TuitionCRM vs Excel and Google Sheets
Most tutors start with a spreadsheet: a tab for students, one for lessons, one for payments. It works — until you have 10 students, group classes and make-ups to track. Here's an honest comparison.
The short answer
A spreadsheet is fine for a handful of students and simple monthly fees. Once you're juggling repeating lessons, cancellations, make-ups and 10+ invoices a month, TuitionCRM does the bookkeeping for you — and it imports your spreadsheet in a minute.
Side by side
| TuitionCRM | Excel / Google Sheets | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for up to 5 students | Free (with a Google or Microsoft account) |
| Repeating lessons and groups | Typed in by hand | |
| Singapore holidays and exam dates | Built in | |
| Invoices from the lessons you taught | Automatic | Formulas you build yourself |
| PayNow QR with the amount filled in | ||
| Make-up lessons tracked | Manual | |
| Reminders to parents | Automatic emails (Pro) | |
| A page for each parent | ||
| Works well on a phone | Fiddly on small screens | |
| Income statement for tax | One click, with IRAS Form B figures (Pro) | Build it yourself |
| Fully flexible | Built for tuition |
When Excel / Google Sheets may suit you better
- You teach a few students on simple monthly fees, with few cancellations.
- You enjoy building spreadsheets and already have one that works.
- You never need to send parents invoices or reminders.
Switching to TuitionCRM
- Sign up free — no card needed.
- Go to Students → Import and upload your Excel or CSV file, or paste from Google Sheets. Columns are matched for you; “S4” becomes Sec 4 and “$65/hr” becomes 65.
- Book each student's regular lesson once, set to repeat.
- Add your PayNow number in Settings → PayNow. Your next invoices are built from the lessons you teach.
Common questions
Can I import my spreadsheet into TuitionCRM?
Yes — upload an Excel or CSV file, or copy and paste from Google Sheets. TuitionCRM matches the columns, tidies up levels and rates, and lets you check every student before importing.
Can I get my data back out?
Yes. Download a full backup any time, and export invoices and your income statement to Excel, PDF or Google Sheets.
Is TuitionCRM free?
Free for up to 5 active students, with scheduling, PayNow invoices, parent pages and make-ups. Pro (S$59 a month) adds Bill everyone, automatic reminders and income tracking.