ITProTV (now part of ACI Learning) is a subscription IT training platform with a distinctive talk-show video format. Messer is a free YouTube creator. For CompTIA candidates in 2026, the question is whether ITProTV's subscription cost is justified over Messer's free content.
Messer wins on cost (free vs ~$59/month ITProTV) and CompTIA objective alignment. ITProTV wins on talk-show production, on-demand virtual labs, and broader IT catalog. For CompTIA-only prep, Messer is more cost-effective. For ongoing IT career learning with labs, ITProTV is worth the subscription — but rarely as a Messer replacement.
Format: Solo Lecture vs Talk Show
Messer is a single instructor in a single frame, presenting one objective at a time. Tight, clean, no co-host.
ITProTV uses a two-host talk-show format — one subject expert, one "audience proxy" asking questions. Some learners love the dialogue; others find it slower than a focused lecture.
Cost vs Value
ITProTV runs roughly $29–59 per month depending on tier. For a 10-week CompTIA study cycle, expect $90–150 in subscription cost.
Messer is free. Even with the optional $25 practice exams, total cost is a fraction of one ITProTV month.
Where ITProTV Genuinely Wins
- Virtual labs. ITProTV's on-demand lab environments let you practice configurations safely. Messer is video-only. - Catalog breadth. Hundreds of courses across IT, cloud, Linux, and security. Useful for ongoing skill building. - Live training sessions. Real-time classes with Q&A, not just recorded video. - Practice exam integration. Some courses bundle practice exams in the subscription.
The Honest Recommendation
If your goal is "pass this CompTIA exam cheaply": Messer plus a free practice tool. ITProTV is overkill.
If your goal is "pass CompTIA and keep building IT skills": One month of ITProTV during your study cycle is reasonable, but still watch Messer in parallel for objective-mapped review.
If your employer pays for ITProTV: use it — and still watch Messer for the objective alignment.
The Talk-Show Format: Helpful or Distracting?
ITProTV pioneered the two-host talk-show video format — one expert teaches while a co-host asks questions and pushes back. For learners who retain better from conversational dialogue, this format is genuinely effective. For learners who want dense, objective-mapped lectures (Messer style), the back-and-forth feels slow and the time-per-concept is roughly 2–3x higher than Messer. Sample a free episode before committing — the format polarizes audiences. Candidates who love it tend to credit ITProTV as their primary source; candidates who don't find Messer's denser pacing more efficient per minute.
The ACI Learning Acquisition
ITProTV was acquired by ACI Learning in 2021 and the brand is being unified under ACI. The content, instructors, and platform UI are largely intact, but pricing tiers have shifted and corporate training packages are now ACI's primary go-to-market. For individual learners, this means the consumer subscription is no longer the company's strategic focus — pricing may continue to climb and feature investment may slow. Track current pricing carefully and don't rely on legacy ITProTV prices you may remember from years ago.
ITProTV Virtual Labs
ITProTV's higher tiers include virtual labs comparable to Pluralsight's — real cloud environments for hands-on practice. For Security+ and Network+ candidates, labs supplement video learning but aren't required to pass. For CySA+, PenTest+, or CASP+ candidates, the labs become substantially more valuable because those certs test operational thinking that videos alone struggle to build. Match the tier to the cert — paying for premium labs to prep for A+ is overkill.
Cost Over a Full Study Cycle
For an 8–10 week CompTIA prep: Messer ~$0 (free) + $15 Dion practice on Udemy = $15 total. ITProTV ~$29–59/month × 2-3 months = $60–180. Per dollar of CompTIA exam pass rate, Messer wins by 4-10x. ITProTV earns its premium only when you're building broader IT skills beyond the cert, or when your employer covers the subscription. Always cancel the day after exam day to prevent the most common money waste: forgotten auto-renewal.
Corporate Reimbursement Angle
If your employer covers training, the ITProTV calculus changes substantially. Annual subscriptions itemize cleanly on expense reports, generate vendor tax IDs for finance teams, and produce certificates of completion HR systems can attach to development records. Messer's free content doesn't leave an audit trail — which is excellent for personal cost but harder to justify as "ongoing professional development" on a performance review. If you're building a case for promotion or training budget growth, ITProTV usage creates documented learning history that Messer can't match. For self-funded candidates, that documentation isn't worth the subscription premium.
The Free Tier Power Move
ITProTV offers a 7-day free trial that you can use strategically. The week you start studying, activate the trial, watch their version of your weakest topic, then default back to Messer for the rest of prep. You get instructor diversity on the topic that's actively confusing you without paying anything. If ITProTV's explanation truly clicks better than Messer's, that's a real signal worth a paid month later. If it doesn't, you confirmed Messer is sufficient and lost nothing. Most candidates default to "buy or don't" thinking — the trial-as-diagnostic approach gets you better information for free.
Pro Tips
Take ITProTV's free trial during your most intensive study week — that's when labs help most.
Cancel ITProTV the day after your exam to avoid silent renewal.
Use Messer for first-pass concept learning and ITProTV for hands-on practice.
Check if your company already has an ITProTV subscription before paying personally.
Don't watch both Messer's and ITProTV's full video courses — pick one as primary.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Paying for ITProTV just for video content — Messer covers CompTIA video material for free.
Subscribing for 6+ months for a single CompTIA cert.
Skipping ITProTV's labs (the actual value) and only watching videos.
Forgetting to cancel after the exam.
Believing ITProTV is more "professional" so it must teach the exam better — Messer's objective alignment is actually tighter.
ITProTV's subscription is justified for the labs and broader catalog, not the videos themselves. For CompTIA exam pass-rate per dollar, Messer remains the highest-value option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually no, just for CompTIA. Worth it if you also want hands-on labs and broader IT skill building.
Roughly $29–59/month depending on tier. Check current ACI Learning pricing.
Some courses include them. The pool is smaller than dedicated Udemy practice packs.
Personal subscriptions are single-user; team plans support multiple seats.
Yes — AWS, Azure, Cisco, Linux, and security certifications are covered.
Yes — ACI Learning acquired ITProTV and the brand is being unified under ACI Learning.
Polarizing. Sample a free episode before committing — it's conversational and substantially slower than Messer's lecture pace.
Yes — corporate IT training budgets often include ACI access. Free via employer is the only scenario where ITProTV consistently beats Messer on per-dollar value.
Roughly $29–59/month depending on tier (labs cost more). Track current pricing — it has climbed since the ACI acquisition.
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