Mathnasium vs Sylvan vs Brighterly: Pros, Cons & Best Pick (2025)
reviewed by Phoebe Belza-Barrientos
Updated on August 20, 2025
If you can’t decide which educational platform to choose between the Mathnasium vs Sylvan vs Brighterly, I’ve got your back. This article goes beyond mundane facts about the platforms’ benefits, where I, as a teacher myself, will evaluate teaching methods, pricing, and features to help you make an informed decision in 2025.
Key points
- Brighterly is a 1:1 math and reading online educational platform with gamified learning and professional tutors.
- Mathnasium is an online and in-person educational platform focusing on math.
- Sylvan is an online and in-person educational multi-subject platform offering 1:1 and small-group lessons.
Mathnasium vs Sylvan vs Brighterly: Comparison
The main difference between Mathnasium vs Sylvan vs Brighterly is that Mathnasium and Brighterly are both math-focused (and reading, in Brighterly’s case) platforms. At the same time, Sylvan offers a broad range of subjects with certified tutors. Sylvan and Brighterly align their curricula with the US Common Core principles, but their teaching approaches may differ (Brighterly leans toward a more gamified learning experience).
To make it all visual, here’s a table comparison of Sylvan vs Mathnasium vs Brighterly.
Mathnasium |
Sylvan |
Brighterly |
|
| Focus | 1:1 math tutoring | 1:1 tutoring in math, reading, and writing | Private live tutoring, math and reading-centered |
| Grade | K-12 | Pre-K-12 | K-9 |
| Instruction format | Online & offline one-on-one lessons with professional tutors; personalized learning | Online & offline one-on-one lessons, small-group lessons with professional tutors, personalized learning | Private 1:1 lessons with certified tutors; personalized learning |
|
Assessment + progress tracking |
Initial diagnostic + progress monitoring available | Skills assessment | Assessment test + initial diagnostic in a free demo; plan adjustment |
| Pricing (2025 US) | $25 to $75 per session, depending on location and plan | Starts at $50-100 per session (format, location, and subject are considered) | Monthly price starts at $139 if practicing two lessons per week ($17.4/lesson, longer plans drop prices) |
| Free trial | 30-minute free lesson | ❌ | Free one-on-one trial lesson |
| Pros (summary) |
Uses a proprietary method of teaching Aligns with the Common Core Both in-center and online options are available Covers high school |
Math, reading, test prep, and other subjects are available Common Core-aligned Both in-center and online options are available |
Common Core-aligned curriculum Strong focus on math and reading Flexible scheduling Free worksheets Custom pace and homework Highly vetted tutors |
| Trustpilot score | ⭐ 4.0 | ⭐ 4.2 | ⭐ 4.5 |
Note: Among the 3 platforms, Brighterly is the only one that has an overall Excellent rating — a pretty clear sign that parents are happy with the platform. If you want to join over 200K of satisfied parents, book free lesson to explore Brighterly’s way of teaching!
Mathnasium vs Sylvan vs Brighterly cost: What you’ll pay for each
Mathnasium, Sylvan and Brighterly do significantly differ in cost: with Mathnasium and Sylvan, you’ll pay on average $50-75 per session, while Brighterly offers plans starting at $17.4/lesson.
Mathnasium rates |
Around $25 to $75 per hour-long session, depending on location. |
Sylvan tutoring cost |
The range is from $40 to $100 per hour, depending on location. |
Brighterly price |
Starts at $17.4 per lesson (monthly billing). |
If you’re wondering which is better, Mathnasium or Sylvan or Brighterly, in terms of price-value ratio, Brighterly stands out as an affordable choice while offering the same benefits and features (plus, free expertly-curated worksheets).
Also, Brighterly is one of the most transparent platforms regarding the price, clearly outlining the cost upfront without hidden fees, making it easier for parents to feel confident about their decision.
Sylvan vs Mathnasium vs Brighterly: Which learning program is better?
Which program is better for you depends on your specific goal, learning style, and budget. Mathnasium, Sylvan and Brighterly are among the top educational platforms in 2025, offering both online and offline tutoring with certified tutors.
Sylvan specializes in various subjects like math, reading, writing, etc. It’s known for its comprehensive assessment that helps instructors build a curriculum that focuses on learners’ strengths and weaknesses.
Mathnasium specializes in math, offering a proprietary teaching method that doesn’t necessarily follow the US Common Core. The platform’s primary focus is to help children master the concepts fully before they move to the next, rather than using rote memorization and drilling exercises.
Brighterly is an exclusively online educational platform that focuses on math and reading. This strong emphasis allows Brighterly to help children build essential and advanced skills in math and reading, boost problem-solving and critical thinking.
Which is better, Sylvan vs Mathnasium vs Brighterly? Like I said, all of the abovementioned platforms are a great pick in 2025; however, if you want a modern, engaging educational experience with an affordable price, go with Brighterly.
What is Brighterly math and reading?
Brighterly is an online 1:1 educational platform offering reading and math programs for K-9 students in the United States. Its reading and math program fully aligns with the US Common Core (while being highly personalized) to keep students on track with the school’s program.
Why Brighterly is the top choice for thousands of parents
Parents prefer Brighterly as their main source of supplemental learning because Brighterly provides all the great features of other platforms at a much affordable price. Over 200K parents have already joined Brighterly, and their satisfaction is shown by the average score of 4.5 on TrustPilot.
Brighterly: Key features
Expert tutors
Brighterly’s biggest advantage is its team of professional tutors. The platform works exclusively with expert math and reading teachers who are specifically trained to work one-on-one. They use gamified, interactive approaches to ensure that the material is easy to digest and understandable. Each potential candidate undergoes rigorous background checks and a selection process to prove their qualifications.
Parents also reflected in the Brighterly reviews that the tutors are friendly and patient. Brighterly tutors take time to pinpoint kids’ learning needs, knowledge gaps, and interests to make learning as efficient as possible.
School-aligned curriculum
Not every online educational platform offers Common Core-aligned curriculum, but Brighterly is one of them. But, it doesn’t mean the tutors blindly follow the standardized plan to build lessons. Instead, each Brighterly student gets a custom-designed program that closes learning gaps and builds useful learning habits. Also, the platform’s curriculum is regularly being updated with research-based study resources, data, and STEM learning techniques by the platform’s education team.
Parents also get detailed progress reports each week, giving them an in-depth overview of what their child is learning, how they are improving, and which skills still need attention.
How Brighterly approaches learning
- Each student gets a custom-designed program.
- Practice exercises and problems are broken down into bite-sized, easy-to-digest chunks.
- The primary teaching approach is gamified learning and experiments for hands-on experience (the best teaching method to apply new acquired skills in real life).
In 2025, Brighterly introduced a reading program for grades 1-9. This is a comprehensive reading program designed for elementary, middle, and high school students to build essential reading skills, from phonemic awareness and word recognition to literary analysis and argument evaluation.
Note: The school-aligned curriculum means following the same standards and learning goals provided by the Common Core (or state-specific benchmarks) to meet the school requirements. This is an optimal way for parents to improve their children’s skills while keeping the learning consistent.
Free worksheets and tests
If you’re looking for free educational resources, Brighterly is a great option for you. Their team has created hundreds of worksheets for different levels and grades, completely free of charge. They are perfect for solo practice or with a tutor.
The platform’s best educators design Brighterly worksheets to offer students step-by-step practice exercises and real-world examples to make educational concepts more accessible.
There are two types of worksheets available: math worksheets and reading worksheets. They are printable PDFs placed on the Brighterly official website that you can get without creating an account or entering a credit card. I strongly believe this is an optimal solution for busy parents or teachers who look for extra practice.
Additionally, with Brighterly, you can take free diagnostic math and reading tests designed to assess your little one’s skills without any pressure or commitment.
How much is Brighterly?
- 1-month plan: starting at $21 per lesson
- 3-month plan: starting at $20.60 per lesson
- 6-month plan: starting at $19.80 per lesson
- 12-month plan: starting at $17.40 per lesson
How cost-effective is Brighterly? A couple of facts to consider
- The average tutoring rate in the United States is between $40 and $80 (one session a month could cost parents upwards of $300 a month).
- Sylvan pricing starts at $50-100 per session (format, location, and subject are considered).
- Mathnasium costs $25 to $75 per session, depending on location and plan.
My verdict: For both the math and reading program, Brighterly appears to have the best price-value ratio, especially considering personalized plans, progress reports, and professional tutors.
What does Mathnasium stand for?
- Private math instruction
- Proprietary methods
- In-center and online options
Next, let’s review the Mathnasium pros and cons.
How does Mathnasium work?
Mathnasium assesses each student’s current math level and skills by providing an initial diagnostic to identify strengths, learning gaps, and create a personalized learning plan. The team uses the proprietary method (the Mathnasium Method) to provide guided practice either online or in-center, helping students build understanding and long-term math mastery.
Parents always ask me, “Is Mathnasium worth it?”.
Mathnasium can be a good option for you if:
- Your child needs targeted support in math.
- Common Core compliance is not a must for you.
- You prefer in-person classes for your kid.
How expensive is Mathnasium?
Mathnasium prices vary based on location, as the platform is an individually owned and operated institution. Each center has the opportunity to evaluate its price based on various factors like services offered, the average local price, and the experience of every tutor.
Wondering, “How much does Mathnasium cost?”. You can explore the average pricing below.
Mathnasium rates per service |
Pricing (on average) |
| Enrollment fees and assessment | $100-$150 |
| Cost per hour | $25-$75 |
| Total monthly cost | $250-$400 |
| Summer sessions pricing | Between $395 and $1,000 |
Mathnasium reviews and cost may differ from article to article, but now you have the most up-to-date info on how expensive the services are.
Is Mathnasium good in terms of pricing? As we can see here, Mathnasium doesn’t offer much flexibility in terms of the standard cost for math tutoring in the US. Many parents ask me, “Is Mathnasium expensive?”, and unfortunately, it is on the expensive side of the pricing spectrum. On the contrary, Brighterly affords you much budget-friendly pricing with the same benefits and features of Mathnasium.
What is Sylvan best at?
- Multi-subject coverage
- In-center and online options
- Adapted learning
How does Sylvan Learning Center work?
Sylvan tutoring begins with the skills assessment to pinpoint students’ needs and strengths. Based on the results, each student gets an adapted curriculum to fit their goals, delivered via 1:1 online or in-center lessons (or in small groups).
Is Sylvan Learning Center worth it? Sylvan does provide you with standard educational platform features like progress tracking and initial evaluation. However, its effectiveness depends largely on location and instructor quality, which can vary from place to place.
How much is Sylvan Learning Center?
Every Sylvan center evaluates their rates based on location, so it’s best to contact your local center for exact figures. But you’re here to get a rough number of Sylvan tutoring cost, so this is what we’re going to do.
Sylvan rates per service |
Pricing (on average) |
| Enrollment fees and assessment | $50-$100 |
| Cost per hour | $45-$100+ |
| Total monthly cost | $300-$700 |
| SAT/ACT preparation classes | Starting at 900$ |
With Sylvan, you get access to features like Sylvan Insight Assessment, SylvanSync, etc. So, is Sylvan worth it? The platform can be a good option if you’re comfortable with the pricing; however, you do get an alternative like Brighterly — with much more affordable pricing (and the same perks).
Mathnasium vs Sylvan vs Brighterly Reddit & Trustpilot reviews
Let’s explore Mathnasium vs Sylvan vs Brighterly reviews below.
Brighterly reviews
“I really love Miss Rebecca. She has a gift of recognizing my son’s Autistic triggers and how to address them without stopping the lesson.”
“My daughter’s tutor is extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and makes lessons fun.”
Note: Brighterly has an overall rating of 4.5 stars.
Mathnasium reviews
“The Mathnasium is a bit expensive but possibly worth it.”
“We were disappointed when we received the exam results from the school. ”
Note: Mathnasium has an overall rating of 3.9 stars.
Sylvan reviews
“Our son did not learn one thing with these people.”
“I found the Sylvan website interface fairly hard to deal with, in terms of scheduling and so on.”
Note: Sylvan has an overall rating of 3.2 stars.
What’s the main difference between Mathnasium and Sylvan and Brighterly?
The main difference between Mathnasium, Sylvan, and Brighterly is the method of teaching and pricing. Brighterly offers a full Common Core curriculum with a gamified approach to learning, with prices starting at $17.4 per lesson. In contrast, Mathnasium and Sylvan prices are significantly higher, with a structured and proprietary method of teaching.
Which is better: Sylvan vs Mathnasium vs Brighterly?
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which one is the right choice for your child. Identifying your goals, personal preferences, and budget is a good idea before signing up for any platform.
If you’re comfortable with paying $50-$100 per session, then either Sylvan or Mathnasium can be a winning option for you. But their rating are mid, so you might want to compare them to a higher-rated platform like Brighterly, which is:
- Transparent in its pricing;
- Offers one-on-one learning;
- Delivers promised results in reading and math.
Ready to explore Brighterly? Book free lesson now!
Other comparison articles
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- IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly
- Kumon Reviews in 2025: Is It Worth Your Time?
- IXL vs Kumon vs Brighterly?
- Eye Level vs Kumon vs Brighterly
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