AoPS

Beast Academy Online

Recommended Ages

2nd–8th grades (ages 6–13)

Beast Academy Online is a challenging, puzzle-rich math program from Art of Problem Solving for roughly grades 2–6. Through animated lessons, interactive problems, and game-like practice, it invites kids to think deeply about number patterns, geometry, and problem-solving rather than just memorizing procedures. Created by math-contest veterans who want children to experience math as creative and fun, it’s become a favorite among advanced and math-loving learners. Parents value the adaptive practice, detailed solutions, and enormous bank of problems that make the subscription feel substantial. It can be intense for kids still shaky on basics, but with the right placement and pacing, it offers exceptional value for families seeking rigorous, joyful math.

Best for strong readers in roughly grades 2–6 who enjoy logic puzzles, comics, and “figuring things out” rather than being shown every step; ideal for gifted, advanced, or math-enjoying kids and families who value challenge and creative problem solving over rote drills.

Pros

Highly rigorous, puzzle-based math that builds deep conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills; comic-style lessons and thousands of interactive problems keep many kids engaged; adaptive, mastery-based practice with progress tracking; designed by Art of Problem Solving coaches and often recommended for advanced or math-loving learners. 

Cons

Can be significantly more challenging than standard curricula, which can frustrate more typical or math-anxious kids; requires strong reading skills and often substantial parent support; pacing and scope don’t always line up neatly with traditional grade levels; some families feel it needs extra basic-facts practice alongside it. 

Because Beast Academy Online is a secular, third-party curriculum, many US charter and umbrella schools will approve it as a vendor or reimburse subscriptions through ESA-style programs where outside curricula are allowed; families should check with their specific charter, ESA, or homeschool organization for current policies.

Starting at $100/year

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Beast Academy Online
$50.00 USD

Skills

What kids will learn
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Math
Math

Beast Academy Online Mission

The mission of Beast Academy Online is to spark “aha!” moments and cultivate fearless problem solvers by giving roughly 2nd–5th graders a deep, comic‑inspired math curriculum that feels like play instead of drill. Built as the online companion to the Beast Academy books, it blends rigorous challenge problems, step‑by‑step explanations, and adaptive practice so kids at many levels can stretch beyond standard grade‑level math, helping a diverse group of learners experience themselves as “math beasts” who enjoy thinking hard.

Beast Academy Online Story

Beast Academy Online grew out of Art of Problem Solving founder Richard Rusczyk’s work designing challenge‑based curricula for older contest‑math students, after parents began asking for something similar for their younger kids. Drawing on AoPS’s experience and feedback from thousands of families, his team first created the Beast Academy comic‑style books and then expanded them into an interactive online program with videos, puzzles, and instant feedback. What began as an experiment for math‑loving elementary kids has grown into a full online curriculum used by both homeschoolers and schools around the world.

About Modular Learning

FAQ: Additional Details about Beast Academy Online

A typical session starts with your child choosing a chapter “Beast” and reading or rewatching a short, comic-style lesson, then working through sets of increasingly challenging problems. You might hear clicks and little victory sounds as they earn stars, badges, and “Beastcoins,” see them dragging monsters around a digital board, and watch them puzzle through multi-step challenges that feel more like brainteasers than worksheets. Sessions often end with a quick debrief where kids proudly show you tricky problems they’ve solved or ask you to help them reason through one last puzzle before logging off.

Beast Academy Online is a self-paced, online math curriculum from Art of Problem Solving for roughly grades 2–5. Kids log into an adaptive learning path where comic-style lessons introduce concepts and interactive games and puzzles provide practice and challenge; families can follow the suggested sequence or assign specific chapters as a spine for daily “math time.” Many families use it 3–5 days a week for 20–40 minutes as their primary math curriculum or as an enrichment program alongside another text.

Most kids can work independently once they understand the interface, but parents play an important role in placement, checking progress, and stepping in for discussion when a concept is new or a problem is especially challenging. Many families sit nearby for the first few sessions, then shift to weekly check-ins using the progress reports and occasionally co-solving hard puzzles as a “math club” moment.

Students should be comfortable with basic mouse or touchscreen navigation and have early independent-reading skills; most families start around a solid late-1st to 3rd grade math level, depending on the child. No prior Beast Academy experience is required, but kids who have never seen math puzzles before may benefit from a short on-ramp with concrete manipulatives.

Beast Academy Online combines the rich problem‑solving of the books with adaptive practice, making it an excellent fit for gifted, 2e, and ADHD learners who thrive on puzzles and immediate feedback. Timed elements and challenge levels can be motivating for some and stressful for others, so parents may want to turn off timers, adjust difficulty, and avoid using it as the only math resource for kids with dyscalculia.

Beast Academy Online is highly engaging and fully adaptive, and Modulo notes that many students with ADHD and autistic kids thrive with its game-like puzzles and short, challenging lessons. Because kids can work at their own pace in small bursts, it can support focus and motivation for ADHD learners.

Modulo identifies Beast Academy Online as a top math choice not only for gifted learners but also for many children on the spectrum, because its adaptive, mastery-based lessons and multi-modal design (videos, puzzles, games, and comics) let kids move at their own pace. Families report that autistic learners who enjoy video games and funny characters often thrive with its highly visual, problem-solving focus.

Beast Academy Online offers clear visual teaching and lots of challenging practice, which some dyscalculic kids enjoy, but it is designed for strong, confident problem-solvers rather than as a remedial program. It assumes a solid foundation in number sense and can move quickly, so many learners with dyscalculia will need heavy adult support, extra manipulatives, and a slower pace. I think of it as optional enrichment for the right kid, not a primary dyscalculia intervention.

Same 2e strengths as the books, with the added bonus of adaptive practice and instant feedback. Many 2e kids (gifted/ADHD/autistic) enjoy the game-like format and ability to replay topics; consider de‑emphasizing scores and “beast coins” if your child is anxious about speed.

Beast Academy Online is highly engaging and fully adaptive, and Modulo notes that many students with ADHD and autistic kids thrive with its game-like puzzles and short, challenging lessons. Because kids can work at their own pace in small bursts, it can support focus and motivation for ADHD learners.

Modulo identifies Beast Academy Online as a top math choice not only for gifted learners but also for many children on the spectrum, because its adaptive, mastery-based lessons and multi-modal design (videos, puzzles, games, and comics) let kids move at their own pace. Families report that autistic learners who enjoy video games and funny characters often thrive with its highly visual, problem-solving focus.

Beast Academy Online offers clear visual teaching and lots of challenging practice, which some dyscalculic kids enjoy, but it is designed for strong, confident problem-solvers rather than as a remedial program. It assumes a solid foundation in number sense and can move quickly, so many learners with dyscalculia will need heavy adult support, extra manipulatives, and a slower pace. I think of it as optional enrichment for the right kid, not a primary dyscalculia intervention.

Because Beast Academy Online is entirely digital and answers are entered on-screen, kids can tackle challenging math without a lot of handwriting, which is a big help for many learners with dysgraphia. Its game-like format keeps the focus on problem solving instead of the mechanics of writing, so written output isn’t such a barrier.

Digital subscriptions can be started or cancelled at any time; families manage billing through their AoPS/Beast Academy account. If the program is not a good fit, families typically contact Beast Academy support promptly to discuss options, and standard payment-processor or retailer rules apply for any refunds.

Not a great fit for children who are already very anxious about math, significantly below grade level, or who need a slow, heavily scaffolded, step-by-step approach; may also be a poor fit for parents who dislike math puzzles or don’t have time to sit alongside their child.

Families wanting a gentler but still conceptual program might consider Singapore Math or Math Mammoth; for more video-based instruction, Thinkwell or Khan Academy are common alternatives; for game-based practice rather than deep puzzles, Prodigy or Beast Academy Playground can supplement or substitute.

Beast Academy Online continues to add new practice sets, challenge problems, reporting tools, and accessibility improvements over time; the companion Beast Academy Playground games and new lower-level content have expanded options for younger students. The team also periodically refines problems and explanations based on user feedback to keep the experience smooth and engaging.

Start at least one level lower than the placement test suggests, move slowly, and be willing to skip or revisit especially tricky problems; pair Beast Academy Online with separate fact practice and use the free Beast Academy Playground games as low-pressure warm-ups.

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Meet Richard

Richard Rusczyk is the founder of Art of Problem Solving and the lead creator behind Beast Academy. A former math contest champion and USA Mathematical Olympiad qualifier, he has spent his career designing curriculum and communities for students who crave deeper, challenge‑based math. After co‑authoring the Art of Problem Solving book series for middle and high schoolers, he turned his attention to elementary grades, leading the team that built Beast Academy’s comic books, online program, and enrichment games. A fun fact: he still loves working through tough puzzles himself and often test‑drives Beast Academy problems before they reach kids.