Nowadays, you’re likely to find multiple online driving schools to choose from, no matter which state you’re in.

Selecting an excellent driver’s ed is as important as ever, considering the rise in rash driving and the increasing number of cars on the road. Plus, a good driver’s ed helps boost your confidence when you finally get behind the wheel.

However, choosing the best school to take your driver’s ed course from can be pretty difficult, especially since there are hundreds available. 

During your search for the best online driver’s ed course, you’ve probably come across Aceable and FirstTimeDriver - two well-known driving schools with high rates of consumer satisfaction.

In this article, I’ll go over both options, comparing them side by side, to give you the full picture. This way, you’ll be able to tell what’s the best one for YOU. 

Let’s get into it.

Aceable vs FirstTimeDriver: A Side by Side Comparison

While being the younger school, Aceable certainly isn’t any greenhorn. Since 2014, its exponential growth has been matched by a similarly high level of consumer confidence and approval.

FirstTimeDriver is the senior here, with over 20 years of experience. They’ve been around even before the internet, distributing driver’s ed CDs in the early 2000s.

Both schools are ranked A+ by the BBB and have been vetted by driving safety specialists and state governments alike. So you don’t need to worry about quality here, these schools are the best of the best when it comes to driver’s ed.

But to compare them, I’ll go into:

• State approval
• Pricing
• User experience
• Features
• Add ons
• Convenience
• Customer support
• Reviews

Keep reading below for an in-depth look into each aspect.

But first, here’s a quick side by side comparison chart:

State Approval

While both schools are approved in several states, FirstTimeDriver has a few more approved courses on offer with Colorado, Indiana, and Virginia.

State approval, however, isn’t a strong point of either school, considering there are online schools out there with a much wider reach.

If you’re wondering if these schools are available in your state, just refer to the table chart above. 

Pricing

Both Aceable and FirstTimeDriver have an above-average pricing structure.

While prices can vary depending on the state (as different states have different course length requirements) and even per day depending on discounts offered, I’ve found FirstTimeDriver to be generally a bit more expensive in most cases.

This is because they run fewer promotions in comparison to Aceable. Also, you’ll have to pay a bit more in addition to their course to get the full experience (discussed in the add-on section below).

But both these schools’ pricing strategies reflect the value you’re getting. So I wouldn't call them overpriced.

User Experience

Both these schools offer a completely online course that you can do anywhere and anytime. They also have an auto-sync feature to save your progress whenever you log off.

This, combined with the course outline both schools provide, makes it easy to remember where you left off, ensuring a confusion-free learning experience.

What’s more, both schools’ websites are well kept and continually updated.

But Aceable does have an edge when it comes to giving users a more modern and simpler user experience.

Being the younger school, Aceable doesn’t have reused content from decades prior and has continually aimed to provide ease of use through the power of tech.

Within Aceable’s course, in addition to the outline, you get assistance from a mascot called Ace. Ace will guide you through the material, explaining it as you go along and even taking part in the lessons with you.

These innovative additions make the course more interactive. It also improves the user experience because you get to focus more, especially if you're looking to complete the whole thing as fast as possible. 

Features

Both Aceable and FirstTimeDriver have a variety of teaching methods. Both take advantage of videos, audio clips, animations, and text to provide users a more varied and enjoyable learning experience.

Aceable’s video-based learning keeps users engaged with short quizzes and mini-games. It also provides full-fledged 3D driving simulations with a 360-degree vision that allows you to gain valuable driving experience completely online.

These simulations include lessons, such as parallel parking, that make you a more confident driver when you finally get around to the behind-the-wheel lessons.

Aceable also focuses on making learning fun, with funny memes and images sprinkled across their course content. This makes for an experience that teens can actually enjoy.

On the other hand, FirstTimeDriver comes with a collection of driving animations that can illustrate the complexities of driving. These animations go in-depth to provide you with a more informative look into the scenarios you may encounter on the road.

FirstTimeDriver does rely a bit more on text-based learning, which can be more difficult to sit through. 

But seeing that FirstTimeDriver is affiliated with the ASC (American Council Safety), you can expect a more informative course here. This is because they have all the exclusive information and experience in the field of road safety. 

Add-Ons

Aceable gives you the whole course with all their features in one single package, so there aren’t any add-ons.

However, FirstTimeDriver may have a few add-ons, depending on the state you're in. In some states, the exam prep may have to be bought separately, which can often add an extra $10-$15 to the final price.

Also, features such as audio read-along (text to speech) will have to be bought separately, which is often priced at just under $5.

Convenience

Both schools have a mobile experience that allows you to study on the go at any time, anywhere.

FirstTimeDriver has a mobile-friendly site that can be loaded on your smartphone’s browser. It does lead to a few site issues, though, and it isn’t the easiest to operate on any device.

Aceable, on the other hand, has a dedicated mobile app that they’ve optimized to work well on any mobile device. You’ll even get exclusive mobile features here, improving the mobile experience even further.

This care and stellar service have resulted in Aceable’s applications netting a 4.9 and 4.7-star rating on IOS and Android respectively. This just goes to show the quality they’re offering.

Customer Support

Both schools have 24/7 customer support that can be accessed through traditional methods of contact and live chat. You can be sure that both schools are quick to respond. 

Plus, both schools offer informative support pages that list answers to FAQs on state requirements, course details, and technical issues. You can solve problems on your own without always having to run to a customer service rep. 

But Aceable goes much further by providing users with the ability to contact customer support through Facebook and Instagram. This makes it super easy to get in contact with their experienced customer service reps. And, if you don’t want to contact customer support, you can always check out their YouTube channel with lots of helpful videos. 

Reviews

Both schools have stellar reviews on Trustpilot and Shopper-Approved. They have garnered approval from parents and teens alike.

Here is one review about Aceable:

Most Aceable reviews are from teens who appreciate how fun and interactive the course is. But parents and adult license aspirants also praise the course for its informative content and varied teaching style.

Here’s a review for FirstTimeDriver:

Meanwhile, most FirstTimeDriver reviews praise the informative course content and easy-to-use nature. Complaints are normally centered around the website experience on mobile devices and small technical difficulties encountered within the course.

Wrap Up

So, which school is better?

That’ll depend on what you’re looking for.

If you value interactive, enjoyable, and practical experience, Aceable is the better pick with simulations and fun course content that can bring driving to life. It can also provide you valuable insight before you get to your behind-the-wheel lessons.

FirstTimeDriver has a more text-based and straightforward course that contains a lot of informative stats and figures. If you appreciate this teaching method more, you may prefer this school.

Alternatives

If you’re looking for a school that is available in more states and also filled to the brim with features, then DriversEd is the perfect option.

Having the widest selection of driver’s ed courses, you can be sure that it has a course for you. 

And with a 4.8-star rating on Trustpilot and over 13 million customers served nationwide, this course is another topper when it comes to user satisfaction.

Conclusion

As shown above, both these schools are great options to consider if you’re looking for a driver’s ed course that matches your busy high school schedule.

But the final choice between the two will depend on what you’re looking for in an online course.

So what are you waiting for?

Apply to one of these courses today to get one step closer to personal freedom.

Good luck!