and students arrange lesson payments privately between them and agree on a preferred payment method. This means students can pay tutors via cash, bank transfer, DuitNow or whichever payment method works for both parties - a flexibility that allows Superprof users to choose what works best for them.
Superprof Reviews
Besides the explosive growth the company has enjoyed over the past eight years, reviews and testimonials on sites such as Glassdoor, Indeed, and Trustpilot prove that, overwhelmingly, both tutors and learners are satisfied with the way things work at Superprof.
For the most part, a typical experience on the platform goes something like this: a student surfs through Superprof profiles, finds one that they'd like to engage with and clicks the contact button. They are then directed to a page requesting their details, including payment details. On that page, you will find the terms of the agreement laid out, including a notice that you are signing up for a subscription. Superprof also offers clear information on how customers can manage their subscriptions, providing flexibility in handling cancellations and refunds.
Superprof provides further clarification about its subscription model in the Terms of Use section, along with information on refunds and how to cancel the subscription if needed. These details ensure that people have a happy and informed experience when using the platform's services across any subject.
When signing up for a Superprof membership - or any other services available online - we encourage you to read our terms and testimonials. Read student and tutor reviews, get feedback from others who have used the platform, and then find out how Superprof works by reading through the terms and conditions listed on our site.
Once you’re confident that you understand the subscription and how your data is handled, you can proceed with providing your payment details and enjoy the best experience possible.
Conclusion
How Superprof works lies in its simple structure: flexible pricing, independent tutors, and a clear subscription system designed to support both sides while delivering a reliable learning experience.
Students pay a monthly subscription fee for a Student Pass to contact tutors. This pass lasts for a month, and they can cancel or reactivate when needed. Tutors, on the other hand, can create profiles for free, with the option to upgrade to a pro club plan for additional visibility.
This straightforward business model supports a smooth learning experience for both tutors and students. It is one reason why Superprof remains a popular choice for students seeking quality education across a wide range of subjects, and for tutors looking to grow their tutoring services, both in-person and online. With clear communication and support, everyone remains informed and confident in Superprof.
References
- Intelligence, H. M. (2025, October 29). Online tutoring portals market to see incredible expansion. HTF MI. https://www.htfmarketinsights.com/report/4391943-online-tutoring-portals-market
- SuperProf. (2024, May 16). SuperProf, world’s largest tutoring network, signs up 100,000 American students in record time. GlobeNewswire News Room. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/05/16/2883260/0/en/Superprof-World-s-Largest-Tutoring-Network-Signs-Up-100-000-American-Students-in-Record-Time.html
Summarise with AI:
Did you like this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
hi team,
I am a tutor from SuperProf in Malaysia. Ive held some classes but havent ask for payment from my client as i still get confused on how will i receive payment. Can i get a more clear and direct explanation on how will i get paid? Will i get paid by requesting them to directly transfer it to me or should i wait from superprof? know that i still didnt give my bank details to the client and superprof.
Hi Nuraqilah,
Payments can take whatever form you agree between you and the students: cash, PayPal, bank transfer etc. Hope this helps
Hi Miss Ann, how do I receive the payment from client? Do I need to charge my client every time they had class for example every weekends or just every month?
Hi, I’m new here and recently i have receive my first client. I want to ask, do we take payment directly from the client?
Hi Azamudden,
Congrats on your first student! Yes, the payment will take place between the both of you through an agreed method, cash, bank transfer, PayPal, etc.
How can I end superprof subscription to stop the monthly charges?
Hi Shahidra,
You can suspend your student pass through your Superprof dashboard at any time you like :)
Hi miss Ann, how do I ask payment from the clients? Is it every time I ask them to pay whenever there is a class or just one time payment only? Because it says payment based on hourly rate.
Saya telah mendaftar jadi murid, tapi saya membatalkanya.apakah uang saya akan kembali
Hai Frida! Anda boleh menghubungi kami di hellomalaysia@superprof.com dan kami akan membantu anda sebaik mungkin :)
Hi Superprof team.
I’m happy to be here in this big family .
I’m a Physics and mathematics tutor. I started my tutoring to my first wonderful student through Superprof. I appreciate and like this platform and its policies and ethics as well as the good feedback and response for clients enquiries.
I recommend it to both tutors and students.
Thank you.