A First Tutors alternative, now that it has closed.
First Tutors, one of the UK's longest-running tutor directories, closed permanently on 8 May 2026 after more than 20 years. If you were a parent mid-search, or a tutor with years of history built there, that history itself is gone: the site, its listings and its reviews are no longer online. TutorLab is a UK tutor directory built for the same job. Parents search by subject and town and message a tutor directly, for free. Tutors keep 100% on the students they bring, with only a card fee from 3.4% if a parent pays by card, never a commission.
Straight away: we cannot import your old First Tutors profile, students or reviews. First Tutors closed with no data export, so that history genuinely cannot be carried across, by us or anyone else. What we can do is help you rebuild fast: a free profile you publish yourself, real human help getting it right, and reviews that are earned honestly from here, from real, paid lessons on TutorLab, never imported.
What happened to First Tutors
First Tutors traded for more than 20 years and was, by listing volume, one of the UK's best-known tutor directories. It closed permanently on 8 May 2026: the closure notice thanked customers and tutors for their custom but did not give a reason, and none has been published since. Every listing, tutor profile and review went offline the same day.
Its model was a one-time fee, historically around £4.99 to £24.99, charged to parents to unlock a tutor's contact details. After that introduction there was no ongoing commission: lessons, scheduling and payment happened directly between parent and tutor. Worth knowing before you compare TutorLab, or anyone else, against it.
How TutorLab compares to First Tutors
| First Tutors | TutorLab | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Closed permanently, 8 May 2026 | Active |
| Cost model | One-time fee (historically around £4.99-£24.99) paid by the parent to unlock a tutor's contact details | Free for parents to contact a tutor; an optional tutor subscription from £12/mo adds software |
| Ongoing lesson fees | None after the introduction | 0% commission on your own students, ever; card fee from 3.4% only if you take card payments |
| Client relationship | Direct between tutor and parent after the introduction | You: the parent becomes a student in your own account, and you are the merchant of record if they pay by card |
| Profile and reviews | Gone; no export existed when it closed | Start fresh; reviews earned only from real, paid lessons, never imported |
First Tutors' site is now offline, so these figures reflect its last known public pricing before it closed and cannot be re-verified. Not TutorLab-measured data.
If you are a parent mid-search
If you had already paid First Tutors to unlock a tutor's details and you still have that tutor's email or phone number, nothing about your arrangement needs to change, only the platform hosting the conversation is gone. If you were still browsing, that search has to start again somewhere else. TutorLab works the same simple way: search by subject and town, then message the tutor directly.
Search by subject and town
GCSE, A-Level, 11+, KS2, KS3 and more, in your town or online across the UK.
Message tutors directly
Send an enquiry straight to the tutor. No reply within 48 hours and we introduce you to more, automatically.
No fee to make contact
No finder's fee like First Tutors charged, and no booking commission added to lessons. You arrange the rate directly.
If you were listed on First Tutors
We will not pretend your old profile can just reappear here. First Tutors closed with no data export, so your listing, your history and your reviews there cannot be imported, by TutorLab or anyone else. What we will do is help you rebuild it. Email harry@trytutorlab.uk and tell us you are moving from First Tutors: a real person will help you set up your subjects, experience and availability so you are findable again as fast as possible.
Your reviews start at zero, and that is deliberate. TutorLab only shows reviews from real, paid lessons, never imported ones, so when a review does appear on your profile it is genuine. Parents contact you directly. There is no commission on the students you bring, only a card fee from 3.4% if a parent pays by card, and a parent TutorLab brings you carries a 0% platform fee too, unlimited on every paid plan.
List for free, 0% commission on students you bring
Creating and publishing your profile is free. There is no commission on your own students: you set your rate and keep all of it, with a card fee from 3.4% only if you take card payments.
Get found by parents searching your area
Your profile is listed across UK towns and subjects so local parents searching for what you teach can find and message you.
Tools to run the admin
An optional subscription from £12 a month adds software: AI lesson notes and parent reports, invoicing in pounds and an HMRC tax summary. Paid tiers do not buy directory ranking or lead access.
Parents come to you
Enquiries land in your inbox. You reply directly and arrange sessions on your terms, no middleman on the conversation.
14-day free trial.
Questions about the move from First Tutors
Has First Tutors really closed?
Yes. First Tutors closed permanently on 8 May 2026, after more than 20 years as one of the UK's longest-running tutor directories. Its closure notice thanked customers and tutors but did not give a reason, and no listings, profiles or reviews from the old site are available any more.
Can TutorLab import my First Tutors reviews or profile?
No, and we want to be upfront about that. First Tutors closed with no data export, so nothing from your old profile, including your reviews, can be carried across by us or anyone else. What we can do is help you rebuild quickly: publish a free TutorLab profile today. TutorLab only shows reviews from real, paid lessons, never imported ones, so every review you earn from here is genuinely yours.
Will someone actually help me set my profile up?
Yes. Email harry@trytutorlab.uk and tell us you are moving from First Tutors. A real person, not a bot, will help you with your subjects, experience and availability so you are findable again as fast as possible.
Is it free for parents to contact a tutor on TutorLab?
Yes. Searching the directory and sending an enquiry to a tutor is completely free, with no account needed to make contact and no finder's fee like First Tutors charged. You arrange lessons and the rate directly with the tutor.
What does TutorLab cost a tutor?
Listing and publishing a profile is free, with no commission on your own students, ever, only a card fee from 3.4% if you take card payments. An optional subscription from £12 a month adds software: AI lesson notes and parent reports, invoicing in pounds and an HMRC tax summary. Paid tiers do not buy directory ranking or lead access. 14-day free trial.
Why did First Tutors close?
No reason has been made public. The closure notice thanked customers and tutors for their custom but did not explain the decision, and none has followed since. We do not know more than that, and we are not going to speculate.
Were you a tutor on First Tutors? We cannot bring your old reviews across, but we can help you get set up properly. Email harry@trytutorlab.uk for hands-on help, or see how switching to TutorLab works.
Pick up where First Tutors left off
Parents: find a tutor and message them for free. Tutors: get listed for free, with no commission on your own students, ever, only a card fee from 3.4% if you take card payments.