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Miacademy vs Time4Learning vs Brighterly: Which One Is Better?

As a homeschooling parent, are you choosing between Miacademy vs Time4Learning vs Brighterly? I’m using my teacher expertise to review the three platforms and show you which one works best for your particular situation. I’ll make sure to highlight the main features as well as the pros and cons of each.

Key points

• Brighterly is an excellent place to train in math and reading under a tutor’s supervision. It prioritizes 1:1 lessons, aiming to make learning as tailored as possible.
• Miacademy is a superb supplementary resource for homeschooling, which provides gamified and fun lessons. Although the reviews on it are overall positive, some parents find its schedules too easy to get through.
• Time4Learning works best as a complete curriculum. It covers all grades and subjects, making it suitable for a broad range of learners who prefer to study independently.
• A few key differences between Miacademy vs Time4Learning vs Brighterly are that the first two prioritize independent work, while the last one allows kids to study with a specialized tutor.

Math & reading from 1st to 9th grade

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Miacademy vs Time4Learning vs Brighterly: Side-by-side comparison

The most important difference between Miacademy vs Time4Learning vs Brighterly is the learning philosophy and the teaching methodology. While the first two homeschooling programs rely on pre-recorded instructional videos and game-based practice, Brighterly is the only one that is entirely built on real-time work with professional teachers – a proven formula for academic success.

Another distinction is that Mia Academy and Time4Learning offer access to all subjects across all grades, and Brighterly focuses on math, reading, and writing for grades 1-9. This makes the instruction and exercises more specialized and highly effective. Meanwhile, keep in mind that Miacademy provides longer teaching videos with real humans, whereas Time4Learning delivers animated lessons.

	Brighterly	Miacademy	Time4Learning
Best for	High-impact support for academic excellence	Social interaction during homeschooling	Comprehensive homeschooling curriculum
Learning method	1:1 tutoring sessions with professional teachers	Longer, pre-recorded, teacher-led video lessons	Shorter, pre-recorded, animated video lessons
School subjects	Math Reading Writing	Math ELA Science Social studies Life skills World languages Biblical studies Electives	Math Language arts Social studies Science Electives Foreign languages
Grades	1-9	K-8 via Miacademy 9-12 via MiaPrep	PreK-12
Matching the US state standards	✅	✅	✅
Personalized learning	✅ Fully personalized learning plan & materials by human teachers Tailored teaching style	✅ Flexible grade levels Customizable learning path Self-decided pacing	✅ Adjustable grade levels Customizable lesson planning Self-paced learning
Initial diagnostic assessment	✅	❌	❌
Progress tracking	✅ Continuous feedback by tutors Formal monthly progress reports	✅ Automated tracking Customizable reports	✅ Real-time dashboards Detailed reports
Trustpilot score	4.5	4.7	3.3

Time4Learning vs Miacademy vs Brighterly cost: Quick сost сomparison

	Price	Free benefits
Brighterly price	From $17.30/lesson per individualized, 1:1 learning	Free trial lesson Free worksheets Free tests Free guides & advice for parents
Miacademy price	$48/month for prerecorded lessons	❌
Time4Learning price	PreK-5: $29.95/month 6-12: $39.95/month for prerecorded curricula	Free (writing) worksheets Free resources for parents

What is Brighterly?

Brighterly is an online platform for personalized learning that can be used for homeschooling or to supplement public school education. It provides 1:1, highly individualized tutoring in math, reading, and writing that’s conducted in real time by professional teachers. The program works on both knowledge building and confidence enhancing.

Best for: Highly effective, entirely personalized education that builds skills and self-esteem

Miacademy vs Time4Learning vs Brighterly: Why over 200K parents prefer Brighterly

In my comparison between Mia Academy vs Time4Learning vs Brighterly, Brighterly clearly stands out for the truly customized approach that takes into account the unique needs and preferences of each student to build a tailored learning path. Lessons are delivered in a 1:1 setting, through real-time interaction with tutors, with no pre-recorded videos and standard practice questions.

This direct, personalized approach makes the Brighterly math and reading platform a perfect fit for all students, whether below, at, or above grade level. It’s also well-suited for the needs of children with learning challenges as teachers are qualified to adjust their instruction and style to specific requirements.

That’s why more than 200,000 US parents trust Brighterly with their kid’s education.

Brighterly reading & math tutoring platform: Features

• Strictly verified math & reading tutors
• Individualized math & reading program aligned with the US state standards
• Loads of free resources to practice & develop skills

Strictly verified math & reading tutors

Unlike Miacademy and Time4Learning, Brighterly works exclusively with professional, experienced teachers who’re also trained pedagogists. They undergo an uncompromising vetting process that checks both their expertise in the subject matter and personal qualities. These people live and breathe teaching.

As a result, reading tutors and math tutors are very knowledgeable, compassionate, friendly, and even funny, as it occurred to me in reviews by parents on Trustpilot.

Individualized math & reading program aligned with the US state standards

Brighterly uses an award-winning curriculum that is built on the requirements of the US education system and covers foundational and advanced topics. The math program is STEM-focused to facilitate the learning of science, technology, and engineering.

Meanwhile, each child receives a personalized learning plan after a careful assessment of their strengths and weaknesses as well as interests. Parents are involved in the customization to ensure optimal results. They receive continuous feedback by tutors to know how their child is doing and what else might be needed.

Loads of free resources to practice & develop skills

Among the differences between Time4Learning vs Miacademy vs Brighterly is the fact that the latter provides a library of educational resources free of charge. Children can practice their knowledge on printable math worksheets and reading worksheets, grouped by grade and topic. The funny illustrations and real-world examples are sure to engage kids.

Additionally, parents can assign their children free, grade-appropriate math tests and   reading tests to check current skills. This helps you decide what type of support your kid needs.

How much does Brighterly cost?

• 1-month membership: Starting from $20.70/lesson
• 3-month membership: Starting from $20.20/lesson
• 6-month membership: Starting from $19.40/lesson
• 12-month membership: Starting from $17.30/lesson

Brighterly charges an affordable price – keep in mind that the rates above refer to plans with 3 lessons/week + a discount mentioned on the official website. The cost is significantly below the US average hourly tutoring rates, ranging between $20 and $80.

How does Miacademy work?

• A broad spectrum of subjects on offer
• Strong portal for parents
• Ability to communicate with the Miacademy community

Best for: Parents looking for a supplementary homeschooling platform and prepared to actively participate in their child’s education

Is Miacademy a good curriculum? To help you decide, I need to dig a bit deeper.

Is Miacademy a complete curriculum?

No, Miacademy is best known as an add-on resource, not something designed to be used on its own. Still, it does its job well due to a massive variety of subjects and the ability to learn at an individual pace. 

But is Miacademy accredited? Miacademy is accredited as a supplementary education program by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS-WASC).

Let’s take a more detailed look at what is Miacademy platform. The key features of the    homeschooling program include:

• Engaging pre-recorded videos with clear explanations, featuring human teachers
• 3,000+ expertly designed lessons
• Interactive practice materials
• Flexible tests without timers
• Access to a moderated community to engage with other homeschooled children
• Progress tracking

While Miacademy covers a wide range of academic subjects for K-12, it cannot be used as a standalone homeschooling platform. It needs to be combined with another program, and it requires significant parental involvement.

How much is Miacademy?

Miacademy is quite transparent in its pricing. You can pay:

• $42/month with a monthly payment
• $460 paid once for a yearly plan
• $1080 once and get a lifetime subscription

While Miacademy doesn’t offer a free trial, it has a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee.

How does Time4Learning work?

• Complete homeschooling curricula
• Highly customized programs
• Provide diploma templates to make your homeschooling official

Best for: Families who homeschool and are looking for a complete online curriculum

Is Time4Learning a complete curriculum?

The Time for Learning curriculum is comprehensive, covering all core and elective subjects, from PreK to grade 12. This makes it different from both Miacademy and Brighterly. Parents can mix and match courses from various subjects and grade levels to customize their child’s learning experience.

And is Time for Learning accredited? No, Time4Learning is not accredited as it works as a homeschooling curriculum rather than an online school. This is not a problem as accreditation is not required for homeschooling resources across the US.

Many parents are also wondering: “Is Time4Learning Common Core coordinated?”. Time4Learning is not specifically aligned with the Common Core State Standards, but it does meet the requirements of states for education.

So, what is Time4Learning in more detail? The main features of Time for Learning homeschool include:

• Short instructional videos with animations
• Game-based learning courses
• Printable worksheets and practice resources
• Parent activity planner for planning and scheduling lessons
• Progress monitoring

Between Time4Learning vs Miacademy vs Brighterly, the first one requires the most active engagement on behalf of parents.

How much is Time4Learning?

• PreK-5 grade: $29.95/month/4 courses
• 6-12 grade: $39.95/month/7 courses
• Additional course: $5/month

With a 30% discount on annual memberships and a 25% discount for additional students from the same family. 

There’s no Time4Learning free trial, but the platform comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Time4Learning vs Miacademy vs Brighterly Reddit & Trustpilot: What parents say

• Brighterly reviews
• Miacademy reviews
• Time4Learning reviews

Next, I’ll read through Time4Learning vs Miacademy vs Brighterly reviews to show you the pros and cons of each platform according to parents and students.

Brighterly reviews

Brighterly has an impressive Trustpilot score of 4.5, with predominantly positive reviews and happy experiences.

What families love about Brighterly

• Analyzing each student’s needs to personalize the approach
• Real progress after a few lessons

“Ms. Michelle took the time to identify his strengths and interests. She thoughtfully customized her approach and developed creative techniques to capture his attention.” – Trustpilot

“My son has had a few math lessons with Mark and we are already seeing progress.” – Trustpilot

What families would change about Brighterly

• Dependence on the quality of the internet connection

“We had some connections problems but were fixed.” – Trustpilot

Mia Academy reviews

Miacademy has an average Trustpilot rating of 4.7, which means that most reviews by families are positive.

What families like about Miacademy

• Flexible program, suitable for homeschooling and roadschooling
• Comprehensive learning resources

“My daughter and I are loving the flexibility of the program.” – Trustpilot

“It’s quite comprehensive for her age right now.” – Reddit

What families don’t like about Miacademy

• Unnecessarily easy lessons and homework
• Insufficient interactivity and engagement

“My son started with the recommended 7th grade classes on Mia, but immediately complained the English courses were boring and too easy.” – Reddit

“I do not feel like me Academy is interactive enough.” – Trustpilot

Time 4 Learning reviews

Time4Learning shows an average Trustipilot score of 3.3. Feedback is very much a mix of positive reviews of Time4Learning and Time4Learning bad reviews.

What families live about Time4Learning

• Rich extracurricular options
• Readily available transcripts and diplomas

“My daughter loved the entire program. From the ability to choose extra classes to the flexibility to get her school work completed around extracurricular activities.” – Trustpilot

“I like the features for reports and also templates for a transcript and diploma.”              – Trustpilot

What families don’t like about Time4Learning

• Using the same videos, making learning boring
• Misleading answers to practice questions

“The videos are repetitive.” – Reddit

“I have seen multiple times where there are two correct answers to a multiple choice question.” – Reddit

All in all, Brighterly vs Miacademy vs Time4Learning Reddit and Trustpilot reviews reveal that all three platforms can bring value to families that homeschool. According to Miacademy reviews, the platform is liked for its flexibility and comprehensiveness, but it might be too easy and stale for some students.

Time4Learning reviews show that the website offers diverse academic and extracurricular courses and printable transcripts (though it’s not accredited), but videos tend to be repetitive and answers to problems are sometimes wrong.

From all, Brighterly offers the most personalized and optimized approach to learning, based on real teacher-student interactions. The only downside is that you need a stable internet connection for live sessions.

What’s the difference between Mia Academy and Time 4 Learning and Brighterly?

The most considerable difference between Miacademy or Time4Learning, on the one hand, and Brighterly, on the other hand, is that the first two provide self-paced homeschooling curricula, while Brighterly emphasizes teacher-led learning. Kids benefit from real-time connections with professional teachers for customized teaching and tailored responses to burning questions.

Miacademy vs Time4Learning vs Brighterly: Choose the best homeschooling option for your child

My in-depth comparison between Miacademy vs Time4Learning vs Brighterly shows three good homeschooling platforms that can serve the needs of different customers.

• If you’re on the search for supplementary learning materials incorporating teacher video lessons and accredited as a SEP, you can check out Miacademy.
• If you’re looking for an all-in-one homeschooling curriculum and don’t mind being actively involved in your kid’s education, you can consider Time4Learning.
• And if you want to resort to assistance from qualified teachers who know how to build your child’s knowledge and confidence, you can look into Brighterly.

With the Brighterly math and reading tutoring platform, your family gains:

✅ Top-notch tutors with proven experience and soft skills

✅ Custom-made learning plan aligned with the US state standards and requirements

✅ Free resources to augment the learning process

Ready to see why Brighterly is a superior alternative to Miacademy and Time4Learning? Book free lesson now to put your child on a trajectory to success.

Other homeschooling platforms comparison

If you’d like to explore other top options for homeschooling, you can check out the following articles:

• IXL vs Miacademy vs Brighterly: Pros, Cons & Best Pick (2026)
• IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly: Which One Is Better? (2026)
• Time4Learning vs Power Homeschool: Which One is Better?