Orbit vs DriveJohnsons

Free for instructors, no franchise contract

DriveJohnsons franchise fees are estimated at £150-200 a week on multi-year contracts. Orbit is free for driving instructors: no subscription, no contract, no card needed.

Choose your own car

DriveJohnsons includes a car and insurance in their franchise fee. Go independent and choose whatever car works for you - often at a lower total cost.

Build your own brand

When you're with DriveJohnsons, pupils remember the brand - not you. Go independent and every recommendation, every review, every referral builds YOUR name.

No contract lock-in

Franchise agreements come with fixed terms and notice periods. Orbit has no contract. Stay because it works, not because you're locked in.

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, choose your own hours, take holidays on your schedule. No franchise constraints on how you run your working day.

• 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

DriveJohnsons

• Branded car provided
• Insurance included in franchise fee
• Pupil supply through their website
• DriveJohnsons brand recognition
• National advertising coverage
• Training available
• Contract with notice period
• No tax or financial tools

Choose Orbit if

• You want to keep an estimated £8,000+ more per year
• 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 DriveJohnsons if

• You're newly qualified and want a car, insurance, and pupils provided from day one
• You value having insurance bundled into your franchise fee
• You prefer not to manage your own car and insurance separately
• You want guaranteed initial pupil supply while building experience
• You want a franchise with slightly lower fees than AA or BSM