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Lesson Diary vs Total Drive
Total Drive is best known for teaching aids, offline working and accounting sync. Here is how it lines up against Lesson Diary, feature by feature — checked 27 August 2026.
- Lesson Diary
- £9.99/mo
- 7-day free trial
- Lesson money: £0 — we never handle pupil payments
- Total Drive
- £18–£26/mo (4 tiers)
- 30-day free trial
- Lesson money: Card fee set at sign-up, not published
| Lesson Diary | Total Drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Price & terms | ||
| Monthly price | £9.99/mo | £18–£26/mo (4 tiers) |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial | 30-day free trial |
| Cut of your lesson money | £0 — we never handle pupil payments | Card fee set at sign-up, not published |
| Everything on one plan | Yes | No |
| Cancel yourself, anytime | Yes | Web form, ends at period end |
| Diary & scheduling | ||
| Works on the web | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring lessons | Yes | Yes |
| Working hours & time off | Yes | Yes |
| Double-booking flagged | Yes | Not advertised |
| Phone calendar sync | Via the mobile app | Yes |
| Gap alerts between lessons | Yes | Enhanced tools on higher tiers |
| Booking & getting pupils | ||
| Pupils book online themselves | Yes | Ultimate (£23) and up |
| Booking link & QR code | Yes | Partly |
| Booking widget for your site | Yes | Not advertised |
| Draw your pickup area on a map | Yes | No |
| 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 | Branded native app |
| Waiting list | Yes | School feature |
| Theory & practical test dates | Yes | Yes |
| Money & admin | ||
| Who has paid, who owes you | Yes | Yes |
| Payment records & financials | Yes | Yes |
| 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 Prices and plans change; if you spot something out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it.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: Total Drive
Where Total Drive is stronger
- Running since 2018 with a large instructor base
- Teaching aids — 3D hazard clips, a drawable doodlepad and a theory add-on
- Offline-first diary that keeps working with no signal
- Direct sync to QuickBooks and Xero
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
- DL25-style mock tests marked the way the DVSA marks them — live pass or fail
- Export your pupils, lessons and payments whenever you want — the data stays yours
Four tiers to weigh up, and pupils can only book online from the £23 Ultimate plan up. The card-payment fee is only shown to you at sign-up.
Common questions
Can I switch from Total Drive to Lesson Diary?
Yes. Start a 7-day free trial, add your pupils, 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.
What does Total Drive do that Lesson Diary does not?
Mainly: running since 2018 with a large instructor base. The table above shows the full picture on both sides.
Still weighing it up? See all Total Drive alternatives →
One plan, one price — no tiers to decode
Everything Total Drive splits across four tiers — online booking, the coverage map, mock tests, the pupil portal — is in Lesson Diary's single £9.99 plan. Free for 7 days, no card needed.