Comparison

Instructor vs Total Drive

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Instructor

This app helps driving instructors manage their students' progress, schedule lessons, and track payments. It offers a drawing pad for demonstrating maneuvers and syncs data across devices for offline use. Features include preset and custom topics for progress evaluation and Siri shortcuts for efficiency.

Highlights
  • Learner progress tracking with visual scales
  • Lesson scheduling and payment tracking
  • Drawing pad for maneuver demonstration
  • Cross-device syncing and offline access
  • Preset and custom topic management
  • Student dashboard with test countdowns
  • Siri and Shortcuts integration
Features
Read full description

Let Instructor take away the chore of ADI admin and put the focus back on teaching pupils! Instructor is the perfect companion for driving instructors to track learner progress as they build up to pass their driving test. With a simple and intuitive design, it’s the perfect app for any ADI to use to manage their students. Instructor contains these great features: PROGRESS TRACKING As a driving instructor, knowing how well your students have progressed is crucial. Luckily, Instructor makes that quick & easy! A simple percentage & coloured scale allows you to visually see how well a pupil is doing on a per topic basis. Add comments to point out what they’ve done well and ways in which they could improve. DIARY It’s easy to add a new lesson to your diary with the ability to set a duration, type (lesson, test or mock) and whether the student has paid. Reminders can also be set and there is the option for syncing with the Calendar app too. FINANCES Manage expenses, log mileage and keep track of your earnings. Lessons can be credit-based or pay-per-lesson (or a combination of both) to support your business model. DRAWING PAD Draw using an Apple Pencil or your finger over a map or plain whiteboard to demonstrate manoeuvres. Snapshots can even be saved for later for you to come back to and show other students. SYNCING & OFFLINE USE If you’re using more than one device, Instructor automatically syncs all of your learner progress across all iCloud connected devices - no login required! Your data is available offline too. PRESET TOPICS As an ADI, time management is critical which is why getting setup with Instructor is quick and simple. There are a number of preset topics that allow you to get started right away! The preset topics included are: - Cockpit & Controls - Safety Checks - Moving, Meeting & Stopping - Anticipation, Planning & Speed - Junctions - Roundabouts - Dual Carriageways - Country Roads - Manoeuvres - Controlled Stop - Independent Driving - Motorways CUSTOM TOPICS Whilst a quick setup is useful, those looking for more customisation, can also choose to create their own topics to evaluate a learner against or, remove the existing preset ones. They’re easy to create and can even be assigned on a per student basis too! DASHBOARD The studentʼs dashboard is where youʼll find a summary of their progress, upcoming lessons and any notes added. There is also the ability to quickly contact them or navigate to their address. At the top of the screen, summary tiles show a countdown to theory or practical tests, stats such as hours learnt and overall progress. SHORTCUTS Manage students, update progress and much more with the power of Siri and the Shortcuts app. UNIVERSAL PURCHASE Get this app across multiple Apple platforms with a single purchase. Your Instructor Pro subscription works across devices too. If you like this app, I’d really appreciate it if you could take the time to leave a positive review! Having issues? Please get in touch: Email: support@adamfoot.dev Website: https://adamfoot.dev Please note some features may require an Instructor Pro subscription which can be purchased in the app. You can cancel at anytime. Terms: https://adamfoot.dev/terms-of-use

About

Total Drive

This comprehensive application helps driving instructors and schools manage their entire business. It offers features for scheduling, pupil records, payments, progress tracking, and integrated training materials. Both instructors and learners can utilize the app for efficient management and progress monitoring.

Highlights
  • Diary and scheduling
  • Pupil records management
  • Lesson and payment tracking
  • Progress and test result monitoring
  • Integrated training aid material
  • Paperless digital records
  • Online and offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Save time. Reduce admin. Get paid faster. Total Drive is the all-in-one business management app for driving instructors and driving schools. Designed specifically for UK driving instructors, Total Drive helps you manage lessons, pupils, payments, teaching resources, and business performance from one easy-to-use platform. Whether you're an independent instructor or running a driving school, Total Drive gives you the tools to stay organised, improve efficiency, and deliver a better experience for your pupils. WHY INSTRUCTORS CHOOSE TOTAL DRIVE • Manage your lesson diary from anywhere • Track pupil progress and lesson records • Reduce no-shows with automated reminders • Accept card payments and get paid faster • Monitor income, expenses, and business performance • Use interactive 3D teaching aids during lessons • Improve lesson quality and pupil understanding • Manage waiting lists and new enquiries • Run your driving school more efficiently • Access your data securely across devices BUILT FOR DRIVING INSTRUCTORS Total Drive isn't a generic scheduling app. It's built specifically for the needs of driving instructors and driving schools, helping you spend less time on administration and more time teaching. JOIN THOUSANDS OF UK DRIVING INSTRUCTORS From managing lessons and payments to tracking pupil progress and growing your business, Total Drive helps you stay organised, save hours every week, and deliver a professional experience for every pupil. Download Total Drive today and take control of your driving instructor business.

Screenshots

Instructor4 screens
Total Drive4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Total Drive at none against Instructor's 8. Total Drive also leads on review sentiment (66% vs 53%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.4). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Instructor sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Total Drive asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 4 level
Instructor versus Total Drive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInstructorTotal Drive
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews52.9% of reviews66.2% of reviews — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB65 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdam FootTotal Drive Software Ltd

Customer experience

Instructor

Written reviews17 reviews
Positive52.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative47.1%

Total Drive

Written reviews68 reviews
Positive66.2%
Neutral5.9%
Negative27.9%

Bugs and requests

Instructor

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Total Drive

Reported bugs

21 issues
  • App can be slow or crash
  • UI not user friendly
  • Account deleted in line with GDPR
  • Progress not updating on student app
  • App broken, things not working
Show 16 more
  • App is more down than working
  • No access to diary, notifications
  • Instructor didn't arrive
  • App doesn't open, stays on loading screen
  • Password not correct, number not recognised
  • Adding lesson option glitch on mobile
  • Red line bar running through wrong day
  • App keeps hanging
  • Doesn't record scores properly
  • Old password doesn't work
  • No text message for password reset
  • App asks for school pin without account
  • Information gets lost without WiFi
  • Appointments disappear without WiFi
  • Syncing issues with personal calendar
  • iPad landscape mode unusable

Requested features

14 requests
  • Fix UI for clarity
  • Improve lesson gap feature
  • Add 20-hour block plan
  • Make cancellation charge customisable
  • Export receipts for payments
Show 9 more
  • Fix notification count bug
  • Sync personal diary with area names
  • Allow booking for waiting list pupils
  • Make 'book online' tab easier to find
  • Improve booking process for returning pupils
  • Develop chat feature further
  • Improve iPad experience
  • Fix red line bar issue
  • Allow adding lessons on mobile

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Instructor

Subscriptions3
  • Instructor Pro (Weekly)3 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Instructor Pro (Monthly)$3.991 Month
  • Instructor Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time5
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Huge Tip$19.99
  • Instructor Pro (Lifetime)$59.99
None

Total Drive

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Instructor free?
Instructor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Total Drive free?
Total Drive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Instructor or Total Drive have ads?
Neither Instructor nor Total Drive shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Instructor or Total Drive?
Instructor ships an update every 3 weeks, and Total Drive every 3 weeks. Most recently, Instructor was updated on September 23, 2026 and Total Drive on September 24, 2026.

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