Apprentus

What Apprentus is

Apprentus is an online marketplace for private lessons. Learners search for a subject, browse the profiles of independent teachers, contact them for free and book a first lesson; teachers publish their own classes and set their own prices. The homepage says "From maths tutoring to yoga, Apprentus is the fastest and most effective way to connect with high-quality teachers," and gives the scale as "130,000+ teachers. Any activity." The about section describes the mission as providing "thousands of searchable and bookable classes" in hundreds of subjects.

It serves the learner side of this directory: a parent finding a maths or science tutor for a child, an adult learning a language, a musician wanting a teacher, or someone picking up a hobby. The site runs country and currency versions, with a selector showing Switzerland in Swiss francs on the main page and the United States in dollars on another, and it lists local lesson pages for France, Belgium, Switzerland, China, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the USA, the Netherlands, Estonia, Canada, Luxembourg, Spain, Germany, Austria and Mexico, plus several Arabic-language country pages.

The size of the catalog

The homepage breaks its teacher count down by area: 82803 teachers for school support, 77739 for language lessons, 20144 for music lessons, and 99863 offering online lessons. The online martial arts page alone lists 20 teachers. Apprentus says its tutors have been helping learners "For over a decade."

How finding and booking a teacher works

The category pages lay out three steps. First, browse the teachers in a subject and use the filters to narrow them down, for example to online lessons. Second, contact teachers for free, sharing goals and preferences, and choose the class that fits. Third, plan the schedule for the first lesson together with the teacher; once the teacher confirms, the lesson is booked. Learners who would rather not search can use a request-a-teacher option listed in the site's menu.

Each listing shows the teacher's name, country, hourly rate for a 60-minute lesson, review score and count, and often a video and a "Trusted teacher" badge. Teachers write their own class descriptions, so the detail varies. Listings written in another language carry a Google Translate option.

Teachers and what they offer

Because teachers write their own listings, the range is wide. Recently posted classes on the homepage include piano, saxophone or music theory from a classical pianist with a BMus from Oxford University; first-year medical school tutoring in chemistry, physics and biology from an EPFL master's student at 50 CHF an hour with the first lesson free; online German from A1 to C2 with preparation for Goethe and ÖSD exams; drum kit lessons; technical drawing and CAD; joint opera and vocal coaching in Ticino, Milan or online in 30, 45, 60 or 90-minute sessions; Italian conversation for English speakers; Danish for adults; yoga for people over 40; padel; and an introduction to portrait studio lighting.

Tutoring and school support. School subjects are the biggest area. A physics and maths tutor explains the approach in their own words: "I know how important it is to first truly understand the basics." Science tutors offer biology, chemistry and physics for exams and homework.

Languages. Language teachers list their levels and methods. One German teacher describes the approach this way: "effective language learning requires a structured yet flexible approach," and offers lessons in English, German or a mix of both. Others teach English, Spanish, Catalan, French, Italian, Danish and more, from beginner to advanced, with conversation, grammar and exam preparation. The menu also lists language training for companies.

Music. Music teachers cover instruments, voice and theory. A violin teacher offers "Classical training adapted to your goals," with in-person lessons where students bring their own instrument and online sessions "as long as the student has a basic understanding of playing the instrument." Opera coaching from professional singers sits at the advanced end.

Sport, fitness and other skills. Beyond school, languages and music, the marketplace covers hobbies and sport. The online martial arts page alone mixes Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Qigong from a teacher in Argentina, Wing Chun group classes in Switzerland, a self-defense course laid out in modules from pressure points to dealing with multiple attackers, private Muay Thai and kickboxing sessions, and Taekwondo for children and adults in London from a 5th Dan black belt. Teachers say whether they teach privately, in groups, at the student's home or online.

Prices

There is no single price list, because each teacher sets their own rate. On the US online martial arts page, the listed rates for a 60-minute lesson run from $18 to $126. Listings also give the country the lesson is taught from. The homepage example of the medical tutor at 50 CHF an hour with a free first lesson shows that some teachers also offer an introductory lesson free.

Signing up as a teacher is free, and the homepage invites teachers to create a profile and start teaching. A referral scheme offers both the inviter and the friend up to 50Fr off on the Swiss site and up to $50 off on the US site, and gift cards are sold.

Reviews and trust

Apprentus shows a site-wide score of 4.9 stars from 44 905 reviews. On category pages, it says it asks students to review teachers to ensure quality, and that "Only reviews of students are published and they are guaranteed by Apprentus." Homepage reviews from students in Switzerland include one of an Italian teacher, "Excellent, very polite, very organized and methodical. The course is very pleasant and fruitful," by IOULIA T., and one of a French tutor for expats, "Laureline is well organized, experienced tutor," by KIHONG J.

Who it suits

Apprentus suits learners who want one-on-one lessons and like to choose their own teacher by background, price and reviews: a parent looking for a school tutor nearby or online, an adult picking up a language, a musician wanting lessons on a specific instrument, or someone after a niche skill such as opera coaching or technical drawing. The free contact step and the many online teachers make it easy to compare before paying.

The trade-off of an open marketplace is that quality, method and price depend on the individual teacher, so it pays to read the profile and reviews closely. Learners who want a fixed curriculum with a set price for everyone would find a structured course provider simpler.