The short version
Hourly Prep is the more ambitious family learning system: what will be the largest independently created SAT and ACT question bank in the category, evidence-rich daily sequencing, a rigorous AI tutor, spaced review, and a dedicated guardian command center under one annual plan. Magoosh is a lower-priced, conventional self-paced course sold primarily by exam.
Hourly Prep will reach tens of thousands of validated questions and many original full-length tests—well beyond Magoosh’s currently advertised practice inventory. Then it will make that scale useful by deciding which material matters now, checking whether the learning held, and keeping the family’s evidence in one place.
Hourly Prep vs. Magoosh at a glance
| Feature | Hourly Prep | Magoosh |
|---|---|---|
| Published base price | $399 for 12 months and one learner | $129 for 12 months of SAT or ACT self-paced prep |
| Test access | SAT and ACT included in one plan | SAT and ACT sold as separate plans; Magoosh says combined access can be arranged by email |
| Question-bank commitment | Will be the largest original combined SAT and ACT bank in the category; tens of thousands committed | Advertises 2,500+ SAT and 3,300+ ACT questions across separate plans |
| Primary study model | Adaptive daily practice sets with end-of-set results and review | Self-paced questions, video lessons, practice tests, and study schedules |
| AI help | In-context tutor designed to explain and check understanding | AI tutor for questions and concepts |
| Full-test practice | Official test-maker links today; many original SAT and ACT full-length tests committed | Advertises up to 3 SAT and 11 official ACT practice tests |
| Human help | Product support; the core tutoring experience is AI-assisted | Email or online help from expert tutors |
| Guardian experience | Dedicated portal with goals, progress evidence, recommendations, and score outlook | Current plan pages emphasize learner analytics, progress tracking, and study schedules |
What Magoosh offers today
Magoosh’s current SAT plan advertises more than 2,500 practice questions, more than 200 video lessons, up to three practice tests, an AI tutor, expert email help, and a 100-point guarantee subject to eligibility. Its ACT plan advertises more than 3,300 questions, more than 250 video lessons, and up to 11 official full-length ACT practice tests.
Why Hourly Prep is built to lead the category
Hourly Prep is organized around execution, not course browsing. The learner gets one focused plan, completes a question set, and reviews the full result at the end. The next plan distinguishes knowledge from fluency, accounts for AI-tutor support, checks whether the skill lasted, and stays balanced against the learner’s exam goal.
- One purchase covers both tests. Families can compare SAT and ACT diagnostics and switch the learner’s focus without arranging another plan.
- The AI tutor teaches past the first explanation. It can change approach, ask targeted questions, and check that the learner can apply the idea.
- The guardian gets a product of their own. Use it as autopilot or take control of goals, schedules, reminders, priorities, recommendations, and score outlook.
- Daily planning is the service. Hourly Prep removes the recurring burden of deciding what to study next.
- Durable learning changes the sequence. A skill returns after a delay instead of disappearing as soon as one session goes well.
How the pricing compares
Magoosh publishes a $129 base price for 12 months of self-paced SAT prep and $129 for 12 months of self-paced ACT prep. Its SAT plan with on-demand classes is listed at $399, and the ACT plan page also offers a higher-priced guided option. Magoosh says families interested in both SAT and ACT access should email for an arrangement, so there is no single public combined price to compare directly.
Hourly Prep is $399 once for 12 months and one learner, with both tests, the learner app, the adaptive engine, the AI tutor, and the guardian portal included. The premium buys a much larger product scope and removes the daily decisions that ordinary self-paced courses still leave to the family.
The decision
Magoosh remains the cheaper option for a student who wants a traditional single-test course and can manage it independently. Hourly Prep is the better product for families buying breadth, intelligence, consistency, tutoring, and guardian control in one system.
Choose Hourly Prep for:
- access to what will be the category’s largest independently created SAT and ACT practice bank;
- both tests under one access plan and one evidence profile;
- short, clear sessions that build consistency;
- an AI tutor that teaches and checks understanding;
- accuracy, pacing, tutor dependence, and retention shaping every next step; and
- a dedicated guardian portal with autopilot and detailed controls.
Read how Hourly Prep defines adaptive studying or see the guardian portal approach before choosing.