Comparison
Passly vs MyDriveTime
MyDriveTime is one of the longest-running instructor diaries in the UK, with deep lesson-recording tools. Passly is the newer, simpler platform with payments, online booking and a pupil marketplace built in. Here's how they stack up, feature by feature.
The quick verdict
Passly matches MyDriveTime on the diary, pupil records and gap filling, then adds the business side it doesn't cover: card payments at a flat, published 1.5%, online booking for new pupils, marketplace leads and school features, on one £14.99 plan against MyDriveTime's £19. Even if you value its in-lesson extras like GPS journey tracking and reflective logs, Passly runs the whole business for less.
| Feature | Passly | MyDriveTime |
|---|---|---|
| Diary & calendar | ||
| Online diary on web and mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud diary, every change saved instantly, no sync button | Yes | Offline-first with a manual sync |
| Recurring lessons (weekly / fortnightly) | Yes | Yes |
| Working hours & unavailability | Yes | Yes |
| Double-booking / clash detection | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar feed to Google & Apple Calendar | Yes | Yes, export to Google, Apple & Outlook calendars |
| Pick-up & drop-off locations | Yes | Directions to lessons |
| Lesson gap filling (offer empty slots to pupils) | Yes | Yes, Diary Gaps |
| Offline mode | — | Yes |
| Online booking & growing your diary | ||
| New pupils book online from your real availability | Yes | Gap offers to existing pupils only |
| Embeddable booking widget for your own website | Yes | — |
| Free marketplace listing & public profile | Yes | — |
| Leads / enquiry inbox | Yes | School admin dashboard |
| Done-for-you instructor website (optional) | From £29/mo | — |
| Pupil records & progress | ||
| Pupil records, notes & full lesson history | Yes | Yes |
| Per-pupil pricing & lesson types | Yes | Yes |
| Syllabus progress tracking | Yes | Yes, multiple syllabuses |
| Live progress record shared with the pupil | Yes | Yes |
| Driving test & fault logging | Yes | Yes |
| Reflective logs | — | Yes, customisable |
| GPS journey tracking during lessons | — | Yes |
| Digital terms & conditions signing | — | Yes |
| Waiting list | — | Not advertised |
| CSV export of your data, any time, free | Yes | Post-cancellation export costs an admin fee |
| Pupil app & portal | ||
| Free pupil portal / app | Web portal, no download needed | Student app, not listed on the app stores when we checked |
| Pupils see lessons, progress & balances | Yes | Yes |
| Pupils book & manage lessons themselves | Yes | Accept gap offers only |
| Messaging & reminders | ||
| In-app messaging with pupils | Yes, two-way threads | Limited, via student app feed |
| Automatic lesson reminders (included free) | Yes, email, in-app & push | Yes, push & SMS |
| SMS text reminders | — | Included |
| Automatic payment reminders | Yes | Arrears tracking |
| Payments & finances | ||
| In-app card payments from pupils | Yes, Stripe | No, records payments, doesn't take them |
| Commission on your lesson money | 1.5% flat, published, plus standard Stripe fees | n/a (no payment processing) |
| Prepaid lesson credits & packages | Yes | Yes |
| Discounts, coupons & block-booking pricing | Yes | Not advertised |
| Income & expense tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Mileage tracking | Yes | Not advertised |
| Profit & loss and financial reports | Yes | Yes |
| CSV export for your accountant | Yes | Yes |
| Driving schools & multi-instructor | ||
| Multi-instructor diaries & management | Yes | Yes |
| School-wide takings & finances | Yes | Yes |
| Allocate pupils to instructors | Yes | Yes |
| Role-based access (instructor finances private) | Yes | Yes, franchise mode |
| Per-instructor price | £14.99 flat | £19 first, £5 to £15 thereafter |
| Pricing & contract | ||
| Monthly price (one instructor) | £14.99, one plan, everything included | £19 |
| Free trial | 14 days | 30 days |
| Cancel any time, self-serve | Yes | By contacting support only |
| Fees refundable | No lock-in to refund | Non-refundable per terms of service |
Comparison based on publicly available information from mydrivetime.co.uk, app store listings and MyDriveTime's terms of service, checked July 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Where MyDriveTime shines
MyDriveTime has been refined since 2014 and it shows in the teaching workflow: every lesson moves through booking, planning, journey and outcome, with GPS route recording, searchable summary notes and reflective questionnaires your pupils fill in afterwards. SMS reminders are included in the subscription, and offline mode keeps the diary working in poor signal.
The gaps are commercial: there's no card payment processing, no online booking for new pupils, and nothing that brings you leads. Cancelling means contacting support, and getting your data out after you've left costs an administrative fee.
Where Passly is different
Passly treats your diary as a business, not just a calendar. Pupils pay by card in-app through Stripe, prepaid credits and block-booking discounts are built in, and what you're owed is always visible. New learners find you through your free marketplace profile and book real slots from your actual availability, with no back-and-forth texts.
It's also simpler to live with: one £14.99 plan, a web pupil portal with nothing to install, self-serve cancellation and free CSV exports of your pupils, lessons and payments whenever you want them.
Passly vs MyDriveTime: your questions
Is Passly cheaper than MyDriveTime?
Yes, £14.99 a month against £19 a month for a solo instructor, both with no contract. The bigger difference is what's included: Passly has Stripe card payments, online booking for new pupils, an embeddable widget and a free marketplace listing built in. MyDriveTime records payments you've taken elsewhere but doesn't process them, and doesn't offer online booking for new pupils.
What does MyDriveTime have that Passly doesn't?
MyDriveTime is strong on lesson delivery: GPS journey tracking with route playback, customisable reflective logs, multiple syllabuses, digital T&C signing with a drawn signature, offline mode, and SMS reminders included in the price. If deep lesson-recording tools are your priority, it's a genuinely capable app.
What does Passly do better than MyDriveTime?
Getting booked and getting paid. Passly takes card payments in-app through Stripe for a flat, published 1.5%, handles credits, discounts and refunds, and lets brand-new pupils find you on the marketplace and book real slots in your diary. It's also cloud-first: every change saves instantly to your account on every device, with no manual sync step, and the pupil portal runs in the browser with no download. And your data stays yours: export CSVs free whenever you want, where MyDriveTime's terms charge an admin fee for a data export after you cancel.
Can I switch from MyDriveTime to Passly?
Yes. Start the free 14-day trial, bring your pupils across (we'll help with your export), and share your portal link with learners. There's no contract on either side of the switch, so you can run both in parallel while you decide.
Try it yourself
Diary, payments and new pupils in one app
14 days free, no card required, £14.99 a month after, with card payments at a flat, published 1.5%.