Tutoring has a scaling problem. Every hour you spend building practice papers, chasing homework or writing progress updates is an hour you can't teach. And unlike teachers, most tutors don't get planning time built into the day. In the tutoring companies I've advised, admin regularly swallows a third of the working week.
The research backs this up. Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation found that educators using AI weekly save around 5.9 hours a week. Roughly six working weeks a year. Tutors, who carry the same preparation load without the same infrastructure, arguably have more to gain than anyone.
How I chose the tools
I train educators in the use of AI and advise schools, trusts and education businesses in the UK, US and internationally. Every tool below is listed in the aieducator.tools directory, where we compare 120+ AI tools for education on pricing, year group and safety compliance. I don't take payment for inclusion, and I'll tell you where a tool falls short.
Best for Test Prep Businesses: MentoMind
If you run a tutoring company built around SAT, ACT, HSPT, AP Maths, PSSA or ISEE prep, MentoMind offers white-label adaptive practice under your own brand. Your students see your business, not someone else's platform. The adaptive engine handles the drilling; you handle the teaching.
Best for Managing Student Work: StudySpaces
StudySpaces is built specifically for tutors and test prep businesses: create work, assign it, and track completion in one place. It replaces the spreadsheet-and-email patchwork most solo tutors are still running. Unglamorous, and exactly the doing you should outsource.
Best for Custom AI Tutors: Bloom AI
Bloom AI lets you build AI tutors grounded in your own content, so the help students get between sessions reflects your methods rather than a generic chatbot's guesswork. A caveat: AI tutors work best rehearsing what you've taught, not introducing new material. Keep first exposure human.
Best Free Companion: Knowt
Knowt gives students AI-generated flashcards, notes and assessments at no cost. A sensible way to add value between paid sessions without building anything yourself.
How to Choose
My rule: outsource the doing, not the thinking. Let AI generate the practice sets, track the homework and draft the progress reports. Diagnosing why a student is stuck, and deciding what comes next, stays with you. It's what parents are paying for. If you also create your own teaching resources, the lesson planning and resource creation category covers 46 tools worth comparing.
What I would do
The tutors winning in 2026 aren't working more hours; they're teaching a bigger share of the hours they work. Start with one tool that removes your ugliest admin job, prove it saves time, then add the next. Browse the full directory to compare your options.
Your evenings will thank you.
Dan Fitzpatrick is a Forbes contributor, three-time bestselling author and founder of The AI Educator. He has trained more than 150,000 educators worldwide and advises schools, multi-academy trusts and government bodies on AI strategy. Last updated: 19 August 2026.