Guide
Free vs paid driving instructor apps
“Free” driving instructor software is rarely free of cost — it usually means a percentage of every lesson payment, paid pupil referrals, or a trial that ends. Here is what free actually costs, and when a flat monthly fee works out cheaper.
-
1. Lesson Diary
£9.99/moFlat fee, and £0 taken from your lesson money — the sums are simple.
-
2. DriveSchoolPro
Free until 31 Mar 2027, ~£22/mo expected afterGenuinely free for now, while it is in early access.
Lesson Diary vs DriveSchoolPro → -
3. GoRoadie Pro
£15/mo (free for PDIs)Free trial is long, but app payments cost 1.9% after.
Lesson Diary vs GoRoadie Pro → -
4. Passly
£14.99/mo, drops to £8.99 laterLow headline price, but 1.5% of app payments on top.
Lesson Diary vs Passly → -
5. Total Drive
£18–£26/mo (4 tiers)Paid tiers, with a card fee revealed at sign-up.
Lesson Diary vs Total Drive → -
6. MyDriveTime
£19/mo solo (free for PDIs)Paid, but free for trainee PDIs until they qualify.
Lesson Diary vs MyDriveTime →
The full comparison
| Lesson Diary | DriveSchoolPro | GoRoadie Pro | Passly | Total Drive | MyDriveTime | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price & terms | ||||||
| Monthly price | £9.99/mo | Free until 31 Mar 2027, ~£22/mo expected after | £15/mo (free for PDIs) | £14.99/mo, drops to £8.99 later | £18–£26/mo (4 tiers) | £19/mo solo (free for PDIs) |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial | Free early access, then a 14-day trial | 60-day free trial | 14-day free trial | 30-day free trial | 30-day trial + 6-month money-back |
| Cut of your lesson money | £0 — we never handle pupil payments | Stripe fees only, no platform cut | 1.9% on app-raised payments | 1.5% flat + Stripe fees | Card fee set at sign-up, not published | No card processing in the app |
| Everything on one plan | Yes | Solo plan; per-instructor add-on for schools | Yes | Yes | No | Per-instructor discounts for schools |
| Cancel yourself, anytime | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Web form, ends at period end | Yes |
| Diary & scheduling | ||||||
| Works on the web | Yes | Yes | Mobile-first, limited web | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring lessons | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Working hours & time off | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Double-booking flagged | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not advertised | Yes |
| Phone calendar sync | Via the mobile app | Partly | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gap alerts between lessons | Yes | Partly | Yes | Yes | Enhanced tools on higher tiers | Partly |
| Booking & getting pupils | ||||||
| Pupils book online themselves | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Ultimate (£23) and up | Partly |
| Booking link & QR code | Yes | Partly | Partly | Partly | Partly | No |
| Booking widget for your site | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Not advertised | Partly |
| Draw your pickup area on a map | Yes | No | Partly | Partly | No | No |
| Approve, defer or decline requests | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partly |
| Pupils & progress | ||||||
| Pupil records & lesson history | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Progress notes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DVSA syllabus tracking | Yes | All 8 categories, 27 skills | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mock tests, marked DVSA-style | DL25-style, live pass/fail | Partly | Partly | Yes | Yes | Partly |
| Per-pupil pricing & packages | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pupil portal | Web, no download | Web, no download | Pupil app | Web, no download | Branded native app | Student app |
| Waiting list | Yes | Partly | Partly | Partly | School feature | Partly |
| Theory & practical test dates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Money & admin | ||||||
| Who has paid, who owes you | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Payment records & financials | Yes | Income & pass-rate reports | Finance + tax exports | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Export pupils, lessons & payments | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic lesson reminders | Yes | Email (WhatsApp coming) | Yes | Yes | Yes | yes, plus SMS |
| Multi-instructor / school mode | Focused on solo — no bloat | Yes | Partly | Yes | Yes | 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: DriveSchoolPro, GoRoadie Pro, Passly, Total Drive, MyDriveTime
Flat fee. £0 taken from your lessons.
No percentage, no per-pupil charge — just £9.99 a month, and the sums stay simple. Free for 7 days, nothing charged until the trial ends.