Best GRE Prep Courses in 2026

Target Test Prep is the best GRE prep course for most test takers at $499 for six months, which is $83.16 a month. If that is more than you want to spend, GregMat covers the same exam for $11.99 a month and Magoosh sits in between at $179 for six months.

Every price on this page was read on the provider's own pricing page on October 22, 2026. Where a provider does not publish a price we can check, we say so instead of quoting a number.

Key takeaways

• The cheapest real course is $11.99 a month: GregMat+ is month to month, includes the weekly live classes, and adds PrepSwift for $3 more.
• Cost per month is the number that matters, not the sticker price: Target Test Prep at $499 for six months ($83.16 a month) costs less per month than Magoosh at $149 for one month.
• Achievable is $199 for a full year, or $16.58 a month, the lowest cost per month of any one-time purchase here.
• Achievable's guarantee is tiered by starting score: +8 below 300, +6 from 300 to 315, +4 from 315 to 330, with no study-time threshold to qualify.
• Target Test Prep sells no full-length practice tests by design, so budget for the official ETS exams alongside it.
• Kaplan's current prices are not quoted here. Kaplan's course pages blocked our price check on October 22, 2026, and we do not publish prices we could not open.

What a GRE Prep Course Costs, Cheapest First

Sorted by what each plan actually costs per month of access. This is the comparison most roundups skip, and it changes the order: a $499 six-month course is cheaper per month than a $149 one-month subscription.

Every price above was read on October 22, 2026 on the provider's own pricing page. Those pages are linked at the first mention of each course's price on this page.

Comparison Table

Our Top Picks at a Glance

Detailed Analysis

1. Target Test Prep: Best Overall

Target Test Prep (TTP) is the course we point most GRE students to first. It has the largest structured question bank on this list at 4,000+ questions, 2,000+ instructor-led videos, and the most useful analytics we tested, with error tracking that tells you which specific topic is costing you points rather than just showing a section score.

TTP's plans page, linked in the opening above, listed three self-study tiers on October 22, 2026: $179 a month, $449 for four months, or $499 for six months. The six-month plan is the one to take if you are studying for a normal cycle, because it works out to $83.16 a month against $179 for the monthly plan. Every plan now covers Quant, Verbal and AWA, and every plan includes TTP AI GRE Coach, an in-course assistant you can query on any lesson or practice problem.

Best for: anyone whose Quant score is the thing standing between them and their target, and anyone who wants analytics that name the topic to fix.

Key Strengths:

• 4,000+ practice questions with a customizable Qbank and custom test builder
• 2,000+ quant and verbal videos led by expert instructors
• TTP AI GRE Coach for instant help on any lesson or question
• Personalized study plan with a daily study calendar
• Best-in-class analytics and error tracking
• 320+ Score Guarantee on every plan
• 5-day full-access trial, and TTP states plainly that it will not auto-bill you
• Live classes available as a $1,299 six-month bundle with 40 hours of instruction

Key Weaknesses:

• No full-length practice tests of its own, so you pair it with the official ETS POWERPREP exams
• Quant is still the deeper half of the course, though Verbal and AWA are now included in every plan
• Lessons are text-first, which may not suit video-led learners
• No dedicated mobile app, only a mobile-friendly site

Skip it if: you want everything in one subscription including full-length tests, in which case Manhattan Prep is the tidier fit. If your budget is under $100 in total, go to GregMat.

The missing full-lengths matter less than they look. The free official POWERPREP exams are the most predictive practice available anyway, and most strong scorers use them regardless of which course they buy. See our best GRE practice tests roundup for how to sequence them.

For a full breakdown, read our Target Test Prep GRE review, or see how it stacks up against the budget picks in our Magoosh vs Target Test Prep and GregMat vs Target Test Prep comparisons.

2. Magoosh: Best Value

Magoosh combines quality content with a low one-time price. With 1,600+ practice questions, a video explanation on every one of them, and up to 6 full-length practice tests, it covers both sections properly without putting you on a subscription.

Watch the term you buy. Magoosh's plans page, linked in the opening above, priced one month of Premium at $149 and six months at $179 on October 22, 2026. Paying $30 more for five extra months is the easiest decision on this page. The Premium + Admissions plan is $219 and runs for 12 months, adding application support on top of the course.

Best for: a self-studier who wants one purchase, a score guarantee, and no subscription to cancel.

Key Strengths:

• $179 for 6 months, or 4 payments of $44.75
• +5 total score guarantee
• Up to 6 full-length practice tests
• A video explanation for every practice question
• Mobile app with the full course
• Score predictor tool
• Premium + Admissions plan at $219 for 12 months with application support

Key Weaknesses:

• No live classes or tutoring
• No prep books
• Question bank is roughly a third the size of Target Test Prep's
• The one-month plan at $149 is poor value next to the six-month plan at $179

Skip it if: you need a live instructor, or your Quant gap is wide enough that you want the deepest bank available.

For a full breakdown, read our Magoosh GRE review.

3. Manhattan Prep: Best for Comprehensive Prep

Manhattan Prep has the largest question library here. Its Interact platform carries 10,000+ practice problems, over 65 interactive video-based lessons, a 2,500+ question Qbank and 13 full-length practice tests, and its course page prices the self-paced option at $299 to $499 on October 22, 2026.

Live teaching costs considerably more. Manhattan prices a live course at roughly $1,399 to $1,599, and the GRE for MBA class is listed at $1,999 and selling at $1,600 through October 31, 2026. A Foundations of GRE Math workshop runs about $200 if the gap you need to close is arithmetic rather than strategy.

Best for: a high scorer who wants volume, 13 full-length tests, and books included.

Key Strengths:

• 10,000+ practice problems, more than any other course here
• 13 full-length GRE practice tests and a 2,500+ question Qbank
• Over 65 interactive video-based lessons
• Comprehensive books including the 5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems
• Private tutoring carries a 325+ score guarantee, conditions applying
• Higher Score Guarantee on courses
• Strong mobile app

Key Weaknesses:

• More expensive than most competitors at $299 to $499 for self-paced
• Live instruction is a four-figure purchase
• The published self-paced range does not say which term each price buys

Skip it if: you are buying on price, or you want the course to tell you what to work on next rather than handing you a library.

For a full breakdown, read our Manhattan Prep GRE review.

4. Kaplan: Best for Structured Learning

Kaplan sells the widest range of formats of anyone here. When we last checked its course page in February 2026, that meant an On Demand self-guided course, Live Online classes, private tutoring, and the Official Test Day Experience that puts you in a Prometric testing center before the real thing. For a student who wants a timetable and a room, that breadth is the draw.

We could not confirm Kaplan's current prices or inclusions on October 22, 2026. Kaplan's course pages return a bot check rather than a page, and we only publish prices we have read on the provider's own page. Check Kaplan's GRE course page for today's numbers before you buy, and treat any Kaplan price quoted in a roundup or a search result summary, including the ones that look authoritative, as unverified until you see it on Kaplan's own checkout.

Best for: students who want live classes on a fixed schedule and a rehearsal at a real test center.

Key Strengths:

• On Demand, Live Online and private tutoring under one roof
• Official Test Day Experience at a Prometric testing facility
• The only course here that sells a rehearsal at a real test center

Key Weaknesses:

• Prices are not verifiable without visiting the site, and they move with frequent promotions
• Nothing in the course can be compared on this page on like-for-like terms
• Self-study students pay for structure they may not use

Skip it if: you are self-motivated and price sensitive. You can buy a known quantity at a known price from GregMat or Magoosh today, and that is worth a lot when the alternative cannot be compared.

For a full breakdown, read our Kaplan GRE review.

5. GregMat: Best Budget Option

GregMat is the cheapest serious GRE course by a wide margin. GregMat+ is $11.99 a month, month to month, and that price includes the live classes rather than holding them back for a premium tier. PrepSwift, the structured video-and-quiz track, is an extra $3 a month, which is where the $14.99 figure comes from.

The trade is depth of practice. GregMat currently publishes three full-length practice tests, against 13 at Manhattan Prep and up to 6 at Magoosh. For most students that is fine, because the official ETS exams are the ones that predict your score, but it means GregMat is a teaching subscription first and a practice bank second.

Best for: anyone studying on a real budget, and anyone who learns better with a teacher talking them through it every week.

Key Strengths:

• $11.99 a month, with no long commitment
• Weekly live classes included at the base price
• Well-structured one-month and two-month study plans
• PrepSwift add-on for concise, fast-paced review at $3 more
• Excellent strategy videos
• Month-to-month billing, so a short prep cycle costs very little

Key Weaknesses:

• Only three full-length practice tests
• Lectures can run long
• Platform organization could be better
• A subscription you forget to cancel stops being cheap

Skip it if: you want a single purchase you never think about again, or you need a score guarantee. GregMat does not offer one.

For a full breakdown, read our GregMat GRE review, or see how it compares to our top pick in our GregMat vs Target Test Prep GRE comparison.

6. Achievable: Best for Adaptive Learning

Achievable charges $199 for a full year of access, which is $16.58 a month and the lowest cost per month of any one-time purchase here. Its Quant practice is generated rather than fixed: over 200 question templates produce randomized questions, so you cannot memorize your way through the bank. Verbal is a hand-written set that supports 30 full-length Verbal practice exams, and the course includes 250 of the most commonly tested vocabulary words and unlimited instant AI essay grading.

Its guarantee is better than it is usually described. Achievable promises +8 points if you start below 300, +6 from 300 to 315, and +4 from 315 to 330, money back, with no study-time or progress threshold to qualify. Most summaries quote only the +4.

Best for: a self-studier who wants a year of adaptive practice for under $200 and does not need video lessons.

Key Strengths:

• $199 for 1 year, or $16.58 a month
• Adaptive engine that tracks retention per learning objective
• Unlimited randomized Quant questions from 200+ templates
• 30 full-length Verbal reasoning practice exams
• 250 vocabulary words in flashcard-style quizzes
• Unlimited instant AI essay grading
• Ask Achievable AI, an in-course tutor tuned to the exam
• Tiered money-back guarantee of +8, +6 or +4 by starting score

Key Weaknesses:

• No video lessons, the course is an interactive online textbook
• No live classes or private tutoring
• No dedicated mobile app, only a mobile-friendly site
• Verbal is a finite bank, so the exams reuse questions

Skip it if: you learn from video, or you want a human to teach you.

For a full breakdown, read our Achievable GRE review.

How We Ranked These Courses

We evaluated each course on five things, and we re-check the prices and inclusions on each refresh rather than carrying old numbers forward. Our full process is in our review methodology.

• Content Quality: depth and accuracy of lessons, and video production quality
• Practice Materials: number and quality of practice questions and full-length tests
• Adaptive Learning: how well the course personalizes to your strengths and weaknesses
• Value for Money: price relative to what you get, measured per month of access
• User Experience: platform usability, mobile access, and support

Where a provider blocks verification, we publish that fact instead of a number. That is why Kaplan's row is empty above.

Final Recommendations

• Best Overall: Target Test Prep, the deepest question bank and the best analytics, at $499 for six months
• Best Value: Magoosh, a complete course with a +5 guarantee for a one-time $179
• Best for High Scorers: Manhattan Prep, 10,000+ problems and 13 full-length tests
• Best for Structure: Kaplan, live classes and the Test Day Experience, price not verified this cycle
• Best Budget: GregMat, $11.99 a month with the live classes included
• Best Adaptive Tech: Achievable, a year of generated practice for $199

Choose on budget, target score and learning style. If you are undecided, start with the Target Test Prep 5-day trial: it costs nothing, TTP states it does not auto-bill, and a week inside the course tells you more than any roundup can.

Whatever you pick, pair it with our free tools: the GRE study plan generator for a week-by-week schedule, free GRE practice questions for quick Verbal and Quant reps with explanations, and our free GRE calculator simulator so the on-screen calculator is familiar before test day. If a course's verbal coverage is what you are weighing, our list of the GRE vocabulary words drawn from official ETS practice tests shows what the test actually asks for. If you have not set a target yet, start with what is a good GRE score and the GRE score percentiles for your programs.

GRE Prep Course Questions, Answered

How much does a GRE prep course cost?

Published prices run from $11.99 a month to about $2,000 for a live class. On October 22, 2026, GregMat+ was $11.99 a month, Achievable was $199 for a year, Magoosh was $179 for six months, Target Test Prep was $499 for six months, and Manhattan Prep's self-paced option was $299 to $499. Live instruction is the expensive tier: Manhattan's GRE for MBA class lists at $1,999.

What is the most affordable GRE online prep course?

GregMat+ at $11.99 a month is the cheapest course here, and it includes the weekly live classes. Measured per month of access rather than sticker price, Achievable is next at $16.58 a month for a full year, then Magoosh Premium at $29.83 a month on the six-month plan. Add the free official ETS practice exams to any of them and you have a complete prep setup for well under $100.

Are GRE prep courses worth it?

They are worth it if you need structure, a curriculum, or a diagnosis of what is actually costing you points. They are not worth it if you already score near your target and simply need practice, since official practice material covers that for less. Work out your target first with what is a good GRE score, then buy the cheapest course that closes the specific gap you have.

Do any GRE courses include full-length practice tests?

Manhattan Prep includes 13, Magoosh allows up to 6, and GregMat publishes 3. Target Test Prep deliberately includes none and gives you a custom test builder instead, on the reasoning that the official ETS exams are the ones that predict your score. Our GRE practice tests roundup covers which exams to take and in what order.

How long should I study with a GRE prep course?

Most students use two to three months, which is why the six-month plans are priced as the default at nearly every provider. If you are buying month to month, that makes GregMat roughly $24 to $36 for a full prep cycle and Target Test Prep's Flexible plan $358 to $537 for the same period. Our GRE study plan generator turns your test date into a week-by-week schedule.

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