Comparison · Honest verdicts

HSEA vs other homeschool curriculums.

Choosing a homeschool curriculum is overwhelming. Most comparison pages are written by people trying to sell you one thing. This page is honest — every option below has real strengths and a clear “best for” verdict, so you can pick what fits your family.

See the comparisonTry a lesson — free

All prices and details verified from each provider's public pricing page. Last reviewed: June 2026.

At a glance

The full comparison, side by side

Seven options compared on the seven things that actually matter when you're choosing a homeschool curriculum. Scroll to see the detail.

CurriculumFormatParent involvementSubjectsGradesPriceReligious lean
HSEAThis sitePaper, parent-ledHighMath, Reading, Writing, Science, Social Studies, SEL, TechGrades 1–6$29–69/mo or $299–699/yrNeutral
Easy Peasy All-in-OneFree, screen-curated linksMediumAll core subjectsPre-K–12FreeChristian
Time4LearningScreen-based lessonsLowMath, Language Arts, Science, Social StudiesPre-K–12~$19.95/mo (PreK–8); ~$30/mo (high school)Neutral
IXLScreen, adaptive practiceLowMath, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, SpanishPre-K–12~$9.95/mo per subject; ~$15.95/mo all subjectsNeutral
Khan AcademyFree, screen, video instructionLowMath, Science, Reading, plus electivesPre-K–collegeFreeNeutral
The Good and the BeautifulPaper textbooks + workbooksHighMath, Language Arts, Science, History, HandwritingPre-K–12$15–80 per subject per gradeChristian
BJU PressPaper textbooks + optional videoMedium–HighAll core + electives + BibleK–12~$30–50 per subject; ~$300–500 per grade full setStrongly Christian (theology integrated)

Prices are typical published rates and may vary by promotion or region. Verify on each provider's site before deciding.

In detail

What each one is — and who it's best for

Honest summaries with no spin. We even tell you when another curriculum is the right pick.

Easy Peasy All-in-One

Free · Screen-curated · Christian

A free, online homeschool curriculum created by Lee Giles. It curates lessons and links from across the web and stitches them into a daily plan. Parents follow a daily schedule that sends the child to various external websites and resources.

Choose Easy Peasy All-in-One if

You have a tight budget, are comfortable with a piecemeal experience that pulls content from many sites, and don't mind that some links go stale over time.

Choose HSEA if

You want a single, internally consistent curriculum with original lessons designed to work together, and you'd rather print than click.

Time4Learning

Paid · Screen-based · Neutral

An online curriculum where children work through animated lessons, interactive activities, and assessments at their own pace on a screen. Parents check a dashboard for progress.

Choose Time4Learning if

You want the child to work mostly independently on a screen and you prefer a self-paced platform with built-in tracking — and your child engages well with screen-based content.

Choose HSEA if

You believe primary-grade kids retain skills better when writing on paper, and you'd rather be the one teaching than supervising a screen.

IXL

Paid · Screen · Adaptive practice

An adaptive practice platform with strong analytics. IXL doesn't teach — it provides practice problems that get easier or harder based on the child's performance, with detailed parent-facing reports. Many homeschool families use it as a supplement to their main curriculum.

Choose IXL if

You want a sharp practice platform with rich data, AND you already have a main curriculum that does the actual teaching.

Choose HSEA if

You want the full curriculum — the lessons, the worked examples, the structured progression — not just drill practice.

Khan Academy

Free · Screen video · Neutral

A free non-profit platform of video lessons and practice exercises across math, science, and other subjects. Widely respected for upper grades and a great supplemental resource. Primarily video-based instruction with adaptive practice.

Choose Khan Academy if

Your child is older, self-motivated, and benefits from video instruction — or you need a free supplement to fill specific gaps.

Choose HSEA if

Your child is in the primary grades (1–6), and you want structured paper lessons designed for a parent to teach in person rather than videos to watch alone.

The Good and the Beautiful

Paid · Paper · Christian-influenced

A paper-based homeschool curriculum with strong visual production and a values-driven editorial voice. Sold subject-by-subject, with both textbooks and workbooks. Beautifully illustrated and widely loved by Christian homeschool families.

Choose The Good and the Beautiful if

You're a Christian family who appreciates beautifully designed paper materials, you're comfortable buying subject-by-subject, and you value the curriculum's editorial worldview.

Choose HSEA if

You want one neutral, secular curriculum that includes all subjects in a single membership, with lessons short enough (~25–30 min) to fit a real homeschool morning.

BJU Press

Paid · Paper · Strongly Christian

One of the oldest, most established Christian homeschool publishers. Bob Jones University Press produces textbook-based curricula with a strong academic reputation. Theology is integrated throughout content, including science and history. Optional video instruction available.

Choose BJU Press if

You're a Christian family who wants rigorous, traditional textbook learning with theology integrated across subjects — and you're comfortable with the academic load that involves.

Choose HSEA if

You want a secular curriculum with lesson-sized units (not textbook chapters), no religious framing, and a 25–30 minute daily rhythm rather than a textbook-chapter rhythm.

Why families choose HSEA

What HSEA does that's different.

We're honest about who HSEA is for — and who it isn't.

HSEA exists for one type of family: parents who want to teach their own children, on paper, in person. Not parents looking for an app the child runs alone. Not parents looking for video lessons the child watches passively. Parents who want to sit at the table with their child and teach.

That's a specific choice, and not for everyone. Here's what it means in practice.

What HSEA is

  • Paper-first. Every lesson prints on a home printer. No screen needed for the child.
  • 1,680 lessons across 6 grades and 7 subjects, all written to a consistent structure.
  • Parent-led. Every lesson is designed for a parent to teach using a 5-step routine (Print → Read together → Show one example → Practice alone → Mark and note).
  • 25–30 minutes per lesson. Fits a real homeschool morning. No marathon textbook chapters.
  • Secular and neutral. No religious framing imposed. Use it alongside any worldview you teach at home.
  • One flat membership. Solo ($29/mo), Family ($49/mo), or Large Family ($69/mo) — all 6 grades included. No grade-by-grade purchases.
  • Per-child progress tracking when parents log in — kids work on paper, parents see the progress.

What HSEA isn't

  • Not an app the child runs alone.
  • Not a video platform.
  • Not an AI tutor or chatbot.
  • Not a textbook series.
  • Not religion-integrated.
  • Not designed for parents who want to outsource teaching to a screen.
HSEA is the curriculum for parents who believe the parent-child teaching relationship is part of the education itself.

Try before you decide

You don't need to take our word for it. The first lesson of every grade and every subject is free — no sign-up, no credit card. Open one, print it, teach it the way the 5-step method describes, and see if it fits how you actually want to homeschool.

Compare on the page that matters most — the lesson itself.

Open a free lesson. Print it. Teach it. See if HSEA's approach fits your family in 30 minutes.

Try a lesson — freeSee membership

First lesson of every grade and subject · No sign-up · No credit card