Comparison

Orbit vs Bill Plant

Bill Plant is one of the UK's largest driving school franchises with a big national network. It charges a fixed weekly franchise fee - but the amount isn't published anywhere on its site; you only get the number when you enquire. Here's how going independent with Orbit compares.

At a glance

Free for instructors, no franchise contract

Bill Plant charges a fixed weekly franchise fee - the exact amount isn't published and is only disclosed when you enquire (billplant.co.uk, July 2026). Orbit is free for driving instructors: no subscription, no contract, no card needed.

Choose your own car

No mandatory branded vehicle. Drive whatever car suits you and your pupils best. Negotiate your own lease or buy outright.

Build your own brand

Bill Plant's large national network means your individual identity gets lost. Go independent and every pupil recommendation builds YOUR reputation.

No contract lock-in

Franchise agreements come with contract terms and notice periods. Orbit has no contract and no penalties.

HMRC Making Tax Digital built in

Orbit totals your lesson income and expenses into your quarterly Making Tax Digital updates, built on HMRC's MTD for Income Tax API. Live submissions open once HMRC approves Orbit.

Full control of your business

Set your own rates, work hours that suit your lifestyle, and take holidays when you choose. No franchise restrictions on how you run your day.

25 features compared, side by side

Based on publicly available information as of March 2026.

Feature
Orbit
Bill Plant
Scheduling & Booking
Lesson diary & calendar
Online pupil booking portalBill Plant allocates pupils through their website and call centre
Automated SMS remindersOrbit sends email and push reminders; SMS isn't live yet
Embeddable booking widget
Waiting list management
Payments
Card payments from pupilsBill Plant handles pupil payments centrally
Pay-at-booking (prepaid lessons)
Automatic cancellation fee charging
Your own Stripe merchant accountEach instructor holds their own account — payouts go directly to your bank
Tax & Compliance
HMRC Making Tax Digital filingBuilt on HMRC's MTD for Income Tax API; live submissions open once HMRC approves Orbit
Awaiting HMRC approval
Income & expense tracking
Mileage tracking
Profit & loss summaries
Pupil Management
Pupil supplyBill Plant allocates pupils. Orbit marketplace lets learners find and book you
Marketplace
Allocated
DVSA syllabus progress tracker
AI lesson debriefs
Pupil self-service portal
Branding & Customisation
Your own brand identityBill Plant requires their branding on car and materials
Choice of car
Set your own lesson rates
Set your own working hours
Limited
Business Growth
Instructor marketplace directory
Business health dashboard
Pass rate monitoring
Standards Check preparation

Information sourced from public websites. We update this page regularly but cannot guarantee third-party accuracy.

Pricing at a glance

Orbit

Freefor instructors

No subscription, no trial, no card needed. Every feature included.

  • Free for instructors, no card needed
  • Full diary & booking management
  • Pay-at-booking & cancellation fees
  • Making Tax Digital records (HMRC approval in progress)
  • AI lesson debriefs
  • Marketplace pupil acquisition
  • Business health dashboard
  • Your own Stripe merchant account

Bill Plant

Not published

Fixed weekly fee, disclosed on enquiry (billplant.co.uk, July 2026). VW tuition car, insurance & servicing included.

  • Volkswagen tuition car provided
  • Instructor insurance included
  • Servicing & maintenance included
  • Fuel card (fuel itself not free)
  • Pupil bookings sourced centrally
  • Nationwide marketing
  • Weekly fee not published upfront
  • No tax or financial tools

Which should you choose?

Choose Orbit if

  • You want to keep the weekly franchise fee in your own pocket
  • You want to build a business under your own name
  • You want to choose your own car and insurance
  • You want total control over rates, hours, and holidays
  • You want Making Tax Digital records built into your diary app
  • You want pay-at-booking so pupils pay upfront
  • You don't want a contract with notice periods
  • You want a marketplace that brings pupils on your terms

Choose Bill Plant if

  • You're newly qualified and want a car, insurance, and pupils provided from day one
  • You value being part of a large national network for pupil supply
  • You prefer not to arrange your own car lease and insurance
  • You want the security of consistent pupil allocation from a large brand
  • You'd rather pay a single weekly fee that covers everything

Try Orbit free

Free for instructors. Set up in 3 minutes. See why ADIs are switching to pay-at-booking.

Create your free account

Thinking of leaving Bill Plant? Create your free account and see the difference.