The Total Drive alternative

Everything Total Drive does. Half the price. One simple plan.

DriveInstruct runs your diary, reminders, payments and progress tracking for £10 a month, not £18 to £26 across four tiers. It is free forever for the basics, free for PDIs, and it adds the one thing Total Drive leaves out: a marketplace that finds you new students.

2 months of Pro free · No credit card required

Half the price, one plan

Total Drive spreads its features across Basic, Pro, Ultimate and Elite from £18 to £26 a month. DriveInstruct Pro is £10, everything included, with no tier puzzle to work out.

Free for PDIs

Training to become an ADI? Get the diary, reminders and progress portal free while you qualify. No 30-day clock, no card. Upgrade to Pro only when you pass and want payments and the marketplace.

A marketplace that finds students

Total Drive manages the pupils you already have. DriveInstruct also lists you where learners search by postcode, so new enquiries land straight in your inbox without ad spend.

Side by side

DriveInstruct vs Total Drive

An honest comparison. Total Drive has a genuinely good 3D video library, so we show that too. On price, simplicity and student acquisition, DriveInstruct wins.

Feature
DriveInstruct
Pro £10/mo
Total Drive
£18–£26/mo
Cheapest paid plan
£10/mo
£18/mo
Number of paid tiers
1
4 (£18–£26)
Free forever tier
Free for trainee PDIs
Lesson diary + calendar
DVSA progress tracking
Automated SMS + email reminders
Online payments + deposits
Student & parent portal
Route planner
3D training video library
Marketplace that finds you students

Total Drive pricing and features from totaldrive.co.uk, July 2026. DriveInstruct column shows the Pro plan.

The maths

£10 that pays for itself

One missed lesson is about £35 gone. Pro is £10 for the whole month. Stop a single no-show with automated reminders and upfront deposits and DriveInstruct has already paid for itself three times over. One new student from the marketplace covers a year.

£10/mo

One plan, everything included

£8–£16

Saved every month vs Total Drive

Free

For PDIs and for the core diary

FAQs

Switching from Total Drive

Is DriveInstruct a genuine alternative to Total Drive?

Yes. DriveInstruct covers everything most instructors use Total Drive for: the lesson diary, DVSA progress tracking, automated reminders, online payments and a student portal. It then adds a public marketplace that puts your profile in front of learners searching in your area, which Total Drive does not have. The one thing Total Drive offers that DriveInstruct does not is its 3D video training library.

How much cheaper is DriveInstruct than Total Drive?

DriveInstruct Pro is £10 a month on one plan with everything included. Total Drive runs four tiers from £18 (Basic) to £26 (Elite) a month. Pro is roughly half the price of Total Drive's cheapest paid plan, and the core diary and reminders are free forever.

Is there a free version for PDIs?

Yes. Trainee instructors (PDIs) get the diary, automated reminders and student progress portal free while they qualify. You only move to the £10 Pro plan when you pass and want the marketplace and online payments switched on. Total Drive has no dedicated free PDI tier beyond its 30-day trial.

How do I switch from Total Drive to DriveInstruct?

It takes an afternoon. Add your existing pupils (about 30 seconds each), and your marketplace profile and booking link go live the same day. There is no contract, so you can run both apps in parallel while you move across, and your data stays exportable.

Do I need a credit card to try DriveInstruct?

No. You get full Pro features free for 2 months with no card required, then drop to the Free plan automatically if you choose not to subscribe. You keep your students and data either way.

Try the Total Drive alternative free

Full Pro features free for 2 months, no card. Then Free forever if you want it. Keep the diary you know, pay half the price, and start bringing in new students.

Create your free account

Takes less than 2 minutes to set up.