Saylor.org
Saylor Academy is a nonprofit platform offering completely free college-level courses with ACE credit recommendations. They cover a solid range of subjects including business, computer science, history, math, and more. While their course catalog isn't as large as StraighterLine, Study, or Sophia, what they lack in variety they make up for in pricee.
Course Structure: Saylor courses are built around readings, video content, and unit quizzes that reinforce the material as you go. Everything is self-paced and available immediately. The content leans more text-heavy than video-heavy, so if you're a reader, you'll feel right at home. Taking notes is especially recommended here since the final exam pulls from the full scope of the course.
Grading Criteria: To earn ACE credit, you need to pass the proctored final exam with a 70% or higher. The in-course quizzes and unit assessments don't factor into your ACE credit eligibility — they're purely for your own learning and prep. This means the final exam is everything, so don't rush through the material.
User Interface: Saylor's interface is functional but fairly bare-bones. It gets the job done, but don't expect a polished, modern experience. It has the feel of an open courseware platform — which is exactly what it is. Navigation is straightforward once you get used to it.
Pricing: This is where Saylor Academy stands alone — the courses are 100% free. The only cost is the proctored final exam fee, which runs around $25 per exam through their exam partner. That's it. For students on a tight budget trying to rack up ACE credits, Saylor is genuinely hard to beat.
Is Saylor Academy Proctored? Yes — unlike most other ACE credit platforms, Saylor requires a proctored final exam to earn credit recommendations. You'll need a webcam, a valid ID, and a quiet environment. The process is straightforward and the proctoring is online, not in-person.
Average Course Length: Completion time varies by subject and how much you already know going in. Most courses can be knocked out in 7–17 days with focused effort. Some of the more content-heavy courses — particularly in math or computer science — may take longer depending on your background. Since you're studying toward a single proctored final, pacing yourself to actually retain the material matters more here than on platforms where you can retake assessments freely. Saylor courses are a little more tedious than the other three platforms in my opinion, but also the cheapest.
Saylor Academy is the budget play — and a legitimate one. If you're willing to put in the reading time and prep seriously for a proctored final, you can earn real ACE credit recommendations for essentially nothing. I'd especially recommend it for students who are confident in a subject and just need an affordable path to the credit.