PrepScholar vs. Kaplan SAT Prep: Which Is Better in 2026?

SAT prep is more important than ever in college admissions today. If you want to get accepted to your dream schools, your SAT scores have to be top notch.

One way to boost your scores is by working with a top SAT prep company, like PrepScholar or Kaplan. Both of these companies provide a suite of SAT prep programs, from self-paced courses to premium tutoring packages.

While they offer similar services, there are some key differences that set them apart from each other.

If you’re considering PrepScholar or Kaplan for SAT prep, keep reading. We’ll provide a complete breakdown of the features of these SAT prep programs, including explaining which one is your best bet for SAT prep!

Section 1: Rationale

Section 2: The Best SAT Prep Winner

Section 3: Comparison of Core Offerings

Section 4: PrepScholar vs. Kaplan 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 SAT Prep Winners

We’ve spent hours researching, testing, and reviewing real student feedback on both PrepScholar and Kaplan’s SAT 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 SAT 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 SAT 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 SAT prep program that gets you the results you’re looking for. Keep reading to find out which SAT prep program is the winner for the kind of student you are!

PrepScholar vs. Kaplan: Which Has the Best SAT Prep?

For its adaptive, personalized prep, robust collection of over 4,100 practice questions with in-depth explanations, and 160-point score guarantee, we rank PrepScholar as the overall winner when it comes to SAT prep programs.

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 SAT prep programs.

While Kaplan provides quality SAT prep, PrepScholar’s fully revamped SAT Prep that’s fully aligned with the new digital SAT and purpose-built with question-by-question adaptivity makes it our top choice for SAT prep.

Best for Students Focused on Score Improvement: PrepScholar

With its adaptive, self-paced courses that readjust question-by-question to provide intensive, target prep, PrepScholar’s SAT prep programs meet the needs of students who are ready to put their full focus on improving their SAT scores. Students who are seeking efficient, customized prep that pinpoints their weaknesses and eliminates them for maximum score gains will find that PrepScholar’s SAT prep is the best fit for them.

Best for Bundling SAT and ACT Prep: Kaplan 

While PrepScholar offers both SAT and ACT prep, students who want to spread their time across prepping for both exams have a little easier time creating a study bundle with Kaplan. So for students who aren't sure which test they're going to take, Kaplan allows them to dip their toes in the water a little more easily. 

Comparing Core SAT Prep Options

SAT 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 SAT prep options and Kaplan’s SAT prep options below.

PrepScholar SAT Prep Overview

PrepScholar provides four digital SAT prep options designed for every kind of SAT prep need: Complete Online SAT Prep, Complete Online SAT Prep + AI Assistant, Live Instructor Led Classes, and 1-on-1 Online Tutoring.

Complete Online SAT Prep, PrepScholar’s most popular program, is a self-paced adaptive program that includes a smart diagnostic test, over 90 skill lessons, more than 4100 practice questions with answer breakdowns, and six official SAT exams to assess your progress. All program materials are available to you for a full year.

Then there’s Complete Online SAT Prep + AI Assistant, which comes with everything that’s included in the Complete Online Prep program, along with PrepScholar’s new AI Learning Assistant, Genius AI. Genius AI is a personal aid built into the SAT prep program that provides 24/7 guidance that’s accessible anytime.

PrepScholar’s Live Instructor Led Classes provide up to 36 hours of online interactive classes. In addition to receiving full access to everything in the Complete Online SAT Prep program, you’ll be taught by a live instructor within a small group of up to 9 students. As a bonus, you’ll get access to a free admissions bootcamp as well.

The 1-on-1 Tutoring program offers 4, 10, 18, or 32 one-on-one tutoring hours with a 99th percentile-scoring tutor. You’ll choose the tutoring package that best fits your schedule and receive personalized instruction that’s tailored to your needs, learning styles, and goals.

PrepScholar’s entire suite of SAT programs come with a 160-point guarantee, customized weekly prep plans, and 150+ hours of SAT prep content.

Kaplan SAT Prep Overview

Kaplan’s SAT prep is packaged into four core programs: On Demand SAT Course, Live Online, Bootcamp, Tutoring + Live Course, and Kaplan College Advantage.

Kaplan’s most basic offering is the On Demand SAT Course, which comes with 30+ instructional videos, 4 adaptive practice SATs, and 500+ practice questions with hints. This self-paced, asynchronous course comes with six months of full access.

Live Online, Kaplan’s most popular offering, includes 18 hours of online live instruction from 99th percentile-scoring teachers, two or more teachers per class, 4 practice SATs, 500+ practice questions with hints, and a digital performance dashboard. You also have the option to upgrade Live Online to include three hours of 1-on-1 tutoring and a digital SAT practice book.

SAT Bootcamp includes everything you’ll get in the Live Online package, compressed into two to three weeks of online live instruction. With the Bootcamp, you’ll also get 35 on-demand video lessons, access to 500+ practice questions with hints, private 1-on-1 Q&A with instructors during class, and a digital performance dashboard.

Kaplan’s Tutoring + SAT Course is a customizable package that comes with 10, 20, 30, or 40 hours of 1-on-1 tutoring and a personalized study plan from an SAT expert. You’ll also get access to all of the materials included in the Live Online package and the On Demand Course.

College Advantage is Kaplan’s most comprehensive suite of programs. It includes a range of SAT prep, ACT prep, tutoring, and admissions advising options that are packaged into basic, plus, and unlimited tiers and customized for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

While Kaplan lists an In-Person Prep option, their website currently states that in-person courses are currently unavailable.

All of Kaplan’s SAT prep programs come with a score guarantee.

PrepScholar vs. Kaplan Comparison Table

Before we get into a detailed breakdown of how these two SAT prep companies compare, here’s a side-by-side comparison of the services offered by PrepScholar and Kaplan.

Comparison Point 1 – Instruction Quality and Feedback

One crucial sign of a stellar SAT prep program is quality instruction and feedback to students. Here’s how PrepScholar and Kaplan compare to one another on this aspect of SAT prep. 

PrepScholar

PrepScholar provides top notch instruction and feedback. Their entire suite of SAT prep programs goes beyond general test prep to delve deeply into the most common ways that the SAT tends to trick students, guiding you to mastery of targeted strategies that lead to success on the real exam.

One area where PrepScholar clearly outpaces some competitors is the volume of practice materials it provides. All of PrepScholar’s SAT programs include access to a library of more than 7,000 practice questions and drills built specifically to mirror the digital SAT, along with seven official digital SAT practice tests that integrate directory with the Bluebook app so you can easily import and review your results. More than 4,000 of those practice questions were crafted by SAT experts and top scorers to closely replicate the language, difficulty level, and reasoning patterns of the real exam, which ensures that the practice you get is as authentic as possible.

And because PrepScholar is focused on helping students eliminate their weaknesses to maximize score improvement, each question has both a written and video explanation so you understand why you got it wrong–and how you can get similar questions right next time. In customizable tutoring sessions, you’ll work through your wrong answers and drill your weak areas, which is the best way to see a real difference in your SAT scores.

PrepScholar’s SAT courses are structured to give self-directed learners the flexibility they want while still following a proven, results-driven process. Each program begins by establishing your baseline score and identifying your specific problem areas, then guides you through prep work designed to address those gaps directly. Seven practice tests are woven throughout the curriculum, with detailed feedback after each one so you can track your growth as you go.

As you work through PrepScholar’s course materials, you’ll know that you’re getting the best guidance from tutors and instructors along the way. All of PrepScholar’s tutors are 99th+ percentile SAT scorers who've taken the SAT many times and are up to date with the newest changes to the test. The experience they’ve built over time equips them with cutting edge expertise on what it takes to ace the SAT. They’ll use what they’ve learned to tailor your SAT prep plan to your needs and goals. 

Kaplan

Kaplan’s SAT prep programs are built around their, “Learn it, drill it, prove it” approach. This approach is designed to help students master material through habitual repetition, then showing that mastery through scheduled quizzes and practice tests. Over the course of SAT prep, the goal of this active learning approach is to guide students from short-term knowledge to long-term memory that they’ll apply effortlessly on the real SAT.

Kaplan’s curriculum follows a consistent format that creates a predictable rhythym. Each module begins with short, 5-12 minute video lessons, followed by drills consisting of 6-7 practice questions covering content students just learned, and wrapping up with a short quiz that gives students the opportunity to “prove” what they’ve learned. Each quiz question and answer comes with a video explainer, followed by a customized chart that allows students to identify areas for improvement going forward.

Where Kaplan’s SAT prep excels is in its relaxed, laidback approach to video and live instruction. In both prerecorded and live lessons, reviewers claim that instructors are very conversational, easy to engage with and learn from. While this approachability may be a great fit for some students, those seeking a more formal, straightforward learning experience may find the tone off-putting. The short length of Kaplan’s video lessons may be an appealing feature for students who learn better in soundbites, as well.

As students work through lesson modules, they’ll find that drill questions on each SAT concept come with engaging video explanations that break down the process for finding the right answer. While these videos are excellent for helping students learn what they did wrong and how to fix their mistakes next time, drill questions are unfortunately the only questions that are accompanied by video explanations. When you work through Kaplan’s bank of 500+ questions, you’ll only get text-based explanations, which may provide less motivation for continued practice.

For students with busy schedules and limited time to study, Kaplan’s short lessons provide an easy way to fit daily prep into their routine. Kaplan states that their prep packages require just 30 minutes of prep per day, allowing for a consistent daily schedule that helps students maintain balance in their lives.

All of Kaplan’s courses are taught by 99th percentile-scoring SAT tutors, and students who choose the live instruction options will receive instruction from more than one of these experienced tutors.  

Winner: PrepScholar

There’s no denying that Kaplan’s video and live instruction are top quality, but PrepScholar’s approach to answer explanations sets them apart when it comes to quality of instruction and feedback. Whereas Kaplan treats SAT content as something to be mastered through repetitive drills, PrepScholar frames answer explanations as learning moments that help you understand your mistakes, which is the best way to boost your SAT scores. This focus on helping students grasp how to eliminate their weaknesses is unique, and it’s what makes PrepScholar the winner when it comes to instruction quality and feedback.

Comparison Point 2 — Personalization and Adaptive Learning

Quality SAT prep is more than repetitive drills and practice tests. The best SAT prep programs will tailor their process to your performance and goals—and update it to stay aligned with your progress along the way. Below, we cover how PrepScholar and Kaplan compare to each other based on personalization and adaptive learning.

PrepScholar

PrepScholar’s entire approach to SAT prep is built around personalization and adaptiveness. Instead of giving students the same generalized test prep program, PrepScholar uses a skill-by-skill learning model that continuously adjusts based on your individual performance, keeping your SAT prep focused on the areas where you need the most improvement.

Every PrepScholar SAT program begins with a 60-question diagnostic test that gives the platform’s adaptive technology a detailed picture of where a student stands across each skill area that’s tested on the SAT. These results allow PrepScholar to construct a customized course of study that meets students at their current skill level.

PrepScholar’s adaptive technology adjusts to the student’s performance with each question, which allows you to make more progress in less time. As you complete quizzes and practice tests, your weekly study plan automatically updates to keep you focused on the skills and content that will drive meaningful progress.

Because of their meticulous approach to adaptive modeling, PrepScholar is able to provide students with highly personalized learning through one-on-one tutoring. Rather than assigning tutors at random, PrepScholar matches students with specialists in the exact areas where diagnostic testing has shown the most need. Tutors then build a tailored prep plan aligned to each student’s score goals, working with them for anywhere between 4 and 32 hours depending on the chosen tutoring package.

Accompanying the personalization from adaptive testing and one-on-one instruction is PrepScholar’s Genius AI Tutor, an always-available personal aid that’s built directly into the SAT prep programs. Unlike general purpose AI tools, PrepScholar’s is specifically designed for SAT prep. It’s modeled after how human PrepScholar tutors teach, built to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and reinforce reasoning through ongoing interactions. This helps students learn the thought processes that lead to mastery of SAT content, which leads to better scores.

Kaplan

While Kaplan provides more opportunities for customization and personalization through their higher tier tutoring packages and bundled prep, adaptivity isn’t built into the foundation of Kaplan’s SAT prep programs. Students who choose the more basic SAT courses will get a standardized prep experience that provides little personalization.

In each of their SAT prep courses and programs, Kaplan provides four adaptive practice SATs that mimic the adaptivity of the real SAT in order to give students a realistic exam experience. Students can also use the bank of 500+ practice questions to create customized quizzes, with the option to tailor them based on number of questions, SAT concept, or problem areas you’re having difficulty with. In other words, Kaplan’s SAT prep courses don’t adapt to your performance and adjust based on the areas where you need the most work. If you want more personalization in Kaplan’s SAT prep courses, you’ll be in charge of creating that yourself.

Kaplan’s SAT packages become increasingly personalized as you move up to higher tier offerings. One-on-one tutoring packages are customizable, allowing students to choose between a lighter, 10 hour package, or more intensive prep that tops out at 40 total tutoring hours. In these sessions, students will receive individualized guidance and a customized study plan designed to help them reach their score goals.

Where Kaplan’s personalization stands out is in its suite of College Advantage packages. These packages bundle SAT/ACT prep and college admissions planning into one program that’s tailored to the needs and goals of students typically have during each year of high school. You’ll select your graduation year from among the packages provided, then choose from basic, plus, and unlimited prep that’s designed to put you on track to meet all of your goals by the time graduation rolls around.

Kaplan’s dedicated AI assistant, KapAdvisor Premium, allows parents to track their students’ progress and stay involved in the SAT prep process while letting their student take the lead. KapAdvisor Premium is included in some SAT prep programs, like Kaplan College Advantage, but can also be added onto other packages for $199.

Winner: PrepScholar

While giving students the opportunity to customize their own assessments is a neat feature, PrepScholar’s built-in adaptivity, which leads to even more personalization, allows students to focus on what matters most: drilling problem areas to eliminate mistakes and improve their scores. Because of PrepScholar’s adaptive foundation that’s woven throughout every SAT prep program, they edge out Kaplan on this point of comparison.

Comparison Point 3 — Test Updates and Alignment

The SAT changes from time to time. Before you commit to an SAT prep company, you need to know that they change their prep program when the SAT changes too. Here’s our comparison of PrepScholar and Kaplan based on their approach to test updates and alignment with the real SAT.

PrepScholar

At the core of PrepScholar’s test prep philosophy is authenticity. That’s why PrepScholar has spent thousands of hours developing brand new content tailored to the new, digital SAT.

While they could have followed the example of some other test prep companies and simply tweaked paper-based prep materials that were designed for the old SAT, PrepScholar chose to completely revamp their SAT prep by creating over 4,000 new practice questions to align with the digital SAT’s format, content, and tricky answer patterns. They built over 40 hours of skill lessons and explainer videos to guide students through the most crucial digital SAT concepts and test-taking strategies.

PrepScholar treats SAT updates as an opportunity to provide a cutting edge testing experience. Students who choose PrepScholar’s SAT prep will be fully immersed in a digital SAT prep experience that mirrors the College Board’s Bluebook app, providing authentic prep that will be crucial to success on exam day.

Kaplan

Kaplan updated its digital and print SAT prep materials when the SAT transitioned to a digital format. While it isn’t clear if they completely rebuilt their SAT prep, Kaplan does state that they have reworked some aspects of their prep programs to more accurately reflect the digital SAT experience.

Kaplan’s SAT practice tests and quizzes now train students for the adaptivity of the digital SAT by having modules that change in difficulty based on student performance. And to reflect the new format of the digital SAT, Kaplan shortened their practice tests to follow the new two hour, two module structure.

To get students acquainted with the digital testing experience, Kaplan also provides training on Bluebook, the SAT’s digital testing application, and using key testing tools in a digital format, like a graphing calculator.

Kaplan also releases a new edition of their SAT prep books annually. These updates reflect any minor changes that are made to the SAT year by year. When relevant, Kaplan is also transparent about corrections made to their SAT books to ensure accuracy, and provides access to those corrections for free.

Winner: PrepScholar

Through an online testing system that closely mirrors the digital testing environment of the real SAT, both Kaplan and PrepScholar provide students with the realistic prep they need to navigate the digital SAT on exam day. But because PrepScholar went a step further and completely redesigned their SAT prep program in response to the SAT’s shift to a digital format, when it comes down to it, they beat out Kaplan’s more basic updates to SAT prep.

Comparison Point 4 — Value

Choosing the right SAT prep for you is about more than just cost. It’s about knowing exactly what you’ll get from the programs you’re considering. When you know what each SAT program has to offer, you can pick the one that will bring you the most value based on what you need from your SAT prep!

PrepScholar

PrepScholar offers four core programs for SAT prep: Complete Online SAT Prep, Complete Online + AI Assistant, Live Instructor Led Classes, and One-on-One Tutoring. Higher-tier programs offer more personalization and customization, and they increase in cost accordingly.  

As the base tier offering, Complete Online SAT Prep provides full online access to all of PrepScholar’s SAT prep content, including a diagnostic test, and their entire repository of thousands of practice questions, drills, lessons, practice exams, and feedback and answer explanations. This is PrepScholar’s self-paced option, which means your study program will be customized and tailored to your strengths and weaknesses, but you won’t receive live or one-on-one instruction and feedback as you work through the program.

The Complete Online SAT Prep program is at the center of PrepScholar’s SAT program offerings and is included in each higher program tier, all of which add more personalization on top of the adaptivity you’re already getting from the base study program. At each program tier, students can easily add on additional services, like the AI Learning Assistant, Admissions Bootcamp, or bundling SAT and ACT prep.

Because each student’s learning needs are unique, both the Live Instruction and One-on-One Tutoring packages include flexible options for program hours, difficulty, and cost. Live Instruction packages range from 9 hours to 36+ and offer Beginner, Essentials, and Advanced courses that vary in difficulty and are designed to help students achieve specific score goals. Students who choose one-on-one tutoring can pick from 4, 10, 18, and 32 hour packages.

Because PrepScholar’s programs are fully online, students can access them from any location as long as they have an Internet connection and a digital device. While you’ll complete the self-paced program on your own time, you’ll have the option to choose live instruction and/or tutoring sessions that fit into your schedule. Once you sign up for a program, you’ll have a full year to access and use it.

The one caveat here is that PrepScholar doesn’t have a dedicated mobile app. While its programs are accessible on a mobile device, they weren’t explicitly built for a mobile experience.

Because of PrepScholar’s built-in adaptive technology and focus on personalization, students who sign up for an SAT prep course will receive more value from the get-go because each program is heavily tailored to their learning needs and goals. The more personalized an SAT prep program is, the more effective it’s going to be–and the more value you’ll get out of the service you pay for.

Reviews back this up. Students who have completed PrepScholar’s SAT prep programs say that the week-by-week personalization built a clear picture of their progress, which helped them stay motivated and engaged.  

Most users claim that customer service is quick and responsive, but a few have noted difficulty in getting help with a refund when their student didn’t meet their score goals. That’s why it’s important to understand the requirements for the 160 point money back guarantee and make sure you meet them before requesting a refund.

Kaplan

Kaplan offers a wide range of SAT prep programs that increase significantly in complexity, variety, and cost as you move up to higher tiers. Kaplan’s core SAT prep offerings consist of the self-paced On Demand Course, Live Online courses, Bootcamp, Tutoring + Live Online, and Kaplan College Advantage.

Kaplan packs the most value for every dollar you pay into its live online courses and bootcamps. At a low $799 compared to competitors, Kaplan’s 18 hours of live instruction from highly interactive 99th-percentile scoring teachers, private Q&A sessions during class, and the option for a compressed two- to three-week program timeline offer the highest value option you can get from this SAT prep company.

While their live instruction is top notch, Kaplan’s repository of prep materials is lacking compared to other companies. With only 500 practice questions and four practice SAT exams, students won’t have as many opportunities to assess their progress using a variety of high-quality, realistic materials.

Kaplan’s College Advantage allows students to bundle an impressive scope of prep courses and programs into single packages, with the Unlimited tier combining ACT, PSAT, and SAT prep, AP Live Online courses, one-on-one tutoring, college advising, prep books, and more. However, the prices for these packages range widely from the base tier to the unlimited tier. The prep provided at the base tier is essentially all self-paced and provides little to no personalization. To receive personalized guidance, you’ll be looking at paying over $3,000.

With the exception of the multi-year College Advantage packages, Kaplan’s SAT prep courses come with only six months of access to program materials. This places students on a more compressed timeline for completing the courses, and affords less flexibility for students who want to spread their prep out over a longer period of time. Students who choose Kaplan for SAT prep will need to have a clear plan for their SAT exam dates, SAT retakes, and prep completion before starting Kaplan SAT programs in order to get the full value of these SAT courses.

Kaplan’s SAT programs come with a score guarantee, but reviewers have observed that it is intentionally rigorous, with strict criteria that make actually getting a refund or free course repeat extremely difficult. Additionally, Kaplan College Advantage packages are not eligible for score guarantees. For students’ whose primary aim is SAT score improvement, the lack of score guarantee for the packages that sit at a premium price point presents a risk that may not be worth the cost.

Winner: PrepScholar (Affordability), Kaplan (Compressed Study Programs) 

PrepScholar offers may self-paced and bundled options to meet students' study needs, no matter where they are in their test prep journey. Their affordable price point also makes top-of-the-line study prep available to more students, which is a core part of their mission. 

Kaplan also offers a variety of test prep packages and bundles. Where they stand out is in their Bootcamp option, which compresses SAT prep into two weeks of intense study. This is a particularly good option for students who need more oversight or guidance in their test prep process. 

Overall Pros and Cons

Both PrepScholar’s and Kaplan’s SAT prep programs come with benefits and drawbacks. Below, we outline the pros and cons of each one: