PrepScholar vs. Varsity Tutors ACT Prep: Which Is Better in 2026?

Getting a great ACT score is a key component to getting into many schools—which means you may consider working with a trusted test prep company to make sure you get the score you need.

Both PrepScholar and Varsity Tutors offer ACT test prep services for students like you. Knowing the differences between their offerings can help you make a decision about which company is the best fit for you. 

To help you get a handle on what these ACT prep companies have to offer, we’ll provide a full comparison of PrepScholar’s and Varsity Tutors’ ACT prep programs. You can keep reading or jump between sections using the links below. 

Section 1: Rationale

Section 2: The Best ACT Prep Winner

Section 3: Comparison of Core Offerings

Section 4: PrepScholar vs. Varsity Tutors Comparison Table

Section 5: Comparison Point 1 - Instruction Quality and Feedback

Section 6: Comparison Point 2 - Personalization and Adaptive Learning

Section 7: Comparison Point 3 - Test Updates and Alignment

Section 8: Comparison Point 4 - Value

Section 9: Overall Pros and Cons

Section 10: FAQs

How We Picked Our ACT Prep Winners

We’ve spent hours researching, testing, and reviewing real student feedback on both PrepScholar and Varsity Tutors’ ACT program offerings to give you a thorough comparison of what they have to offer.

As a test taker, you need to know that the core features of your ACT prep program will create a prep experience that fits your needs and guarantees your success on the real exam. To help you find the best program for you, we reviewed both ACT prep companies’ based on the following features and offerings:

• Value
• Offerings and Update
• Price
• Score guarantee
• Variety of products
• Real student reviews

Knowing what you’re buying before you commit is the key to choosing an ACT prep program that gets you the results you’re looking for. Keep reading to find out which ACT prep program is the winner for the kind of student you are!

PrepScholar vs. Varsity Tutors: Which Has the Best ACT Prep?

For its adaptive, personalized prep, expert 99th percentile ACT scoring tutors, and 4 point improvement guarantee, we rank PrepScholar as the top provider of ACT prep.

Overall Winner: PrepScholar

PrepScholar delivers quality experiences and consistent results that are carefully tailored to the needs and goals of each student. Built on adaptive tech, PrepScholar’s programs provide personalized study plans in a suite of self-paced courses to one-on-one tutoring, offering customization for every student that’s backed by one consistent score guarantee for all of its ACT prep programs.

While Varsity Tutors provides quality ACT prep, PrepScholar’s commitment to tailoring comprehensive, cutting-edge prep to each student’s needs makes it the overall winner.

Best for Busy, Self-Motivated Students: PrepScholar

While you won’t receive any personalized guidance or feedback using Varsity Tutors’ free ACT prep options, their free resources are a solid starting point for quality ACT prep. Students who aren’t ready to commit to a more intensive ACT prep program or who want to combine free resources with a higher-tier ACT prep program from a company of their choosing will find that Varsity Tutors’ free prep resources are a great supplement.

Best for Free ACT Prep: Varsity Tutors 

While you won’t receive any personalized guidance or feedback using Varsity Tutors’ free ACT prep options, their free resources are a solid starting point for quality ACT prep. Students who aren’t ready to commit to a more intensive ACT prep program or who want to combine free resources with a higher-tier ACT prep program from a company of their choosing will find that Varsity Tutors’ free prep resources are a great supplement.

Comparing Core ACT Prep Options

ACT prep programs come with multiple features and offerings, packaged in different ways. To make sure you know exactly what your options are, we’ll break down all of PrepScholar’s ACT prep options and Varsity Tutors’ ACT prep options below.

PrepScholar ACT Prep Overview

PrepScholar provides four digital ACT prep options that are designed to meet every kind of learning need: Complete Online ACT Prep, Complete Online ACT Prep + Admissions Bootcamp, Live Instructor Led Classes, and 1-on-1 Online Tutoring.

PrepScholar’s most popular course, Complete Online ACT Prep, is a self-paced adaptive program that includes a smart diagnostic test, more than 50 skill lessons, 2800+ practice questions with explanations, and four official ACT exams to take as practice. This program comes with a year of full access to all included prep materials.

There’s also Complete Online ACT Prep + Admissions Bootcamp, which comes with everything that’s included in the Complete Online package, with the addition of Admissions Bootcamp lessons that take you through every step of the admissions process, from curating your college list, making your application stand out, how to write the perfect essay, how and when to submit your applications, and even financial aid.

PrepScholar’s Live Instructor Led Classes give you up to 36 hours of expert-led classes in a live, online classroom. You’ll get to learn in a small group of up to nine other students and get feedback and answers to your questions in real-time. This program includes everything in the Complete Online ACT Prep program as well as the Admissions Bootcamp, both at no additional cost.

With the 1-on-1 Tutoring program, you can get 4, 10, 18, or 32 one-on-one tutoring hours with a 99th percentile-scoring tutor. You’ll pick the tutoring package that best fits your schedule, needs, and goals, and receive a fully personalized prep experience.

Each of PrepScholar’s ACT prep programs include a 4-point guarantee, customized weekly prep plans, and 60+ hours of prep content.

Varsity Tutors ACT Prep Overview

Varsity Tutors offers six main ACT prep options: a Free ACT prep course, a Learning Membership that includes ACT prep, Proctored Practice Tests, Live Group Classes, ACT Bootcamps, and 1-on-1 Tutoring.

At the base level are Varsity Tutors’ free ACT prep resources. Their free, self-paced ACT prep course includes hundreds of on-demand video lessons, live online classes, and interactive strategy sessions covering all four sections of the ACT. As part of your free course, you’ll also get access to Varsity Tutors’ free Practice Hub, where you can take a free diagnostic test and prep using hundreds of practice tests, flashcards, and quizzes.

Then there’s Varsity Tutors’ comprehensive Learning Membership, which provides all-inclusive prep packages in a range of subjects for a monthly subscription fee. These packages combine unlimited access to live online classes with 4 or 8 hours of 1-on-1 tutoring per month. Learning Memberships are typically sold in 6 or 12 month subscription packages.

Varsity Tutors also offers Proctored Practice ACTs, where you’ll bring your own official ACT practice test and take the exam under the supervision of a proctor, who will make sure your test experience mimics the real timing and conditions of the ACT.

Live Group Classes offer a range of ACT prep courses in a live, virtual classroom setting under the instruction of real teachers. In live classes, students will work in small groups of 6-8 students and receive personalized attention. Live Online classes meet the same time each week for 1-4 hours.

ACT Bootcamps offer live online ACT courses on a more compressed schedule. One-week bootcamps typically focus on a single ACT subject area, like Math or Reading. Two-, four-, and eight-week bootcamps cover all ACT subject areas and can be combined with 1-on-1 tutoring.

With 1-on-1 Tutoring, you’ll choose from 12, 24, or 36 hour packages that are taught by a tutor that’s assigned to you based on your learning needs and goals. All tutoring packages include full access to Varsity Tutors’ Practice Lab, their hub for ACT prep content and activities, and a free ACT prep book.

All of Varsity Tutors’ ACT prep includes access to their proprietary AI Study Coach, which is designed to chat with you about your ACT prep, similar to a real tutor.

While some details are provided online about what’s included in Varsity Tutors’ ACT prep packages, this information is by no means comprehensive. For detailed, exact information about what you’ll get from Varsity Tutors ACT prep, including pricing, you will have to speak directly with a sales representative.

PrepScholar vs. Varsity Tutors Comparison Table

Below, check out our side-by-side comparison of the ACT prep services offered by PrepScholar and Varsity Tutors.

Comparison Point 1 – Instruction Quality and Feedback

Rather than focus on rote memorization and drills, quality instruction helps you develop an ACT strategy that targets your weaknesses, which is the key to improving your score. Here’s how PrepScholar and Varsity Tutors approach ACT instruction and the feedback they give students.

PrepScholar

PrepScholar’s prep programs are built around one core principle: tailored, strategic practice is the key to mastering the ACT. Their curriculum is designed to help students grasp how the ACT is structured and learn proven strategies to anticipate and outsmart the exam’s common traps, which is key to score improvement.

Each program features more than 60 hours of instructional material and over 50 targeted skill lessons focused on the ACT’s most essential topics. Lessons blend short video explainers with clear written instruction, making complex content easier to digest. After completing each lesson, students take reinforcing quizzes that reinforce what they’re learning and highlight areas needing additional review.

What truly sets PrepScholar apart is how it helps students learn from their errors. Every one of the 2,800+ practice questions on the platform includes a detailed walkthrough explaining why each incorrect answer is wrong, how it’s designed to mislead you, and the best way to attack similar problems in the future. These in-depth explanations play a critical role in turning mistakes into measurable score gains.

PrepScholar also provides four official ACT practice tests drawn directly from the Official ACT Prep Guide. Rather than relying on imitation tests, PrepScholar emphasizes that authentic ACT materials provide the most realistic and effective preparation. After each practice exam, students receive targeted feedback that tracks their progress and pinpoints skills that need the most improvement.

For students in need of more individualized guidance, PrepScholar’s tutoring program provides one-on-one, personalized prep. Every tutor is an experienced, 99th percentile ACT scorer who works with students to craft personalized prep plans, strengthen weak areas, and build the confidence needed to boost their scores.

Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors offers a combination of live online instruction and customized one-on-one tutoring sessions that implement carefully designed learning plans and student feedback. However, the quality of instruction you receive can vary widely depending on the tutor you work with.

Varsity Tutors shines when it comes to providing free ACT prep. Through their online, AI-powered Practice Hub, students have access to thousands of self-guided prep resources, from diagnostic tests, practice questions, drills, and assessments. You’ll also have access to live online instruction that walks you through core ACT prep strategies. While the robustness of free prep materials is impressive, many students have noted that they were frequently pressured to upgrade to paid ACT prep while using the free Practice Hub.

Varsity Tutors’ repository of practice materials is expansive, but some students have claimed that the quality of these materials doesn’t always align with the real ACT. Some practice questions are much easier or harder than real ACT questions, and many lack the detailed feedback explanations that students need in order to correct their mistakes. Students seeking more structured practice may find that Varsity Tutors’ self-paced courses work best as a supplement to more comprehensive, personalized ACT prep options.

Through live instruction courses, students can work with expert instructors to receive more targeted ACT prep. Live online classes meet over Zoom, are typically capped at 6-9 students, and meet for 1-4 hours at the same time each week. Students work through a generalized learning plan but receive customized homework between sessions to target individual weaknesses. Students can easily add one-on-one tutoring hours onto live course packages.

One-on-one tutoring offers a personalized study plan, customized sessions, and hours of guided practice and drills. Additionally, you’ll have access to Varsity Tutors’ Learning Lab for supplemental prep. While many students are paired with a tutor within 24-48 hours after signing up, some have noted that it took much longer to be matched with a tutor.

While Varsity Tutors’ instructors provide quality instruction, the company has faced multiple lawsuits alleging that tutors have been denied overtime, expense reimbursements, and proper pay. Additionally, some students have reported that tutors lack the expertise and professionalism needed to provide an effective prep experience. These inconsistencies can be partially attributed to the fact that Varsity Tutors doesn’t require tutors to have any specific credentials or training.

Winner: PrepScholar

Varsity Tutors provides an impressive repository of free practice materials and strong emphasis on learning through customized one-on-one tutoring. But PrepScholar’s ACT prep goes the extra mile when it comes to answer explanations, which are arguably the most important part of ACT prep. PrepScholar treats answer explanations like mini-lessons that guide you through your wrong answers and the mistakes that caused them, which is the most effective way to boost your ACT scores–and what makes PrepScholar the best choice when it comes to quality of instruction and feedback.

Comparison Point 2 — Personalization and Adaptive Learning

High-quality ACT prep programs will adapt your prep program based on your performance to give you a personalized experience, which leads to score improvements. Below, we’ll cover how PrepScholar and Varsity Tutors compare to each other on personalization and adaptive learning.

PrepScholar

Personalization and adaptiveness are at the core of PrepScholar’s ACT prep philosophy. Each program uses a skill-by-skill learning model that automatically adjusts to every student’s needs, enabling them to concentrate on the areas that will bring the most improvement.

Upon enrollment, students begin with a smart diagnostic assessment that measures their abilities across all the key skills tested on the ACT. Based on those results, PrepScholar’s platform generates a fully customized weekly study plan that pinpoints exactly which topics and strategies to focus on. This plan evolves week by week to ensure students always spend their prep time where it makes the most impact.

The program’s adaptive technology adjusts to the student’s performance question by question to help them make efficient progress. As you complete quizzes and practice tests, your weekly study plan continually updates to help you maintain steady progress and stay focused on mastering the right concepts.

Students who enroll in PrepScholar’s one-on-one tutoring receive an additional layer of personalization. Using diagnostic data from students’ ongoing performance on drills and practice exams, PrepScholar connects students with a tutor who’s an expert in their weak areas. Tutors build each session around the student’s progress and adjust the study plan to provide targeted practice from one week to the next.

Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors’ ACT prep is built around the idea that students learn most effectively through customized prep instead of generalized instruction. They believe that one-on-one instruction is the best vehicle for this level of customization, which is why they strongly recommend that students invest in their 1-on-1 ACT tutoring packages.

In program tiers below 1-on-1 tutoring, students can create their own customized learning plan using free drills, quizzes, and practice ACT exams through the AI-powered Practice Hub. Through the Practice Hub, you can take adaptive assessments that generate a Personalized Learning Roadmap. As you progress, your learning roadmap continuously adapts as you improve to keep you focused on mastering skills you’re struggling with.

To enhance personalization, Varsity Tutors uses AI to evaluate student diagnostic performance and create an individualized prep plan that adjusts based on student progress. As students move through their prep plan and take assessments, this built-in tech adjusts the learning plan to keep it focused on areas where students need the most help.

As with many ACT prep programs, students will receive the highest level of customization by signing up for 1-on-1 Tutoring. When you sign up for tutoring, you’ll be matched with a tutor who specializes in the areas you need the most help with. However, some students have noted that one-on-one tutoring sessions tend to follow a more rigid, pre-planned structure unless the student explicitly asks the tutor to build sessions around their diagnostic results.

Winner: PrepScholar

Varsity Tutors provides a personal touch from the moment students seek out ACT prep through one-on-one consultations that lead to customized tutoring. But PrepScholar’s relaxed approach to customizing their ACT prep gives students total agency over choosing a prep package and determining what degree of personalization is best for them. Combined with PrepScholar’s purpose-built adaptive learning system, this approach to personalized ACT prep puts the student right at the center–which is the way it should be. That’s why PrepScholar edges out the competition when it comes to adaptivity and personalization.

Comparison Point 3 — Test Updates and Alignment

Any trustworthy ACT prep company consistently updates their program materials in order to stay aligned with the real ACT. Here’s how PrepScholar and Varsity Tutors compare to each other based on their approach to test updates and alignment with the real ACT.

PrepScholar

PrepScholar’s ACT Prep has been fully redesigned to reflect the Enhanced ACT. To give students the most realistic possible prep experience, they’ve rebuilt their platform from the ground up, redesigning lessons, practice questions, and their entire interface.

PrepScholar’s ACT prep program update includes 50 new skill lessons, strategy modules that target the structure and tricks of the ACT, and coverage of skills that weren’t emphasized on the old ACT. You’ll also have the option to opt out of Science prep if you don’t plan to take that optional section of the ACT.

Their updated ACT prep includes 2800+ brand new practice questions, Math questions that have been fully rewritten for the ACT’s new four answer choice format, and a refresh to the prep interface that aligns it more closely with the ACT’s new section lengths and pacing.

Thanks to these updates, PrepScholar is able to provide a fully emulated Enhanced ACT prep experience, with an interface that’s designed to mirror the ACT’s new format and design, so students can get an authentic feel for what it’ll be like on exam day.

Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors updated their ACT prep program to align with the new Enhanced ACT. To do this, they built an AI-driven curriculum that’s tailored to the new pacing, structure, and difficulty level of the ACT.

The updates that Varsity Tutors made to their ACT prep focus primarily on pacing and updating their content strategy. They’ve added specialized, timed practice questions that provide realistic prep for the Enhanced ACT’s use of fewer, shorter reading passages and extra time per question. They’ve also made adjustments to help students strategize for the new four-option Math section and the optional ACT Science section.

Varsity Tutors has also updated their free, downloadable eBook for ACT prep to reflect the ACT’s new online format. Their eBook is frequently updated to ensure concepts align with the most current version of the ACT.

With these updates, Varsity Tutors is able to provide a prep experience that’s closely aligned with the real ACT in its updated format.

Winner: PrepScholar

Both Varsity Tutors and PrepScholar redesigned their ACT prep programs to align with the new Enhanced ACT, but Varsity Tutors’ most adaptive prep option is a self-guided course that isn’t fully integrated into all of their ACT prep packages. Because PrepScholar’s purpose-built adaptive system is built into the foundation of every one of their ACT prep programs, PrepScholar wins out when it comes to test updates and alignment.

Comparison Point 4 — Value

Before you choose an ACT prep program, you need to know exactly what features you’ll get in return for the hundreds or even thousands of dollars you’ll pay. We’ll go over how Varsity Tutors and PrepScholar’s programs compare in terms of cost and value.

PrepScholar

PrepScholar’s ACT program offers are as follows: Complete Online ACT Prep, Complete Online + Admissions Bootcamp, Live Instructor Led Classes, and One-on-One Tutoring. Higher-tier programs offer more personalization and customization, and they increase in cost accordingly.

PrepScholar’s core program is its self-paced course, Complete Online ACT Prep. With this program, you’ll get full online access to PrepScholar’s premium ACT prep content, which includes a smart diagnostic test, 2,800+ practice questions, drills, lessons, four practice exams, and feedback and answer explanations. Complete Online adapts your study plan continuously based on your performance on assessments, but you won’t receive live or one-on-one instruction during this self-paced program.

All PrepScholar ACT programs include full access to the materials and content that come with Complete Online ACT Prep. In addition to these prep materials, each higher tier ACT prep program layers more personalization on top of the adaptivity that’s baked into the core Complete Online ACT program. All higher tier programs include PrepScholar’s Admissions Bootcamp for free, and students can easily bundle SAT prep with ACT prep.

To meet the needs of every type of learner, PrepScholar’s Live and One-on-One Tutoring packages offer a range of options for program hours, difficulty, and cost. Live Instruction packages range from 4 to 32+ hours and offer Beginner, Essentials, and Advanced courses that vary in difficulty and are built to help students achieve specific ACT scores. If you go with one-on-one tutoring, you’ll have the choice of 4, 10, 18, or 32 hour packages.

All of PrepScholar’s programs are backed by a 4-point score improvement guarantee for students who meet all course requirements. However, a small number of reviews have noted some difficulty navigating the refund process. To avoid confusion, it’s crucial to read the terms of the score guarantee before seeking a refund.

While you can access PrepScholar’s prep program using a mobile device, the company doesn’t provide a dedicated mobile app. Since their programs weren’t custom-built for a mobile experience, you’ll want to be prepared for a different user experience if you choose to study on a mobile device.

PrepScholar packs an impressive degree of personalization into every program tier thanks to their proprietary, built-in adaptive technology. That personalization translates to more value. When an ACT prep program is meticulously tailored to your learning needs and goals, it’s going to do an excellent job of helping you achieve your score goals quickly and efficiently, bringing you maximum value for every dollar you spend.

Varsity Tutors

Assessing the value of Varsity Tutors’ ACT prep is notoriously difficult. They aren’t transparent with their pricing, and you’ll find very little information about the cost of their ACT prep packages online. However, information from online reviewers indicates that live group classes and tutoring packages offer more hours per dollar than some competitors, but with fewer course materials and less personalization.

In order to find out the true pricing of Varsity Tutors’ ACT prep, you’ll have to speak with a sales representative on the phone, which may be a challenge for students who are hoping to compare options without navigating a live sales pitch.

Unlike some competitors, who bundle all of the prep materials included in lower-tier offerings into higher-tier packages, Varsity Tutors doesn’t appear to do this. This may explain why their live instruction and tutoring packages cost less compared to competitors. While the instruction and tutoring itself cost less, you won’t get access to extra prep materials and content.

Some reviewers have also reported inconsistencies in tutor quality, expertise, and professionalism, with some students claiming that tutors frequently cancel sessions and fail to reschedule.

While ACT Prep Memberships come with unlimited access to tons of content, some students have reported receiving unexpected charges and difficulty cancelling their membership. Others have mentioned frustration with the fact that prepaid tutoring hours do not roll over, and obtaining a refund is often challenging.

Winner: PrepScholar (Affordability), Varsity Tutors (Free Prep) 

Varsity Tutors offers multiple options for free ACT prep, providing access to quality resources for students who may not be able to afford it otherwise. But there’s a wide gap between Varsity Tutors’ free prep and more pricey, personalized packages. For students seeking a program that is fully focused on maximizing your ACT scores by adapting to your needs at every tier, from the lowest cost to premium offerings, PrepScholar comes out on top. Additionally, PrepScholar's pricing is more transparent than Varsity Tutors, making it a smarter choice for cost-conscious students.

Overall Pros and Cons

Both PrepScholar’s and Varsity Tutors’ ACT prep programs provide a high-quality prep experience. But every test prep program has weaknesses. We’ll go over the pros and cons of the ACT prep provided by PrepScholar and Varsity Tutors below.