AnalystPrep is the budget favorite in CFA prep. On r/CFA and 300Hours, it is the name that comes up when a candidate wants a solid question bank without paying premium-provider money. It bundles study notes, video lessons, a deep question bank, and mock exams at a price well below the big names, and the lifetime Unlimited option is genuinely good value for anyone planning to sit all three levels.
I sat for all three CFA levels while working full time as an actuary, and I built FreeFellow because I thought the entire question bank should be free, not gated behind even a budget paywall. This post is a straight side-by-side of FreeFellow and AnalystPrep for CFA Level I in 2026. AnalystPrep is the closest competitor to FreeFellow on price, so this is the comparison with the least room for spin. I call out the places where AnalystPrep is the better buy.
Disclosure up front: I am the founder of FreeFellow. The post is self-interested. I tried to be even-handed anyway.
What Each Provider Offers
AnalystPrep CFA Level I (2026)
AnalystPrep's pricing page lists these Level I packages and the all-levels Unlimited bundle (checked September 7, 2026):
- Practice Package: $349 for Level I, 12-month access. Question bank, computer-based mock exams, and performance tracking.
- Learn plus Practice Package: $499 for Level I, 12-month access. Adds video lessons, study notes, and review summaries.
- Unlimited: $799, lifetime access across all three levels. Everything in Learn plus Practice for Levels I, II, and III, plus ask-a-tutor and free annual curriculum updates.
Practice is the question-bank-focused option. What you get is a well-rounded budget package: video lessons, written study notes, a deep question bank, and full mock exams, with the Unlimited tier offering strong value for anyone committed to the whole charter.
FreeFellow CFA Level I (2026)
FreeFellow has a free tier and two paid tiers. The annual comparison below uses Fellow Plus:
- Free: $0. 1,499 practice questions across all 10 topics, 102 written lessons each, a formula sheet, mixed practice, readiness scoring, and detailed step-by-step solutions. No trial, no question cap, no credit card.
- Fellow Plus: $199 per year per track. Includes timed full-length mock exams, SM-2 spaced-repetition flashcards, performance analytics with topic-level breakdowns, and a personalized study plan keyed to your exam date. Fellow Plus also includes licensed curriculum practice and common traps. Fellow costs $39 per month or $79 per quarter per track and includes the mocks, flashcards, analytics, and study plan.
FreeFellow is a CFA Institute Prep Provider. Like every Prep Provider, FreeFellow is independent of CFA Institute and does not promise a passing score.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | FreeFellow Free | FreeFellow Fellow Plus | AnalystPrep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $199/yr per track | Level I Practice $349 or Learn plus Practice $499 (12 months); Unlimited $799 lifetime, all three levels (pricing page checked September 7, 2026) |
| Browse the full bank free | Yes, all 1,499 | Yes | No, paywalled |
| Practice questions (Level I) | 1,499 | 1,499 | Large bank, paywalled |
| Written lessons | 102 | 102 | Study notes (paid) |
| Video lectures | None | None | Learn plus Practice and Unlimited |
| Mock exams | None | Multiple, timed | Included |
| Flashcards | None | SM-2 spaced repetition | None |
| Analytics | Readiness score | Topic-level plus trends | Performance tracking |
| Study plan | Manual | Personalized | Self-directed |
| Ask-a-tutor | No | No | Yes (higher tiers) |
| Access | Free tier never expires | Annual | 12-month or lifetime |
AnalystPrep adds video lessons, ask-a-tutor support, and a lifetime all-levels bundle. FreeFellow gives the entire question bank away free with no trial, and three years of Fellow Plus cost less than the Unlimited bundle at these prices. The two solve different problems: AnalystPrep is the best-value paid bundle, FreeFellow is the free option.
Where AnalystPrep Is Genuinely Better
AnalystPrep earns its price in specific places, so let me name them.
Video lessons
AnalystPrep includes video lessons in its Learn plus Practice and Unlimited tiers. FreeFellow has written lessons but no video. If you learn best watching an instructor work through quantitative methods or derivatives on screen, AnalystPrep has something FreeFellow does not.
Lifetime access
The Unlimited package is a one-time purchase, $799, that covers all three levels for life with annual curriculum updates. For a candidate who plans to take all three levels over several years, that is real value and removes any renewal decision. FreeFellow paid tier is recurring; the free tier never expires, but the Fellow Plus features renew each year.
Ask-a-tutor
Higher AnalystPrep tiers let you ask a tutor questions. FreeFellow has no human tutor channel. If you want a person to clarify a concept, AnalystPrep offers that and FreeFellow does not.
An established budget track record
AnalystPrep has been the go-to budget recommendation on r/CFA and 300Hours for years. That community knowledge and the established workflow are real assets. FreeFellow is newer.
One bundle across all three levels
If you know you are committing to the full charter, the $799 lifetime Unlimited bundle is a clean single decision. FreeFellow per-track annual pricing is cheaper over three years but is a recurring choice rather than one purchase.
Where FreeFellow Is Genuinely Better
The entire question bank is free
This is the core difference. FreeFellow gives you all 1,499 CFA Level I questions, with detailed solutions, for $0, with no trial period, no question cap, and no credit card. AnalystPrep question bank, like every paid provider, sits behind a paywall that starts in the low hundreds. If you want to start drilling real questions today before spending anything, FreeFellow is the only one of the two you can use for free.
Free lessons
FreeFellow 102 written lessons, each, are free. You can read a full topic without paying. AnalystPrep study notes and video lessons are in its paid tiers.
Cheaper over a multi-year journey
This is the part most candidates miss. AnalystPrep CFA Unlimited is $799 once. FreeFellow Fellow Plus is $199 per year per track. Over a typical three-year run at all three CFA levels, FreeFellow Fellow Plus runs about $597, which is less than the $799 lifetime bundle, and the free tier is $0 the whole time. AnalystPrep wins on lifetime simplicity; FreeFellow wins on total cost.
Adaptive practice and granular analytics
FreeFellow quiz engine targets your weakest topics automatically, and the analytics break down accuracy by topic, by Learning Outcome Statement, and by difficulty band. AnalystPrep tracks performance too, but the adaptive targeting and the per-Learning-Outcome view are more granular on FreeFellow.
Mobile-first design
FreeFellow was built for phone and tablet study, with lessons for hands-free review. AnalystPrep is usable on mobile but is built desktop-first.
The gaps on FreeFellow's side
FreeFellow has no video lessons and no human tutor. Written lessons do not replace video for everyone, and if video instruction is what you need, AnalystPrep's tiers include it.
What Each Costs Over the Full Charter
CFA Institute estimates about 300 hours of study per level. Here is the cost over all three levels.
| Strategy | Total Cost (all 3 levels) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AnalystPrep CFA Unlimited | ~$799 once | Lifetime, all 3 levels, video plus tutor |
| AnalystPrep per level (Learn plus Practice) | Check each level's package | Access periods vary by level |
| FreeFellow Fellow Plus | ~$597 | About $199 per year for three years |
| FreeFellow Free | $0 | Question bank, lessons, readiness |
AnalystPrep CFA Unlimited at $799 is genuinely good value for a paid product. FreeFellow free tier is $0, and the Fellow Plus tier is cheaper still over three years, with the trade-off being no video and no tutor.
Recommendation by Candidate Type
Out-of-pocket candidate who wants to start free
FreeFellow free plus the CFA Institute curriculum. Drill all 1,499 questions, read the lessons, and watch the readiness score. Add Fellow Plus ($199) when you want mocks and a study plan. Total beyond CFA Institute fees: $0 to $199.
Candidate who learns best from video
AnalystPrep Learn plus Practice or Unlimited. The video lessons are the thing FreeFellow does not have. Supplement with FreeFellow free for extra question volume at no cost.
Candidate committing to all three levels up front
A close call. AnalystPrep CFA Unlimited ($799 lifetime) is one clean purchase with video and tutor support. FreeFellow Fellow Plus (about $597 over three years) is cheaper and adds adaptive analytics and a study plan, but renews annually and has no video. Decide on whether video and lifetime simplicity are worth the extra few hundred dollars to you.
Repeat taker who knows the material
FreeFellow Fellow Plus. You do not need another teaching surface. You need question volume, timed mock simulation, and analytics to find the gaps. The free bank plus Fellow Plus analytics is built for exactly that.
Candidate who wants a human to answer questions
AnalystPrep. The ask-a-tutor channel is something FreeFellow does not offer.
Paying for a tier you will not finish is worse than using a free tier fully. If you are not sure you will use video lessons, start with FreeFellow free and add what you actually need later.
What Reddit and 300Hours Say
Anecdata, but useful. The recurring patterns on AnalystPrep over the last 18 months:
- "AnalystPrep is the best value if you do not want to pay Schweser prices." (consistent)
- "The question bank is solid and the explanations are clear." (positive)
- "Video lessons are decent, not as deep as Mark Meldrum." (mixed)
- "The lifetime Unlimited bundle is worth it if you are doing all three levels." (positive)
For FreeFellow, the feedback I have seen is positive on free question volume and analytics; the recurring knock is no video and no tutor.
The broader pattern holds across both: candidates who pass tend to do 2,000 to 3,000 practice questions and 3 to 4 full mocks. CFA Level I pass rates have hovered around 43% in recent sittings (CFA Institute). Where the questions come from matters less than the volume and the consistency.
What I Would Pick If I Were Sitting Today
I would start on FreeFellow free, drill the full question bank, and read the lessons. If I wanted mocks, flashcards, and a study plan, I would add Fellow Plus for $199. If I found I needed video on a specific tough topic, I would consider a targeted AnalystPrep purchase rather than committing to a full bundle.
If I knew up front that I wanted video instruction across all three levels and leaned toward one lifetime purchase over an annual decision, AnalystPrep CFA Unlimited at $799 is a reasonable buy, and I would still pull in FreeFellow free for extra question volume.
There is no single right answer. AnalystPrep is a genuinely good budget product. FreeFellow is free. Pick the one you will actually use end to end.
Start Today
FreeFellow's CFA Level I practice page has open samples. All 1,499 questions and 102 written lessons are free with an account. The Fellow Plus tier (mocks, flashcards, analytics, study plan) is on the pricing page.
FreeFellow LLC is a CFA Institute Prep Provider. CFA Institute does not endorse, promote, or warrant the accuracy or quality of products or services offered by FreeFellow LLC. CFA Institute, CFA, and Chartered Financial Analyst are trademarks owned by CFA Institute. AnalystPrep is a trademark of its respective owner and is named here for identification and comparison only.