A Pocket Prep alternative built only for cybersecurity certifications
Pocket Prep is a popular, well-reviewed exam prep app, and for many candidates it is the right choice. This page sets out what it does well, how its pricing and guarantee work, and where TierOne Defense Academy is different. Every Pocket Prep fact below links to the Pocket Prep page it came from.
Who Pocket Prep is a great fit for
One Pocket Prep Premium subscription covers 27 IT and cybersecurity exams (source), including Cisco CCNA and CCNP Enterprise, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, and CompTIA A+, Network+, Linux+ and Cloud+ alongside the security certifications. If your path runs through networking or cloud exams as well as security, that breadth is hard to match.
Its exam pages show a 4.8 average App Store rating (source), with App Store and Play Store apps, plus studying on the web (source). Pocket Prep describes its content as practice questions written by industry experts, each with a detailed explanation (source), and it offers several ways to study in short sessions: Quick 10, Timed, Missed Questions, Weakest Subject, Level Up and Build Your Own quizzes, plus a Question of the Day (source).
If you want one app on your phone for several IT certifications, it is a strong option.
The honest trade-off
Price is not our argument. Pocket Prep's $124.99 a year covers 27 IT and cybersecurity exams. TierOne's $99 a year covers 9 cybersecurity certifications. If you need several exams outside security, Pocket Prep gives you more for your money.
What TierOne offers instead is focus. We build for cybersecurity certifications only, and the differences are in how the practice works:
- • Every practice question is original and its explanation cites a public source, such as a NIST publication, an IETF RFC, OWASP or vendor documentation, so you can check the reasoning yourself.
- • The readiness score shows its working: the four parts it blends, how many answers stand behind it, and which domains we cannot assess yet.
- • Mock exams never give you more time per question than the real exam does, so the pace you practice is the pace you will face.
- • The pass guarantee offers 3 free months or a full refund, your choice, with no question-completion or average-score requirement.
- • You can start without a card: 25 practice questions spread across every exam domain, per cert, and a 10-question diagnostic with no account.
Price and free options
Prices in USD as published by each vendor on September 15, 2026.
| Plan | Pocket Prep Premiumpricing page | TierOne Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | 27 IT and cybersecurity exams | 9 cybersecurity certifications |
| Monthly | $20.99 | $14.99 |
| Every 3 months | $49.99 | No quarterly plan |
| Annual | $124.99 | $99 |
| One-time purchase | Not published | $299 lifetime |
| Free option | 55 free questions (CISSP) source30 free questions (Security+) source | A 10-question diagnostic with no account, then 25 practice questions spread across every exam domain, per cert, and 1 full-length mock exam per cert |
Cybersecurity certifications on each
The 9certifications TierOne covers, and the matching exam in Pocket Prep's IT and cybersecurity catalog. 7of them appear in both. “Not published” means we did not find it on Pocket Prep's pages, not that it will never be offered.
Features, side by side
Only what each vendor publishes. “Not published” means we did not find it on Pocket Prep's pages, not that the product lacks it.
| Feature | Pocket Prep | TierOne |
|---|---|---|
| What one subscription covers | 27 IT and cybersecurity exams source | 9 cybersecurity certifications: CISSP, Security+ SY0-701, Google Cybersecurity, CEH v13, CISA, CISM, SSCP, CCSP, AWS Security |
| Where the questions come from | Practice questions written by industry experts, each with a detailed explanation source | Original practice questions, each with an explanation that cites a public source such as NIST, IETF, OWASP or vendor documentation |
| Quiz modes | Quick 10, Timed, Missed Questions, Weakest Subject, Level Up and Build Your Own quizzes, plus a Question of the Day source | Quick quiz, custom quiz builder, missed-question review and mock exams, plus a Question of the Day |
| Mock exams | Timed and cannot be paused, with its own set of questions separate from the question bank and a subject score breakdown in the results; available for select exams source | Timed mock exams that never allow more time per question than the exam itself |
| Progress and readiness | Performance by subject, plus an overall study score and how you compare to others source | A readiness score that shows the four parts it blends, how much evidence is behind it, and which domains are not yet measured |
| Flashcards | Not published source | Spaced-repetition flashcards on every cert |
| AI tutor | Not published source | Included on every plan, with a daily limit on Free |
| Platforms | App Store and Play Store apps, plus studying on the web source | Web, in any desktop or mobile browser. No app store app today. |
Pass guarantees
Pocket Prep
3 more months of Premium (no refund)
Conditions: At least 3 months of paid Premium, every available practice question attempted at least once, and an 80% or higher cumulative average on practice exams.
To claim: Request within 30 days of the exam date, with the failing score report, a subscription receipt and a screenshot of in-app stats.
TierOne Defense Academy
3 free months or a full refund, your choice
Conditions: 30+ days of Pro before your exam, and your official score report.
When Pocket Prep is the better choice
- • You also need non-security IT exams, such as Cisco CCNA and CCNP Enterprise, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, and CompTIA A+, Network+, Linux+ and Cloud+, on one subscription.
- • You study mostly on a phone and want native iOS and Android apps. TierOne runs in the browser only.
- • You want the broader catalog: 27 IT and cybersecurity exams for $124.99 a year, against TierOne's 9.
- • You like short, varied sessions and want its range of quiz modes, including Level Up and Weakest Subject quizzes (source).
Try it before you decide
Take the 10-question Security+ diagnostic with no account. If it is useful, a free account gives you 25 practice questions spread across every exam domain, per cert. No credit card.
FAQ
Is Pocket Prep worth it?
For many candidates, yes. Pocket Prep shows a 4.8 average App Store rating on its exam pages, and one Premium subscription ($124.99 a year as published on September 15, 2026) covers 27 IT and cybersecurity exams, which is strong value if you are working through several of them. If you are studying cybersecurity certifications only and want every explanation to cite a public source, or a pass guarantee with a refund option, compare the details on this page.
Does Pocket Prep cover CISSP and Security+?
Yes. Its IT and cybersecurity catalog lists ISC2 CISSP, CompTIA Security+, EC-Council CEH, ISACA CISA, ISACA CISM, ISC2 SSCP, and ISC2 CCSP. Its CISSP page lists 1,000 questions and its Security+ page lists 1,330.
How do the prices compare?
Pocket Prep Premium is $20.99 a month, $49.99 every 3 months or $124.99 a year, and covers 27 IT and cybersecurity exams. TierOne Pro is $14.99 a month, $99 a year or $299 once, and covers 9 cybersecurity certifications. If you also need non-security IT exams, Pocket Prep's broader catalog is likely the better fit.
What does each pass guarantee require?
Pocket Prep's guarantee offers 3 more months of Premium (no refund). Conditions, as its Help Center lists them: At least 3 months of paid Premium, every available practice question attempted at least once, and an 80% or higher cumulative average on practice exams. TierOne's guarantee offers 3 free months or a full refund, your choice, and requires 30+ days of Pro before your exam, and your official score report.
Can I try TierOne before paying?
Yes. Every certification page has a 10-question diagnostic you can take without an account. A free account then gives you 25 practice questions spread across every exam domain, per cert, with no credit card.
More comparisons
- LearnZapp alternative Per-app pricing for LearnZapp's ISC2, CompTIA and ISACA apps, its pass guarantee terms and features, next to TierOne.
- Boson ExSim-Max alternative ExSim-Max practice exams for Security+ and CISSP, its No Pass, No Pay guarantee, and how a simulator differs from a study platform.
- Pass guarantees compared What five cert prep pass guarantees pay out and the conditions you must meet to claim each one.
- All comparisons LearnZapp, Pocket Prep and Boson side by side with TierOne on one page.
Last verified September 15, 2026. Pocket Prep facts are summarized in good faith from Pocket Prep's public pages, which are authoritative and can change at any time. If you spot something out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by Pocket Prep, ISC2, CompTIA or ISACA. All product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.