AI Medical Education
Boards and Beyond vs Kaplan USMLE
Scores are legacy evidence and documentation scores, not product-performance ratings. How it is computed
A student who wants an instructor and a schedule is Kaplan's buyer. Live Online costs $3,200, down from $3,999, with six weeks of live instruction and three 1-on-1 advising sessions, and Kaplan attaches a money-back pass guarantee to it. FlexTrack starts at $1,299 with nearly 1,200 videos. The Step 1 Qbank starts at $199 for one month, with a reseller page listing $249 for three months, $299 for six and $399 for 12, and it comes with a 7-day free trial.
Boards and Beyond suits the student who wants Dr. Jason Ryan's 490+ Step 1 videos, each tied to a question set, 2,300+ questions in all, at $24 per week up to $399 for two years. Northwestern's list of resources used by high Step 1 scorers rates it highly. A student who needs raw question volume gets more from Kaplan's 3,200+.
For a self-funded M2 with no weak scores to repair, Kaplan's courses lose to a $399 two-year video subscription.
Medical education · Reviewed November 1, 2026
On this page
Boards and Beyond
by McGraw Hill Education
Step 1 video course taught by Dr. Jason Ryan.
Kaplan USMLE
by Kaplan Inc.
USMLE prep from Kaplan: Qbank, on-demand and live online courses, with an AI Tutor trained on Kaplan content.
When to pick each one
Boards and Beyond
- Dr. Jason Ryan's video course, 490+ Step 1 videos
- From $24 per week to $399 for two years
- Step 2-3 course, 260+ videos, 1,300+ questions
Kaplan USMLE
- Step 1 Qbank from $199, 7-day free trial
- Step 1 Qbank with 3,200+ questions
- Live Online course with 1-on-1 advising, $3,200
Score
Each row shows points earned of points available under the published rubric.
Boards and Beyond
Kaplan USMLE
| Dimension | Boards and Beyond | Kaplan USMLE | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer-reviewed papers | 0 / 7 | 0 / 7 | 0 |
| RCT / meta-analysis / systematic review | 0 / 1.8 | 0 / 1.8 | 0 |
| Funding & adoption signal | 8.4 / 12 | 8.4 / 12 | 0 |
| Pricing transparency | 6.5 / 6.5 | 6.5 / 6.5 | 0 |
Scroll horizontally to see every column.
Pricing
Boards and Beyond
| Tier | Billing period | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | 1 month, one-time | $89 | same price for Step 1 Preclinical and Steps 2-3 Clinical |
Show all 9 price pointsHide extra price points
| 3 months | 3 months, one-time | $149 | same price for both products |
| 6 months | 6 months, one-time | $199 | same price for both products |
| 1 year | 1 year, one-time | $249 | same price for both products |
| 18 months | 18 months, one-time | $349 | same price for both products |
| 2 years | 2 years, one-time | $399 | longest term |
| 1 week | 1 week, one-time | $24 | lowest price quoted on boardsbeyond.com/Pricing ('from $24 for one week') |
| Clinical Confidence2 price points | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Confidence | 6 months, one-time | $149 | boardsbeyond.com quotes $149 for 6 months. Product not confirmed |
| Clinical Confidence | 1 year, one-time | $199 | boardsbeyond.com quotes $199 for a full year. Product not confirmed |
Verified October 14, 2026 from mheducation.com (opens in new tab).
Kaplan USMLE
| Tier | Monthly | Annual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 Qbank | Not stated | Not stated | From $199. A reseller page lists 1 month $199, 3 months $249, 6 months $299, 12 months $399. 7-day free trial. |
| FlexTrack / On Demand course | Not stated | Not stated | From $1,299. Shown as $1,040 with a 20% promo code in October 2026. |
| Live Online course | Not stated | Not stated | $3,200, down from $3,999. Six weeks of live instruction and three 1-on-1 advising sessions. The money-back pass guarantee has footnoted terms that were not read. |
Compliance and integrations
Documented from each vendor’s own pages.
| Spec | Boards and Beyond | Kaplan USMLE |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | No / unverified | Yes |
| HIPAA | No / unverified | No / unverified |
| SOC 2 Type II | No / unverified | No / unverified |
| EHR integrations | Not stated | Not stated |
| Founded | Not stated | Not stated |
| HQ | Not stated | Not stated |
Scroll horizontally to see both columns.
Open the full medical education comparison
USMLE prep (UWorld, AMBOSS, Anki), specialty learning (SketchyMedical, Pathoma, Boards & Beyond), CME (Healio AI, AMA Ed Hub). The most affiliate-rich category in healthcare AI.
See all medical education