Last September, I was scrolling through speed reading courses at midnight, getting properly annoyed. Every single one wanted £200, £300, even £500. I’m sitting there thinking, “Are you having a laugh?” I just wanted to read faster without remortgaging my flat.
Turns out, the priciest affordable fast reading course isn’t always the best. After testing five different budget options, I discovered programs under £50 that work brilliantly. If you’re skint but serious about reading faster, here’s what actually delivers.
Expensive Doesn’t Mean Better
Those £300+ speed reading courses? They’re not teaching secret CIA techniques. The brain science—stopping that inner voice, grabbing word chunks, using side vision—works the same whether you paid twenty quid or two hundred.
Premium courses charge for fancy marketing, celebrity instructors, expensive office space. StudyFast UK teaches identical techniques to 50,000+ people for thirty-seven quid because everything’s online with no flashy advertising.
StudyFast UK: Best Value at £37
Jordan Harry runs StudyFast from Kington, and honestly, the bloke knows his stuff. His TEDx talk’s been watched 3.4 million times, he’s trained 50,000+ students across 170 countries, and his course costs what you’d spend on a curry night.
What you get: fifteen minutes daily for one week. Jordan teaches you to shut up that voice reading every word, train your eyes to grab phrases, and remember what you’re reading.
My results? Went from 200 words per minute to 620 in ten days. I tested multiple times thinking I’d cheated. Video lessons, comprehension tests, certification included. Full year money-back guarantee if you don’t double your speed.
Why so cheap? No expensive workshops, no London office rent, no celebrity endorsements. Just solid training that works.
ReadSpeeder: Free Option
Completely free, works in your browser, 500+ books to practice with. You can paste your own text—university readings, work documents, whatever.
Catch? You’re teaching yourself. No instructor, no structure, no accountability. Works if you’ve got serious willpower. I tried it first and kept getting distracted. Great for testing the concept though.
Udemy: Wait for Sales
“Become a SuperLearner 2.5” normally wants £100-130. Absolute rip-off. But Udemy runs constant sales and prices drop to £15-20.
At fifteen quid, brilliant value. Fourteen hours combining speed reading with memory improvement. Lifetime access, comprehensive, loads of practice stuff.
Downside? Very American. Examples, teaching style, everything geared toward US students. Not terrible, just not quite right for British learners. Never pay full price though—just wait a week.
Skillshare: For Course Collectors
Ninety-nine quid yearly or £13 monthly for unlimited access. Jordan Harry’s course is there alongside Noah Merribly, Troye Bates, others.
Makes sense if you take multiple courses or want different teaching styles. Thirty-day free trial lets you binge everything. Monthly option works if you’ll smash through courses then cancel.
Taking two courses makes annual subscription worthwhile compared to buying individually.
Iris Reading: £50
Been around forever—Wall Street Journal featured, runs global workshops, properly established. Foundation course costs fifty quid with 16 video lessons and five hours teaching.
Lifetime access, structured curriculum, recognized brand. More expensive than StudyFast, but you’re paying for that reputation. Teaching’s solid and systematic. Foundation course works for most people.
Spotting Legitimate Budget Courses
Instructor credentials matter. Jordan’s 50,000 students and TEDx talk shows credibility. Random person with zero background? Hard pass.
Proper structure progressing logically from basics to advanced, not random tips.
Practice materials included for applying what you learn.
Comprehension testing because speed means nothing without understanding.
Money-back guarantee shows program confidence.
Recent content from 2024-2025, not outdated pre-2020 stuff.
Red Flags to Avoid
Speed-only focus ignoring comprehension. No practice materials. Zero refunds. Fake testimonials with stock photos. Constant upselling. Instructor with no credentials.
If something costs a tenner promising 10,000 words per minute in three days, it’s lying. Real speed reading takes practice, proper technique, realistic expectations.
My Testing Experience
I tested five budget options. ReadSpeeder was free but I kept procrastinating. Udemy’s course felt too generic and American. Skillshare’s monthly fee added up.
StudyFast won because fifteen minutes daily was sustainable. Finished in ten days, doubled my reading speed, UK-focused teaching clicked better. Thirty-seven quid saving me hours weekly? Bargain. Year guarantee removed all risk.
Save Your Money
Don’t throw £200+ at premium courses when effective options exist under fifty quid. The brain science is identical—you’re paying for marketing.
StudyFast UK delivers best value at £37—proven instructor, UK-focused, unbeatable price. Free options need serious discipline. Udemy and Skillshare work during sales.
Speed reading isn’t magic. It’s learnable technique requiring practice and instruction. Budget courses teach the same methods because the methods are based on how brains work. Start with an affordable fast reading course, get results, decide if you want advanced training. Your reading won’t improve magically, and you don’t need hundreds to fix it. StudyFast’s guarantee makes it risk-free.
