Trayna vs a private tutor
Dr Lavan Ganeshkumar, PhD · updated 4 October 2026
Trayna and a private tutor do different jobs, and for many students the right answer is one of them, or both. This page is written by Trayna, so it is biased, but we have tried to be fair, including saying where a private tutor is better.
Check the current features and prices on each site, because they change.
What a private tutor is
a private tutor is a person who teaches you, usually weekly, in person or online, at a price per hour.
Where a private tutor is better
a private tutor: a person can find your specific misconception, ask follow-up questions, and hold you accountable.
What Trayna is
Trayna is a 24/7 online tutor in your pocket, on your tablet and on the web. Dr Lavan teaches you the topics in the app any time, anywhere, and an adaptive plan reinforces them each day from now to your exam. It is there for students who cannot afford 1-to-1 tutoring, and it is built to act like a 1-to-1 tutor: it teaches, it checks, and it adapts to how you are doing. The aim is that you really understand the subject and are prepared for it, not just that you have revised it. It is A-level only, for Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Maths follows Edexcel; Chemistry, Physics and Biology follow AQA.
Where Trayna is different
Trayna offers cost and availability: it is there whenever you want it, at a small fraction of the hourly price.
How to choose
- Choose a tutor if: You need a person to find and fix a stubborn misconception, or you need accountability.
- Choose Trayna if: You want daily structure and teaching on demand, and may add a tutor for a few topics.
- Use both if you want a library or a free resource for extra practice alongside a taught plan.
What Trayna does not do
It is for both Year 12 and Year 13. Year 13 students already use it, and Year 13 topics are being added as current students need them while Year 12 is the most complete, so check your topics in the app. Trayna is A-level only, with Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Biology, so no GCSE and no other A-level subjects.
Common questions
Is Trayna better than a private tutor?
They do different jobs. a private tutor is better where a person can find your specific misconception, ask follow-up questions, and hold you accountable. Trayna is built for cost and availability: it is there whenever you want it, at a small fraction of the hourly price. Many students could use both.
What is the difference between Trayna and a private tutor?
a private tutor is a person who teaches you, usually weekly, in person or online, at a price per hour. Trayna is a 24/7 online tutor in your pocket, on your tablet and on the web: Dr Lavan teaches each topic himself and an adaptive plan sets your days to the exam, for students who cannot afford 1-to-1 tutoring.
Should I use Trayna or a tutor?
Use a tutor if you need a person to find and fix a stubborn misconception, or you need accountability. Use Trayna if you want daily structure and teaching on demand, and may add a tutor for a few topics.
How much does Trayna cost?
14 days free, then from 9.99 pounds a month. Prices rise with the number of subjects. See the pricing page for details.
Trayna does this automatically. You enter your subjects, your exam dates and how long you have each day, and it builds the route from today to those exams, then adapts it as you go. Maths follows Edexcel; Chemistry, Physics and Biology follow AQA.
Get Trayna on the App Store · on Google Play
Free for 14 days, then from £9.99 a month. Cancel any time.