CTCMath vs Saxon Math
The sharpest difference is screen time: CTCMath is fully digital, Saxon Math is fully offline. Six more come apart as well, so the two have little in common past the subject.
At a glance
CTCMath
Grades K-12
Owners report it suits
Struggling learnersMulti-age familiesMath-anxious parentsSaxon Math
Grades K-12
Both are reported to suit Independent workers.
Skip to who fitsWhere they differ
| Attribute | CTCMath | Saxon Math |
|---|---|---|
Rigor
?How demanding the material is versus grade level. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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Parent involvement
?How much the parent is present and teaching. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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Screen time
?How much daily work is on a device. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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Independence
?How much the child can do alone. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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Time commitment
?How long a daily lesson takes the child. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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| Approach | Mastery | Spiral |
| Format | Online | Textbook |
| Best for Tags show where owners consistently report a good fit. They are not exclusions. | Struggling learnersIndependent workersMulti-age familiesMath-anxious parents | Independent workers |
| Method | TraditionalVideo-led/self-pacedAdaptive online | TraditionalTraditional textbook |
| Grades | K-12 | K-12 |
Solid tags are unique to that program. Muted tags are carried by both.
Where they match
- Prep loadboth minimal
- Faith contentboth None
- Used asboth Spine
How each one plays by grade
CTCMath
Grades K-12
The K to 2 levels run thin on paper practice, and owners add a handwriting or manipulative supplement there. Elementary is well attested by long-term users. The high school levels have almost no independent owner reports, and the publisher itself used to recommend CTCMath as a supplement rather than a spine past grade 6.
Saxon Math
Grades K-12
Parent-led and scripted in K-3, mostly independent from 5/4 up.
Cost
| Cost item | CTCMath | Saxon Math |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $129-150/yr single, $149-199/yr family (discounted) | $90-140/kit |
| Consumable | No | Partial |
| Per child / year | ~$130-150 one child, ~$40-50 in a family plan | ~$100 |
What parents report
CTCMath
Consistently praised
- Short, no-fluff video lessons
- Very affordable for big families
- Access to every grade at once
- Printable worksheets and worked solutions
- Detailed parent reports
Reported as challenges
- Thin on word problems and mixed practice
- No built-in review, so parents build their own rotation
- Answers are mostly multiple choice
- No bound textbook
Saxon Math
Consistently praised
- Thorough review builds retention
- Strong for computation and test prep
- Upper levels work independently
- Incremental steps rarely leave gaps
Reported as challenges
- Lessons run long
- Repetitive daily mixed review
- Topic-jumping spiral frustrates some kids
- Layout looks dated
Who CTCMath fits
Best when somebody else needs to teach the math: large families juggling several grade levels, or a parent whose own math anxiety makes lessons tense. A mathy kid who needs problem-solving depth, or a young hands-on learner who still needs manipulatives, won't get enough here.
Read the full CTCMath entry Check price CTCMathWho Saxon Math fits
Built for kids who do well with daily review and repetition, in families that want a thorough offline program with a long runway. Short lessons, a mastery track that stays on one topic, and a colorful open-and-go page are three things Saxon doesn't offer.
Read the full Saxon Math entry Check price Rainbow ResourceSome links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes how a curriculum is described or scored.
Still deciding?
CTCMath compared with
See all 12 CTCMath comparisonsDescriptions aggregate what homeschool parents consistently report across public community sources together with each publisher's own materials. Prices and editions change over time. Both entries last reviewed August 2026.