Unbeatable Price
Mandarin schools typically charge a 200-250rmb "hourly" rate for a 45-50 minute 1-1 lesson, but teachers take home barely half of that! A significant portion of your money goes to pay their advertisements, sales staff, rent, and utilities.
Why pay more to schools if you only need a tutor?
Now save up to 70% on tutoring rates with ShanghaiTutors! We have made it ridiculously easy for you to find great tutors at lower prices, and we'll connect you with them directly. Most of our tutors only charge between 130-160rmb/hour - yes, that's a 60 full minutes!
How does this happen?1. With an effective online booking platform, we keep offline in-office work at the minimum level. We don't have heavy cost on school rent, utilities, and staff like any school does. We pass the savings on to you.
2. Our business is built on word of mouth. We've helped thousands of students find the support they need and they are more than happy to spread the word. We don't advertise on Google, Facebook, magazines...again, we pass the savings on to you.
3. We are a marketplace for tutors. Tutors set the rate themselves. There are no mark-up prices.
Below is the average rate range for your reference (for private 1-1 sessions). The different tutoring rates reflect tutors' differences in experience, qualifications, and popularity.
| Tutor Type | A | AA | AAA |
| Hourly Rates | 90-120rmb | 130-160rmb | 170-200rmb |
Category A: amateur/novice teachers (just starting out)
Category AA: certified/professional teachers (usually 2-5 years experience)
Category AAA: star teachers (top trainers with experience in universities, international schools, corporate training, etc)
Comparison with Mandarin Schools
Tutors in Category AA are totally comparable to their counterparts in Mandarin schools (and often better!). Tutors in Category AAA, on the other hand, far exceed the average teachers from any Mandarin school. They are truly top trainers with considerable experience and a proven track record.
Many tutors at ShanghaiTutors also work part-time or full-time in Mandarin schools, and they are here to get more students like you to supplement income. You might bump into the same tutor if you opt for a private course at Mandarin schools, but you will end up paying 60%-200% more for the same lesson.
Check the below chart to compare tutoring rates at ShanghaiTutors and Mandarin schools (1-1 basis). Note that while all schools charge an "hourly" rate for a 45-50 minute lesson, an hour is always a real hour with us.
| Service | Rate/lesson | Length | Rate/hour | You will waste | Really? |
| ShanghaiTutors | 130-160rmb* | 60 min | 130-160rmb* | / | price link |
| Mandarin House | 249rmb | 50 min | 299rmb | 139-169rmb/hour | price link |
| iMandarin | 200rmb | 45 min | 267rmb | 107-137rmb/hour | price link |
| MandarinRocks | 190rmb | 50 min | 228rmb | 68-98rmb/hour | price link | LTL Mandarin | 220rmb | 55 min | 240rmb | 80-110rmb/hour | price link |
| Miracle Mandarin | 180rmb | 45 min | 240rmb | 80-110rmb/hour | price link |
| That's Mandarin | 350rmb | 50 min | 420rmb | 260-290rmb/hour | price link |
| Easy Mandarin | 200rmb | 50 min | 240rmb | 80-110rmb/hour | price link |
| Go East Mandarin | 228rmb | 50 min | 274rmb | 114-144rmb/hour | price link |
| Mandarin Garden | 180rmb | 45 min | 240rmb | 80-110rmb/hour | price link |
| Mandarin Inn | 167rmb | 45 min | 223rmb | 63-93rmb/hour | price link |
| SN Mandarin | 200rmb | 45 min | 267rmb | 107-137rmb/hour | price link |
| School Average | 215rmb | 48min | 269rmb | 109-139rmb/hour | Really! |
Frequently Asked Questions
1- Any other benefits?
If you’re thinking about having lessons at your home or office, keep in mind that Mandarin schools often tack on an extra transportation fee on top of the tuition. It usually ranges from 10-50 RMB per session in downtown areas. But don’t worry, our tutors generally include commuting costs in their quotes, so you won’t have any surprise fees-unless the location is a bit tricky to reach or way out of town.
2- Can I find a tutor for even less? Like 60 RMB an hour?
Well, that’s a bit unrealistic, especially these days! Just a heads up, even house cleaners are making around 50-60 RMB an hour now (and some might be illiterate), but you're looking for people sharing their knowledge that could really boost your career. So, let’s be a little more serious about this.
For us, the starting rates are around 90-120 RMB/hour for beginner-level tutors. If you want someone who’s teaching professionally, expect to pay around 130-160 RMB/hour. If you want to up your learning game even more, our star tutors are a fantastic option. You’ll pay a bit more, but it’s worth it for the quality!
Just a heads up, you might come across some cheaper “tutors” from free classified ads or learning apps, but honestly, we hope you steer clear of them. A lot of the time, they aren’t qualified, and who knows what their real agenda is? They could be looking to practice their English, show off having a foreign buddy, find a foreign spouse to immigrate, or sell you something else entirely. Seriously, it’s not worth risking your money, time, and future on that.
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