How to Create a Website Like Outschool

Outschool has revolutionized the landscape of online learning, delivering engaging live classes for children through a vibrant peer-driven marketplace. Since its inception, Outschool has grown rapidly, from humble beginnings to a platform offering thousands of interactive sessions every week. This success has sparked growing interest in similar live, group-based tutoring models that combine flexibility, interactivity, and community learning. Moreover, the global online tutoring market is expected to reach US $27.63 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 12.7%. 

As demand surges for real-time, shared educational experiences, especially among younger learners, entrepreneurs and educators alike are looking to build platforms like Outschool. And the good news? It’s entirely achievable with the right technology. Solutions like Yo!Coach makes it possible to launch your own group-based learning platform quickly, with robust features and scalability built in from day one.

What is Outschool & Why is It Popular?

Outschool operates as an educational marketplace focused on live classes, especially for children. The essence of its model lies in real-time, interactive group learning, where tutors create and run small-group classes across a plethora of subjects, from math and language arts to art, music, coding, and beyond.

What Sets Outschool Apart?

• Live, interactive classes for kids: Learning is dynamic, with video sessions, chats, and collaborative activities that keep children engaged.
  
• Group learning format: Small class sizes foster peer interaction, social learning, and personalized attention, all within a shared group environment.
  
• Flexible tutor onboarding: Outschool’s model lets any qualified educator propose and launch a class, giving tutors autonomy and variety in what they teach.

Outschool’s popularity stems from both demand and trust: parents appreciate its quality, tutors appreciate earning potential and flexibility, and the platform’s success has been reinforced by funding rounds and steady growth. Numbers vary, but as of recent years, Outschool has attracted millions in funding, tens of thousands of tutors, and enrolled hundreds of thousands of learners across thousands of classes.

The broader appeal? People crave live, interactive, and personalized learning, especially now that remote education is well accepted. Platforms offering real-time group experiences with expert tutors are riding a wave of demand that continues to rise.

Business Model of Outschool

Outschool’s monetization model is a classic marketplace structure. Here is how the platform works. 

• Tutors create classes: Educators propose class topics, craft lesson plans, and set their own schedules and prices. This flexibility ensures that educators can monetize their expertise without rigid restrictions. The more variety of classes, the more attractive the platform becomes for learners.
  
• Students browse & enroll: Learners (or their parents) explore classes by subject, date, or age level, and pay per class or as part of a package. The browsing experience is similar to an eCommerce store, where filters and recommendations help parents and students find the right fit for their child.
  
• Platform earns via commission: Outschool retains a percentage of the class fees as its revenue stream. This model ensures a steady income for the platform while tutors still maintain control over their pricing.

Pricing Structure

• Per-class fees: This is the most common pricing model for single sessions, workshops, or introductory courses. Tutors set a specific price for each session, giving learners the flexibility to try a class without a long-term commitment.
  
• Subscription or package deals: For more in-depth learning series or themed multi-session classes, tutors can offer bundled or discounted rates. This encourages commitment and is often used for multi-week courses, language learning, or ongoing academic support.

This model is a win-win. Tutors are incentivized to focus on quality and specialization, as this attracts more students and justifies higher prices. Students and their parents benefit from a huge variety of choices at different price points. And the platform profits by facilitating these connections, avoiding the high costs and complexities of hiring or creating all the content itself. New businesses can replicate this model successfully by focusing on the implementation of four key pillars:

• A user-friendly tutor onboarding process that makes it simple for educators to get started.
• A searchable marketplace with effective filters, categories, and robust profiles.
• A tracking system that automates enrollments and payouts, ensuring accuracy and transparency.
• A commission logic that is fair and balances tutor flexibility with platform profitability.

Step-by-Step Guide to Create a Website Like Outschool

Creating a successful online tutoring platform requires more than just a great idea; it demands a clear, actionable roadmap.

Step 1: Define Your Niche & Target Audience

This is the strategic foundation of your business. A broad approach makes it difficult to stand out in a crowded market. By focusing on a specific niche, you can develop a deep understanding of your target audience’s needs and attract a highly specialized pool of tutors. Ask yourself the following questions. 

• Will you cater to K–12 academic tutoring (like math, science, and test prep)? This niche has constant demand and is often driven by parents seeking to supplement their child’s school education.
• Do you want to focus on language learning (e.g., ESL, foreign languages, or bilingual learning)? This is a global market with a high demand for live, interactive practice.
  
• Or are you targeting hobby and enrichment classes (e.g., coding, music, art, or public speaking)? This niche appeals to parents looking for engaging, non-traditional learning experiences that can spark a child’s passion.

A well-defined niche allows you to craft messaging that resonates with your audience, attract passionate and specialized tutors, and build a strong, recognizable brand identity. For instance, a platform that exclusively focuses on STEM for kids will have a very different tone and marketing strategy compared to one centered on arts or language learning.

Step 2: Finalize Your Revenue Model

Choosing the right revenue structure is essential for long-term sustainability and profitability. Various options include:

• Commission model: This is the most common and scalable model for marketplaces. You charge a percentage on each booking, which aligns your revenue with the success of your tutors.
  
• Subscription model: This can be used to offer unlimited access to a library of classes for a recurring monthly fee. This model provides predictable revenue but may be less appealing to users who only need a few classes.
  
• Pay-per-class: A straightforward model where students pay for individual sessions, which works well for one-off workshops or trial classes.

You can even adopt hybrid models, for instance, combining subscription access for frequent learners with a pay-per-class option for those seeking specific workshops. The flexibility of your revenue model will also impact tutor earnings and customer retention, so it should align with your long-term vision.

However, there are some other revenue streams as well that can help you in establishing a sustainable revenue model. Let’s know about them. 

• Advertisement: An Advertisement fee can be charged from other businesses for promoting their products or services on the platform. 
• Sponsored Listing: Charge a sponsorship fee from tutors for promoting them prominently on your website. This helps tutors in reaching out to their targeted audience more effectively. 
• Certifications: A certification fee can be charged to learners who are seeking to get a certificate after successful completion of their session or courses. 

Step 3: Plan The Key Features For Your Online Tutoring Platform

To build a platform that thrives, you need to create a seamless experience for every user. This requires a set of well-orchestrated features that empower students, support tutors, and give administrators the control they need to manage the marketplace.

For Students and Parents

• Search & Filtering Options:

A powerful, intuitive search function is the first step to a high enrollment rate. Users should be able to quickly narrow down thousands of class options using filters for subject, price range, availability, tutor ratings, and age group. This ensures that parents can find the perfect class for their child’s specific needs without feeling overwhelmed.

• Multiple Categories & Subjects:

To attract a wide and diverse audience, your platform needs to offer more than just standard academic tutoring. Include a broad range of subjects covering academics, test preparation, hobbies, extracurriculars, and soft skills. This breadth appeals to different learner segments and encourages repeat visits as students’ interests evolve.

• Interactive Class Booking:

The booking process must be effortless. A visual calendar view allows users to see class availability at a glance. Instant confirmation provides peace of mind, while automated reminders via email or text ensure no class is missed. The option to book single sessions or bundled packages adds flexibility and caters to different user needs.

• Reviews & Ratings:

Trust is paramount in online education. An integrated reviews and ratings system provides crucial social proof, allowing new students to make informed decisions based on the experiences of others. This feature also motivates tutors to deliver consistent, high-quality instruction to maintain a strong reputation.

• Live Virtual Classroom Features:

This is the core of the learning experience. The virtual classroom must be more than just a video call; it needs collaborative tools that promote engagement. Include a digital whiteboard for shared problem-solving, breakout rooms for small-group activities, polls to check for understanding, and screen sharing for presentations. These features transform a passive video session into a dynamic, immersive learning environment.

For Tutors

• Profile Creation & Class Scheduling: 

Empower tutors to showcase their expertise. A detailed profile allows them to highlight their qualifications, teaching style, and passion for their subject. An easy-to-use scheduling tool gives them full control over their availability, enabling them to manage their workload and balance teaching with other commitments.

• Earnings Dashboard:

To build trust and ensure long-term retention, tutors need a clear view of their business performance. An earnings dashboard should transparently display upcoming bookings, revenue generated, and a detailed breakdown of payouts. The ability to easily request withdrawals provides financial control and peace of mind.

• Instant Communication Tools:

Direct, reliable communication is vital. A built-in messaging system allows tutors to communicate instantly with parents and learners to answer their questions, and resolve their issues. 

• Resource Sharing Options:

The learning experience shouldn’t end when the class does. Allow tutors to upload and share worksheets, reading materials, or links to external resources directly with their students. This feature extends the value of the class and helps students continue their learning journey.

For Admins

• User & Tutor Management:

The administrative dashboard is the control center for your entire platform. Admins need robust tools to review and approve new tutor applications, moderate content to ensure quality and safety, and efficiently manage all user accounts.

• Payment & Commission Control:

A powerful financial system is non-negotiable. Admins must be able to configure and adjust commission rates, manage refunds, and automate payouts to tutors. This feature ensures that all financial transactions are accurate, secure, and transparent.

• Analytics & Reports:

Data is key to strategic growth. The platform should generate comprehensive reports and analytics that provide insights into which tutors are performing well, which subjects are gaining popularity, and how revenue is trending over time. These insights are invaluable for making informed business decisions.

Step 4: Choose the Right Tech Stack (Development Approach) 

Your choice of technology will determine your cost, time to market, and future scalability.

• Custom development: This option offers total flexibility but comes with a high price tag (often $25,000 –$500,000+), a long timeline (3–6 months or more), and requires ongoing maintenance. It’s best for businesses with a large budget and truly unique requirements.
  
• Readymade solutions: Readymade software solutions like Yo!Coach are a highly efficient alternative. They come with all the essential features built in, a virtual classroom, tutor profiles, payment systems, and scheduling, and are designed for this specific business model. This route is significantly more cost-effective, takes just 2–3 weeks to launch, and allows you to start generating revenue sooner.

Step 5: Launch, Market & Scale

After building your online tutoring platform, you need to enter the market effectively. A great platform won’t attract users on its own. A strategic marketing plan is essential for success.

• SEO: Optimize your platform and blog for key search terms like “live coding classes for kids,” “virtual Spanish tutoring for children,” or “online art classes for teens.”
  
• Content marketing: Publish valuable content, blogs, guides, and videos that address parents’ and learners’ pain points and highlight the benefits of your platform.
  
• Social promotion: Leverage social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to run targeted ads to parents, engage in relevant parent communities, and create a referral program to incentivize word-of-mouth marketing.

Why Yo!Coach is the Best Solution to Build an Outschool-Like Platform

Yo!Coach is a  turnkey online tutoring software with all the essential features you need to compete in the online learning space without the months of development and millions in investment that Outschool’s proprietary platform requires.

• Pre-built yet customizable: You can launch quickly with a fully-functional platform and then easily tweak branding, workflows, and features as needed.
  
• Integrated virtual classroom: The software has a powerful, built-in virtual classroom with all the necessary tools, video, whiteboard, screen sharing, and chat, eliminating the need for costly third-party integrations.
  
• Advanced tutor & student management: It goes beyond basic profiles, offering comprehensive dashboards for managing schedules, earnings, and communication.
  
• Multilingual & multicurrency support: Yo!Coach offers multilingual & multicurrency capabilities to scale globally from day one, opening up a wider market for your business.
• In-built marketing features: Yo!Coach comes with pre-built marketing features that enable platform owners to effortlessly implement their marketing strategies. 

Features	Outschool	Does Yo!Coach Powered Platform Supports It
Business Model	Commission-based	Yes
Built-in Virtual Classroom	Offers Zoom	Yes
Up-to-date Features	Advanced Tutoring Features	Yes
Pricing Plan	Flexible	Yes
Tutor Profiles	Detailed	Yes
Calendar Availability	Streamlined	Yes

Apart from offering all the features mentioned above Yo!Coach provides many other advanced and industry-specific features that can help you not only in creating an online tutoring platform like OutSchool, but also provide a complete ecosystem to launch a platform that offers many more capabilities than OutSchool, and can compete well in this highly competitive industry. Some of the latest features include: 

• User management 
• Commission management 
• Automated time zone management
• Calendar availability
• Ratings & review 
• Reports and analytics 
• Multiple payment gateways 
• Multi-lingual & multi-currency
• Free personalized demo 
• One year of free technical support and many more

By using a solution like Yo!Coach, you can replicate the best parts of Outschool’s model while retaining full control over your brand, business logic, and growth trajectory. You can start earning quickly, reduce your time to market, and build a scalable business without reinventing the wheel.

Final Thoughts

Creating a platform like Outschool is both an exciting and achievable business venture. With flexible payment systems and strong admin tools, you can deliver real value to learners and instructors alike. With readymade solutions like Yo!Coach, you can fast-track your entrepreneurial journey, build a platform tailored to your specific niche, and tap into the growing global demand for live, interactive, and community-based learning.

FAQs

Q1 Can I build a platform like Outschool without coding knowledge?

Ans. Yes. With readymade solutions like Yo!Coach, you don’t need coding or technical expertise. The software comes with pre-built features such as tutor onboarding, class scheduling, payments, and a virtual classroom, allowing you to launch in just 2–3 weeks.

Q2. How much does it cost to create a platform like Outschool?

Ans. Custom development can cost anywhere between $25,000–$500,000+ and take months to launch. Alternatively, with Yo!Coach, you can launch a fully functional platform at a fraction of the cost in just a few weeks.

Q3. Can I customize my platform if I use Yo!Coach?

Ans. Absolutely. Yo!Coach is a readymade yet customizable software solution. You can change the branding, revenue models, commission logic, layouts, and even add new features as your business scales.

Q4. How long does it take to launch an Outschool-like website with Yo!Coach?

Ans. With Yo!Coach, you can launch your platform up and running in 2–3 weeks, compared to months of custom development.

Q5. Is it possible to scale my platform globally?

Ans. Yes. Yo!Coach supports multilingual and multicurrency functionality, making it easy to expand your platform internationally and attract tutors and learners worldwide.