Themis vs Barbri bar prep, price, pass guarantee and which course to buy

Themis is cheaper than Barbri and includes more licensed practice at its base price. Themis Bar Review costs $1,895 if you pay in full for a 2027 exam, against $2,099 for Barbri Premium and $3,099 for Barbri Elite. Themis bundles the UWorld MBE QBank and 1,350+ NCBE-licensed questions; Barbri Premium lists 1,000+ and saves its AdaptiBar, CriticalPass and Quimbee supplements for Elite. Both guarantee a free repeat of the course if you fail, not a refund. Pick Barbri if you want its longer track record and the option to upgrade to 6 months of access. Prices were read from both vendors on September 29, 2026.

Themis and Barbri are the two full bar review courses most US law students end up choosing between, usually in the spring of 3L when the law school tables go up. The pages that rank for this comparison are forum threads, affiliate reviews and each vendor's own comparison page, and the numbers on them disagree. Themis's comparison page, for example, lists Barbri Elite at $4,199 and a Barbri range from $1,999 to $5,999. Barbri's own 2027 pricing page shows exactly two courses, Premium at $2,099 and Elite at $3,099. This comparison uses the enroll-button price from each vendor on the day it was written.

Themis vs Barbri price, plan by plan

On price alone the gap is $204 at the entry level and $1,204 against Barbri Elite. The more useful comparison is what each price includes. Themis sells one course, so every self-pay student gets the full set of materials. Barbri splits its offer into two tiers, and the difference between them is the supplements: AdaptiBar for MBE simulation, CriticalPass flashcards and Quimbee SideBar videos. If you would have bought those supplements anyway, Elite is the Barbri price to compare, and Themis undercuts it by more than $1,000. Bought alone, the simulator is $495 for a new user (see the AdaptiBar cost breakdown). The full Themis grid, including the LLM course and the California Attorney Exam course, is on our Themis bar prep cost breakdown.

Which course has more practice questions

Themis, on the numbers each vendor publishes. Themis assigns questions from a bank of more than 4,000 MBE questions, 1,350+ of them licensed from the NCBE (real retired bar exam questions), and since Themis became part of UWorld the UWorld MBE QBank is built into the course for unlimited custom practice tests. Barbri Premium lists 1,000+ NCBE-licensed MBE questions or NextGen question sets, and Elite adds the AdaptiBar MCQ simulator, which runs on a separate system. Licensed questions matter because they are written by the same examiners who write your exam. Volume matters less than working every question you get wrong until you understand why.

Themis vs Barbri pass guarantee

Both guarantees are a free second course, not money back. Themis's Pass or a Free Repeat Guarantee gives a first-time Themis student who fails the course again for the next administration of the same bar exam. Barbri's Bar Review Guarantee lets you repeat the course without paying tuition again, provided you completed the course the first time, and it excludes exam supplements. Neither pays the bar exam fee, which your jurisdiction charges again on every attempt. In practice the Barbri condition is the one to plan for: if you stop doing the assigned work in June, you may lose the guarantee.

Pass rates, and why the comparison is harder than it looks

Themis publishes first-time pass rates by state every year, which is unusual in bar prep. Themis's July 2024 figures show its students above the statewide first-time rate in most listed states, such as California at 79% against 68%, and below it in two, Minnesota (81% against 88%) and Tennessee (76% against 81%). Students who finished at least 75% of the Themis coursework passed at 81% to 98%. Those are vendor figures, but they are specific and dated, which is more than most bar prep marketing offers. The honest reading is that finishing the course moves your odds more than the brand you pick.

Switching from one to the other

If you already put a deposit down with Barbri and want to move to Themis, Themis credits that deposit toward its tuition. Its own site gives two different caps, though: the bar review pricing page says up to $1,000, while the FAQ says up to $250. Email proof of the deposit and get the credit confirmed in writing before you pay the balance. Themis also takes $100 off for Phi Alpha Delta and Military Spouse J.D. Network members and for active, reserve and retired military, one discount per enrollment. If a firm is paying, compare the firm versions instead: Themis Law Firm Plus adds up to 6 months of access and a Multistate Bootcamp.

Themis or Barbri, which one to buy

• You are paying yourself and want the most for the money: Themis at $1,895 paid in full. It includes the licensed question volume Barbri charges $3,099 for.
• You want the longest access window: Barbri, which sells an upgrade to 6 months, or Themis Law Firm Plus if your firm pays.
• You want to spread the cost: Barbri through Affirm, if you have a US Social Security number, or Themis's $25-down plan for a 2028 or 2029 exam, which keeps the $1,895 price.
• You are sitting the NextGen exam: Themis prices its NextGen course the same as its legacy course, and Barbri's Premium and Elite cover NextGen and legacy exams at the same price. Check which states are using the NextGen bar exam before you enroll, because the course you buy follows your jurisdiction.
• You already chose Barbri and want to know what it really costs: our Barbri cost breakdown and the Barbri alternative comparison cover the tiers and add-ons.

What neither course does

A bar course gives you a schedule, lectures and a finite question bank. What it will not do is write a fresh question on the one rule you keep missing, say the hearsay exceptions or the Rule Against Perpetuities, and explain why each wrong choice is wrong, at midnight in July. Aspirants.ai does that. It generates fresh MBE-style questions on the subject you pick, explains every answer choice and answers follow-up questions at any hour, from $24 a month billed yearly with no contract. Use it next to Themis or Barbri to drill weak subjects between assigned sets. Try the quiz at the top of this page, or see our bar exam practice questions page.

Passing is the start of the job, not the end of it. Once you are admitted and the questions come from real clients, a tool for AI legal research in plain English helps you find the controlling cases fast, the same way a good question bank helped you find your weak rules.

Frequently asked questions

Is Themis or Barbri better?

Themis is the better value: $1,895 paid in full against $2,099 for Barbri Premium and $3,099 for Elite, with the UWorld MBE QBank and 1,350+ NCBE-licensed questions included. Barbri is the better pick if you want a 6-month access upgrade or Affirm financing. Finishing the course matters more than the brand.

Is Themis cheaper than Barbri?

Yes. On September 29, 2026 Themis cost $1,895 paid in full for a 2027 exam, or $2,095 with $25 down. Barbri Premium cost $2,099 and Barbri Elite $3,099. Themis's list price is $2,995, and Barbri's original prices are $2,999 and $3,999.

Does Themis or Barbri have a better pass guarantee?

They are similar. Both give you the course again for free if you fail, and neither refunds tuition or pays the bar exam fee. Themis limits it to first-time Themis takers. Barbri requires that you completed the course and excludes supplements.

Does Themis include UWorld?

Yes. Themis is a UWorld company, and the UWorld MBE QBank is integrated into the Themis course at no extra cost, alongside a bank of more than 4,000 MBE questions that includes 1,350+ licensed from the NCBE.

Can I switch from Barbri to Themis?

Yes. Themis credits a deposit paid to another full-service bar course toward its tuition. Its pricing page says up to $1,000 and its FAQ says up to $250, so get the amount confirmed in writing before you pay the rest.