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Lesson Diary vs MyDriveTime
MyDriveTime is best known for multi-car schools and trainee PDIs. Here is how it lines up against Lesson Diary, feature by feature — checked 27 August 2026.
- Lesson Diary
- £9.99/mo
- Comes with a 14-day free trial, but you can start free with limited access instead — no card, no commitment
- Lesson money: £0 — we never handle pupil payments
- MyDriveTime
- £19/mo solo (free for PDIs)
- 30-day trial + 6-month money-back
- Lesson money: No card processing in the app
| Lesson Diary | MyDriveTime | |
|---|---|---|
| Price & terms | ||
| Monthly price | £9.99/mo | £19/mo solo (free for PDIs) |
| Free trial | Comes with a 14-day free trial, but you can start free with limited access instead — no card, no commitment | 30-day trial + 6-month money-back |
| Cut of your lesson money | £0 — we never handle pupil payments | No card processing in the app |
| Everything on one plan | Yes | Per-instructor discounts for schools |
| Cancel yourself, anytime | Yes | Yes |
| Diary & scheduling | ||
| Route / GPS recording | Yes — GPS route map on every lesson | Journey tracking mentioned; no GPS detail or export listed |
| Works on the web | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring lessons | Yes | Yes |
| Working hours & time off | Yes | Yes |
| Double-booking flagged | Yes | Yes |
| Phone calendar sync | Yes | Yes |
| Gap alerts between lessons | Yes | Partly |
| Works with no signal | Yes | Yes |
| Booking & getting pupils | ||
| Pupils book online themselves | Yes | Partly |
| Booking link & QR code | Yes | No |
| Booking widget for your site | Yes | Partly |
| Draw your coverage area on a map | Yes | No |
| Approve, defer or decline requests | Yes | Partly |
| Pupils & progress | ||
| Pupil records & lesson history | Yes | Yes |
| Progress notes | Yes | Yes |
| DVSA syllabus tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Mock tests, marked DVSA-style | DL25-style, live pass/fail | Partly |
| Per-pupil pricing & packages | Yes | Yes |
| Pupil portal | Web, no download | Student app |
| Waiting list | Yes | Partly |
| Theory & practical test dates | Yes | Yes |
| Money & admin | ||
| Who has paid, who owes you | Yes | Yes |
| Sell a block of lessons upfront | Yes | Yes |
| Payment records & financials | Yes | Yes |
| Income, expenses & profit by MTD quarter | Yes — MTD quarters built in | Not confirmed |
| Export pupils, lessons & payments | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic lesson reminders | Yes | yes, plus SMS |
| Multi-instructor / school mode | Focused on solo — no bloat | Yes |
A note on fairness. We build Lesson Diary, and it is one of the tools on this page — so read the comparison with that in mind. Every rival figure was checked on 27 August 2026 against each company’s own website. Prices and plans change; if you spot something out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it.
Sources: MyDriveTime
Where MyDriveTime is stronger
- Per-instructor price drops sharply for bigger schools
Why instructors move to Lesson Diary
- We never touch your lesson money — no percentage, no platform fee, ever
- One plan: online booking, the coverage-area map, mock tests and the pupil portal are all in it
- Native iPhone and Android apps, not just a mobile website
- Works with no signal — add a lesson, pupil or payment offline and it syncs the moment you reconnect
- DL25-style mock tests marked the way the DVSA marks them — live pass or fail
- Sell a block of lessons upfront and we track the balance for you as pupils book
- Income, expenses and profit sorted by tax year and MTD quarter — no spreadsheet
- Export your pupils, lessons and payments whenever you want — the data stays yours
Built with multi-car schools in mind, so a solo instructor still pays £19 — near the top of this list. Billing is by direct debit.
Common questions
Can I switch from MyDriveTime to Lesson Diary?
Yes. Create a free account, no card required, and add your pupils. Subscribe whenever you're ready to unlock online booking and share your booking link. You can run both side by side while you decide — there is no contract to end.
Does Lesson Diary take a percentage of my lesson fees?
No. Lesson Diary never handles pupil payments, so there is no percentage and no platform fee. You record who has paid — cash, card or bank transfer — and keep every penny.
Can pupils pay in-app?
Not through Lesson Diary — and that's deliberate. Most solo instructors already collect fees by bank transfer, which is free, so we default new payment records to bank transfer rather than push you toward in-app card processing and the 1.5–1.9% fee that usually comes with it.
What does MyDriveTime do that Lesson Diary does not?
Mainly: per-instructor price drops sharply for bigger schools. The table above shows the full picture on both sides.
Still weighing it up? See all MyDriveTime alternatives →
Built for you, not a fleet of cars
Solo-instructor software at £9.99 a month — no per-seat pricing, no school features you'll never open. No credit card required to try it.
