When it comes to prepping for the GMAT, online courses are a popular choice. They combine high-quality course materials and practice tests with all the convenience and straightforwardness of online classes, and for many working people (or those with other responsibilities) they’re a great way of ensuring that you’re able to get in plenty of practice without having to undergo long commutes.
Not all GMAT online courses are created equal, of course – some are extremely affordable for those on a budget, while others can be on the expensive end of the spectrum. It’s on the former that we’ll be focusing today, as we take a look at the GMAT online courses that cater to those who don’t want to break the bank prepping for the GMAT.
During the course of this article, we plan to break down the cheapest GMAT online courses out there: how much are they? How long can you access the materials for? Are there any online classes thrown into the mix? And what is the quality of the materials, whether they be practice tests, interactive video lessons or other supplementary materials?
Let’s take a look at the most affordable GMAT online courses out there.
Note: all prices given are in USD.
Table of Contents
Most Affordable GMAT Online Courses 2023
Here is a brief overview of the most affordable GMAT online courses for 2023. If you’d like a more in-depth breakdown of each one, please refer to its individual section.
- Best Overall Budget Course: Magoosh
- Cheapest Course: PrepScholar
- Best Value For Money: Target Test Prep
- Best Free Course: GMAT Official Starter Kit
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Best Overall Budget Course: Magoosh
Overview
For robust and comprehensive materials combined with a competitive price tag, it doesn’t get much better than Magoosh.
Description
Magoosh are one of the biggest names in the GMAT online course preparation for one simple reason: nobody else combines affordability and quality in quite the same way as them. With Magoosh, you can be assured of some fantastic online materials, and they also offer some of the most affordable GMAT online courses around.
The corollary of this, of course, is that their materials are not quite as good as those provided by GMAT titans Kaplan and The Princeton Review. However, Magoosh materials are nevertheless fantastic for their cost, and you could do a lot worse for the price you’re paying.
No matter what course you choose from Magoosh (and they have a number of online options on offer, as we’ll get to below), you’ll get a guarantee of a 50-point increase. This is not insignificant – it’s not the loftiest guarantee on the market, but given that many online courses don’t guarantee any score increase at all, it’s nothing to be scoffed at.
Magoosh offers three types of online course in total:
Math + Integrated Reasoning
Covering just the basics here, the Math + IR bundle comes with 175 video classes and 720 practice questions, which you’ll be able to access for a year. You’re also guaranteed a bump of 3 to your Quant score, and you’ll have access (albeit limited) to online instructors. All of this will set you back a mere $219.
Premium
Premium includes what you get in the Math + IR package but throws in Verbal and AWA practice materials, meaning you’ve got all sections of the GMAT covered. The number of online video lessons jumps to 340, and you’ll unlock an astonishing 1300 practice questions. On top of this you’ll get 2 practice tests, and limited access to online instructors. As far as GMAT online course prices go, it’s one of the most budget-friendly ones you’ll find, costing $219.
If this sounds like a lot more than you get with the Math + IR package, you’re not wrong, but this doesn’t mean a commensurate price jump: the premium package is a mere $30 more, coming in at $249.
Live + Premium
Live + Premium includes everything that you get in the previous two packages, but also throws live instructors into the mix. You’ll get 16 hours of live class with an instructor that’s scored in the 99th percentile on the GMAT, and class sizes are capped at a low number, meaning that you’ll get plenty of attention from the instructor.
You’ll also receive assignments and homework that are adaptive and frequently personalized, meaning that they’ll focus on the areas that you really need to improve instead of forcing you to waste time on generic tasks that don’t advance your needs. All such tasks tend to be accompanied by text or video supplements that further explain them.
If you opt for this course, however, then you run the risk of edging out of the ‘budget’ zone – it costs $599 at the time of writing. If you need that live interaction, however, then it’s still a much more affordable online GMAT course than some of the alternatives.
What We Like
- Free trial available on request
- Extremely cheap for what you get
- 50-point increase guaranteed
- Can pause your course at any time
- A year’s access to all study materials
- Generous number of practice questions
What We Don’t Like
- No option to have your AWA practice tests graded
- Not many practice tests compared to some competitors (2)
GMAT Online Course Prices
- Math + IR: $219
- Premium: $249
- Live + Premium: $599
Cheapest Course: PrepScholar
Overview
The absolute cheapest paid option on the market, PrepScholar is hands down the best option for cheap GMAT online courses.
Description
If you’re looking for some extra GMAT prep but you don’t have a lot of funds put aside for it, PrepScholar is by far the strongest option on the market. Its cheapest option comes in below $100, which blows even Magoosh out of the water.
As with any of these courses, however, you get what you pay for. While the $99 is great if you’re already feeling pretty confident about the GMAT and would just like a little extra prep, the fact is that it’s not going to be as useful or comprehensive as some of the options on offer with certain competitors. That said, PrepScholar’s more expensive options are pretty good – and still won’t break the bank.
PrepScholar has 3 budget GMAT courses on offer:
Resource Pool Online GMAT Prep
This no-frills, ultra-budget option won’t get you any tailored study plans or interactive video classes, but does grant access to 500 practice questions for you grind through in preparation for the real thing. Detailed explanations of every answer are included, ensuring that you can understand where you’ve gone wrong and how you can ensure you don’t get it wrong on test day.
There are also 30 GMAT skill lessons included, which is a nice bonus on top of the practice questions themselves. You’ll have access to all of this for 2 months – not as long as you’d have access with some other course providers, but then again, you are paying a mere $99.
All in all, a solid budget option if you need a little last-minute practice or want to get acquainted with the style of GMAT questions. When it comes to affordable GMAT online courses, it won’t be beaten.
Self-Guided Online GMAT Prep
The next course up comes with quite a price hike, coming in at $250. For that, you’ll get a diagnostic assessment and 3 months’ access to 750 practice questions – along with the detailed explanations that you’d get in the Resource Pool bundle.
You’ll also get the same 30 skill lessons as the previous course, but in addition you’ll have 5 GMAT strategy lessons that will talk you through the optimal way to tackle the test itself. In addition, all materials are accessible for 3 months (as opposed to the 2 months’ access given on the Resource Pool course).
This tier-2 PrepScholar course may lack some of the bells and whistles offered by competitors, but that’s more than mitigated by the astonishingly low price tag.
Completely Customized Online GMAT Prep
The final GMAT online course offered by PrepScholar, the Completely Customized Online GMAT Prep course will set you back $399. In exchange for this, you’ll gain access to a diagnostic assessment, customized study plan, more than 1000 practice questions (with detailed breakdowns of every answer), 10 GMAT strategy lessons, and more than 30 GMAT skill lessons.
This course also comes with a guaranteed score increase of 60 – something that the lower-level courses lack.
What We Like
- Robust study materials
- Intuitive interface and layout for all materials
- Adaptive materials mean you spend time on the things that matter
- Extremely cheap
What We Don’t Like
- Short access period (the longest is only 4 months)
- Materials are not as good as competitors’
GMAT Online Course Prices
- Resource Pool Online GMAT Prep: $99
- Self-Guided Online GMAT Prep: $250
- Completely Customized Online GMAT Prep: $399
Best Value For Money: Target Test Prep
Overview
One of the best value-for-money GMAT online courses out there, Target Test Prep is perfect for those who want to control how long they can access study materials for, rather than purchasing access for a predetermined period of time.
Unlike a lot of old-school GMAT course providers, Target have approached the subject material from an online-only perspective. This means smartly designed, visually appealing materials that have been developed with the digital age in mind, rather than their more old-fashioned competitors who have often adopted their materials from those used in their offline classes.
The end result is fantastic – particularly given that this is one of the more affordable GMAT online courses. You’re kept up to date on your progress with scores of data, insights and feedback – arguably more so than any of Target’s competitors, including high-end options like Kaplan and Princeton.
Target has three kinds of course:
Flexible Preparation
Target’s monthly-billed course is as unusual in its pricing as it is refreshing. Uniquely among affordable GMAT online courses, you’re not locked into course access for a period of time that might not necessarily suit you. Perhaps you’re not sure when you’ll take the GMAT, and you’d rather access course materials for an indefinite amount of time. With competitors, that’s simply not possible. With Target, however, you can pick up their Flexible Preparation course, and cancel whenever you like.
Another plus point to the Flexible Preparation option is that you unlock the exact same content as higher tiers. That’s right – you get access to everything, even given the relatively low price of $179 per month. As far as value for money gods, it simply cannot be beaten.
Dedicated Study And Maximum Learning
These courses are identical to Flexible Preparation, but grant access to the materials for set periods of time – specifically, for 4 and 6 months, respectively.
As mentioned, the materials on all 3 courses are identical – and all are excellent, and pitched perfectly to an increasingly digitally-savvy audience. Target Test Prep’s materials are short, sharp, punchy, and move things along briskly – while making sure that you’re not left behind with frequent review exercises.
The same basic format is used throughout: examples are given of various problems/GMAT questions in the form of videos or annotated texts. You’re often given the opportunity to play around with these problems and see if you can arrive at the right conclusion by yourself. This is followed up with short videos that break down the problems in more detail and explain how to effectively solve them.
It’s an incredibly effective and assured approach that pays off at every step, and fully immerses students in Target’s unique and iconoclastic approach to GMAT tutoring – limited only by the relative lack of long-form videos that walk you through GMAT materials.
What We Like
- Fantastic value for money
- Innovative and intuitive study materials
- Excellent insights and analytics that provide meaningful feedback at all steps
- Great practice problems with thorough explanations
- 47 learning modules that cover all sections of the GMAT
What We Don’t Like
- No online group classes
- No long-form video lectures
- Tutors never appear in videos
GMAT Online Course Prices
- $179 for Flexible Preparation
- $449 for Dedicated Study
- $499 for Maximum Learning
Best Free Course: GMAT Official Starter Kit
Overview
If you’d like to get some GMAT practice in without spending a dime, the GMAT Official Starter Kit is your best bet.
Description
If there’s one organization that you’d expect to know the GMAT inside out, it’s the one that created the test and still administer it to this day. This starter kit doesn’t disappoint on that front, and makes a strong case for why you should start with GMAC materials before exploring other options.
Gaining access to the materials does require you to sign up, but this is completely free of charge – and when you get materials of this quality in return, it’s a vanishingly small price to pay. There are a full two practice tests included in the starter kit, and complementing this are 90 practice questions that will go a long way towards prepping you for both the practice tests and the real thing.
One of the best things about official materials is that they closely mirror the format that you can expect on test day. The sections are as they’ll appear on the real test, and the questions come from the official creators, and so are as authentic as you can possibly get.
All of this means that the Official Starter Kit is an absolutely fantastic start for anybody looking to sit the GMAT. However, do warned that this is a starter kit – it is not comprehensive, nor is it supposed to be. It will get you off the ground and begin the process of GMAT preparation, but you’ll likely have to supplement it with another option if you want to be 100% ready for the real deal.
What We Like
- 2 full practice tests
- 90 practice questions
- Official materials made by GMAC, the creator of the GMAT
- 100% free
- Feedback on time management
What We Don’t Like
- Not as comprehensive as paid GMAT courses
GMAT Course Prices
- Free
Conclusion
It’s refreshing to see more and more options on the market when it comes to budget GMAT online courses, and there is enough variety in the options available to cater for all budgets and requirements. Those who prefer a more flexible approach might consider Target Test Prep and their monthly subscription (not to mention their excellent materials and tutoring ethos); students who simply need to grind through practice questions, on the other hand, might be better suited to PrepScholar’s ultra-budget, questions-only package.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that a great many of the above courses offer trial options as well – sometimes completely free of charge, and sometimes for as little as $1 for several days’ access. This means that you can check out the various options on offer before making an irrevocable financial commitment, further broadening your options and ensuring that you choose the absolute best course for you and your needs.
Whatever course you ultimately end up choosing, the fact is that there’s never been a better time for GMAT online courses. It’s simply a matter of picking the best one for you.