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Lesson Diary vs Passly
Passly is best known for built-in card payments and a free pupil marketplace. 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
- Passly
- £14.99/mo, drops to £8.99 later
- 14-day free trial
- Lesson money: 1.5% flat + Stripe fees
| Lesson Diary | Passly | |
|---|---|---|
| Price & terms | ||
| Monthly price | £9.99/mo | £14.99/mo, drops to £8.99 later |
| Free trial | Comes with a 14-day free trial, but you can start free with limited access instead — no card, no commitment | 14-day free trial |
| Cut of your lesson money | £0 — we never handle pupil payments | 1.5% flat + Stripe fees |
| Everything on one plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cancel yourself, anytime | Yes | Yes |
| Diary & scheduling | ||
| Route / GPS recording | Yes — GPS route map on every lesson | No |
| Works on the web | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad app | Yes | Mobile web, no native app |
| Android app | Yes | Mobile web, no native app |
| 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 | Yes |
| Works with no signal | Yes | No |
| Booking & getting pupils | ||
| Pupils book online themselves | Yes | Yes |
| Booking link & QR code | Yes | Partly |
| Booking widget for your site | Yes | Yes |
| Draw your coverage area on a map | Yes | Partly |
| Approve, defer or decline requests | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| Per-pupil pricing & packages | Yes | Yes |
| Pupil portal | Web, no download | Web, no download |
| 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 |
| 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: Passly
Where Passly is stronger
- A free marketplace listing that can bring in new pupil enquiries, though how many people use it is not clear yet
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
Launched in 2026, so it is the newest here with the shortest track record.
Common questions
Can I switch from Passly 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 Passly do that Lesson Diary does not?
Mainly: a free marketplace listing that can bring in new pupil enquiries, though how many people use it is not clear yet. The table above shows the full picture on both sides.
Still weighing it up? See all Passly alternatives →
No cut of your lesson money. Ever.
Lesson Diary never touches pupil payments — no 1.5%, no platform fee. Flat £9.99 a month, and no card needed to try it first.
