Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team
The Princeton Review vs Tutorful
The Princeton Review vs Tutorful: the differences
| Compare | The Princeton Review ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |  Tutorful |
|---|---|---|
| Lesson price from | $29 | £20 |
| Trial lesson | Free | Discounted |
| Number of tutors | 3,000 | from 11,000 |
| Satisfaction guarantee | Better grades guaranteed for students who work with a tutor 2 hours a month for 3 consecutive months in one subject | 100% satisfaction guarantee: first lesson replaced with a new tutor, credited up to £100 |
| Median lesson price | Not confirmed | £53 |
| Subscription price | $39.99 to $179.99 | Not confirmed |
| Free trial length | 14 days | Not confirmed |
| Minimum age | Not confirmed | 18 |
| Cancellation notice | Not confirmed | 24 hours |
| Markets | US, CA | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Tutor vetting (Screened), Tutor background checks (Yes).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- Tutorful scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 9.1.
- Support channels: only The Princeton Review offers Phone.
- Support channels: only Tutorful offers Email, Chat, Community.
- Subjects: only Tutorful offers Music.
Our verdict on each
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review suits US and Canadian students who want live classes, tutoring and a money back guarantee from a single provider rather than a bare question bank. It scores 9.1 overall, with 60 days of money back cover on eligible programs offsetting an entry price of $299.
Tutorful
Tutorful suits families who want a wide pool of screened tutors without a fixed course, since from 11,000 tutors sit behind the matching. Tutor background checks, a satisfaction guarantee that replaces a poor opening lesson, and 24 hours notice to cancel make it a low risk way to find a tutor.
Score breakdown
| Area | The Princeton Review | Tutorful |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.7Entry starts at $299, high next to rivals, though the tutoring subscription range of $39.99 to $179.99 softens ongoing cost. | 8.9HigherEntry at £20 ranks mid table among compared brands, while the £53 median shows what most families pay. |
| Offer | 9.23,700 practice questions, 9 full length tests and live classes inside 12 months of access. | 9.5Higherfrom 11,000 tutors spanning math, english and science and 1to1 and app lessons give families genuine choice. |
| Trust | 9.7HigherA money back guarantee with a 60 day window, plus support on phone and help centre. | 9.2Tutor background checks are a yes, screened vetting is standard, and a satisfaction guarantee replaces a poor opening lesson. |
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | The Princeton Review | Tutorful |
|---|---|---|
| Online tutoring | 13 of 48 | 10 of 48 |
| Kids learning apps | 10 of 38 | 7 of 38 |
Licences and countries
| Country | The Princeton Review | Tutorful |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States | United Kingdom |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | The Princeton Review | Tutorful |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects | Math, English, Science, Languages, Coding, School | Math, English, Science, Languages, Coding, School, MusicCovers more |
| Lesson format | 1to1, App | 1to1, App |
| Legal entity | TPR Education, LLC d/b/a The Princeton Review | Tutora Ltd, trading as Tutorful (company number 09370702) |
| Headquarters | United States | United Kingdom |
| Founded | 1981 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Phone, Help centre | Email, Chat, Help centre, Community |
Online courses
| Fact | The Princeton Review | Tutorful |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $299 | Not confirmed |
| Price per month | $39.99 | Not confirmed |
| Free tier | No | Not confirmed |
| Money-back period | 60 days | Not confirmed |
| Platform type | Curated | Not confirmed |
| Access period | 12 months | Not confirmed |
| Graded assessments | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Offline downloads | No | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | The Princeton Review | Tutorful | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription price | $39.99 to $179.99below the median | Not confirmed | $95 |
| Free trial length | 14 daysat the median | Not confirmed | 14 days |
| Number of tutors | 3,000above the median | from 11,000above the median | 1,000 |
| Minimum age | Not confirmed | 18highest quarter | 10.5 |
| Cancellation notice | Not confirmed | 24 hoursat the median | 24 hours |
Median across 34 listed providers.
Pros and cons
The Princeton Review
Pros
- A money back guarantee on eligible test prep programs, with a 60 day window and a free repeat of the program for US and Canadian students.
- Breadth under one roof: sat, act and gre all sit within the same provider, spanning school and professional exams.
- Study depth of 3,700 practice questions and 9 full length tests, with live classes and 12 months of access.
Cons
- Entry price of $299 sits well above Testprep Training at $12.99 and Zebra Education at $49.
- There is no free tier, so the 14 day free trial and the free trial lesson are the whole no-cost taste.
- Offline download is not offered, so every practice session needs a live connection.
Tutorful
Pros
- A pool of from 11,000 tutors across math, english and science makes a subject match likely, including coding and music.
- Tutor background checks are a yes and tutors are screened, so families are not left to vet every tutor themselves.
- Canceling with 24 hours notice makes a clash with school life cheap to fix.
Cons
- The £53 median stands well above the £20 entry price, so regular lessons cost more than the headline suggests.
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, with no phone line for families who would rather talk a scheduling clash through.
- The vetting standard is screened, so a family wanting verified subject credentials has less detail to go on.
Who each suits
The Princeton Review
Who it suits
- Students in US and CA who want live classes and one provider across sat, act and gre.
- Learners who would rather have money back protection than a bare course: the guarantee is money back and runs 60 days on eligible programs.
- Families who need tutoring alongside exam prep, with 3,000 screened tutors, background checks and a free trial lesson.
Who should look elsewhere
- Budget shoppers, who would start at $12.99 with Testprep Training instead of $299 here.
- Students who need downloadable study material, since offline download is not offered; Zebra Education starts at $49 if entry cost matters more.
- IELTS candidates, who may prefer the specialist route E2Language covers from $69.
Tutorful
Who it suits
- Families who want to test a tutor with a discounted trial lesson before booking a run of regular sessions.
- Parents of learners who need help beyond core school subjects, since math, english and science includes coding, languages and music.
- Households that expect to change tutors or timetables often, since 24 hours notice keeps rearranging cheap.
Who should look elsewhere
- Families on the smallest budget, since BUKI lists lessons from PLN 50.
- Learners who want the lowest starting rate, since DojoTutor lists $10.
Current offers
The Princeton Review
Current offer
Bonus
10 hours On-Demand Tutoring reduced to $200: $200 (normally $349)
Add-on to the SAT & ACT Self-Paced package
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Free trial
14-Day Free Trial of SAT Self-Paced: 14 days
Offered on the SAT Self-Paced and SAT & ACT Self-Paced course options
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Country by country
| Country | The Princeton Review | Tutorful |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Yes | No |
| United States | Yes | No |
Questions about each
The Princeton Review
How much does The Princeton Review cost?+
The SAT Self-Paced course starts at $299, and the combined SAT and ACT Self-Paced course is priced above that as a package. Tutoring is separate: $39.99 covers a month inside a subscription range of $39.99 to $179.99, and individual lessons are priced at $29. The course price is the entry payment, while recurring spend comes from the tutoring subscription.
Is there a free trial or a free tier?+
There is a free trial running 14 days, and there is no free tier of study material sitting underneath it. For tutoring, a free trial lesson gives a session at no charge before any commitment. Together those two make up the entire no-cost entry route into the brand.
Tutorful
How much does a lesson cost on Tutorful?+
Tutorful lists starting lesson prices from £20, but the median lesson price is £53. That gap is the point: the starting figure belongs to the cheapest tutor on the board, while the median is closer to what a family pays once it settles with a regular tutor. Budget on the median.
Is there a free trial lesson with Tutorful?+
The trial lesson is discounted, so it runs at a reduced rate rather than at no cost. A satisfaction guarantee covers the other risk: if the opening session disappoints, it is replaced with a new tutor and the fee paid is credited back, up to a set cap. Families can test a tutor cheaply, though not for nothing.