Time4Learning vs Miacademy: Which Online Homeschool Curriculum Is Better?

Time4Learning vs Miacademy: the short answer

Time4Learning and Miacademy are the two online homeschool curricula parents compare most. Both are secular, self-paced and computer-based. Both teach with short videos or animations, grade quizzes automatically and give parents a dashboard. Neither is a school.

The differences are price, grade range and how hard each works to keep kids engaged. Time4Learning is cheaper and runs through high school. Miacademy costs more, stops at 8th grade, and offers far more courses plus rewards and a community that many kids love.

Teaching approach

Time4Learning gives each student a fixed set of courses: math, language arts, science and social studies in pre-K–5 (plus Time4MathFacts), and four core courses plus three electives in grades 6–12. Lessons are animated or video-based, followed by practice and quizzes. Parents can set different grade levels by subject. Cathy Duffy lists it among her top picks but notes elementary science and social studies are light.

Miacademy unlocks every course and grade with one membership: more than 80 courses and 3,000+ lessons, including Spanish and ASL. Parents pick courses and set passing grades, and the system builds a daily learning path. Kids earn rewards, customize avatars and, if allowed, join a moderated community.

What a lesson looks like

Time4Learning, 4th grade: your child opens the student page, sees today's math, language arts and science lessons, watches a short animated lesson on equivalent fractions, does practice questions and takes a quiz. You check scores and time spent later, and grade the writing assignment with a rubric.

Miacademy, 4th grade: your child follows the day's path: a short video on equivalent fractions, interactive practice, a quiz, then a Spanish lesson. They earn rewards to customize their avatar. You set how many lessons appear each day.

Price and value

As of October 2026:

For one child for one year, Time4Learning costs about $479 versus Miacademy's $480 annual plan, so they're nearly even if you pay Miacademy yearly. Month to month, Time4Learning is cheaper. Over many K–8 years, a Miacademy lifetime plan can be the best deal of all, but it's tied to one student and isn't refundable later.

Who should choose Miacademy

• K–8 kids who need rewards and social features to log in happily
• Families who want world languages and electives included
• Secular families who'd like optional Bible electives available
• Families staying in K–8 for several years who can use a lifetime plan

Who should choose Time4Learning

• Families watching the monthly budget or homeschooling several kids
• New homeschoolers who want a simple, structured routine
• Students who will continue through high school in one program
• Parents in states with portfolio rules who want printable reports

Alternatives to both

• Power Homeschool: Acellus video courses for homeschoolers.
• Acellus Academy: an accredited online school with a diploma. See Miacademy vs Acellus.
• Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool: free, online, faith-based.
• Monarch: Christian online curriculum.
• IXL: practice to supplement either. See IXL vs Time4Learning.

See the best online homeschool programs and secular homeschool curriculum.

Can you use a scholarship for either?

Often. Miacademy says it qualifies for programs including Arizona's ESA, Florida's FES-UA and PEP, Utah Fits All, Texas EFA, North Carolina ESA+ and the Georgia Promise Scholarship. Time4Learning lists Arizona, Florida, Utah and Texas programs, often through marketplaces like ClassWallet or Odyssey. Each program decides what it covers and how you buy. Save your pick to your wishlist and apply once to the scholarships open to your family.