Best CompTIA Security+ Study Materials 2026: Books, Videos, Tests

You have decided to get CompTIA Security+. Now you need to pick the right study materials. The wrong choice does not just waste money — it wastes the study hours you cannot get back. This guide ranks the major Security+ SY0-701 resources by effectiveness, cost, and learning style so you can build a study stack that actually works.

We tested or reviewed every resource on this list. No affiliate links. No sponsored placements. Disclosure: SecuSpark is our product. It appears below where we think it helps, next to the books and courses we would recommend anyway.

How We Ranked These Resources

Every resource was evaluated on four criteria:

1. Exam alignment: Does it cover all five SY0-701 domains with correct weighting? Our Security+ exam overview shows the weights.
2. Retention effectiveness: Does it use active recall, spaced repetition, or other evidence-based learning methods?
3. Cost-to-value ratio: Is the investment justified by the quality?
4. Practical application: Does it prepare you for performance-based questions, not just multiple choice?

Best Security+ Books

Every book below is written for SY0-701, the current exam. Check two things before you buy any Security+ book: the exam code on the cover, and the edition. A used SY0-601 copy is cheaper for a reason.

Titles, editions, exam codes, and publishers checked September 25, 2026 on each publisher’s page (linked). We don’t list prices because retail prices change weekly.

A note on timing: CompTIA launches the next version, SY0-801, on or around November 17, 2026, and the English SY0-701 exam stays bookable until June 11, 2027, per CompTIA’s SY0-701 page (checked September 25, 2026). If you are sitting SY0-701, these books are the right ones. Here is what changes in SY0-801 if your exam date is later.

1. CompTIA Security+ Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-701 (Joe Shelley and Darril Gibson)

Rating: Best overall book

Get Certified Get Ahead has been the community favorite for multiple Security+ exam versions, and the SY0-701 edition keeps that standard. Each chapter ends with practice questions that test real understanding, not just memorization. The writing is clear without being condescending, and the “Remember This” callouts highlight exactly what CompTIA tests on.

Best for: Self-studiers who want one book that covers everything. Pairs well with active recall tools for retention.

2. CompTIA Security+ Study Guide, 9th Edition, by Mike Chapple & David Seidl (Sybex)

Rating: Best for depth

The Sybex guide goes deeper than Get Certified Get Ahead on technical concepts, and it comes with Wiley’s online learning environment: extra practice questions and flashcards. The trade-off is density — beginners may find it overwhelming without a video course to supplement.

Best for: Readers with some IT background who want thorough technical coverage.

3. CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 Cert Guide by Lewis Heuermann (Pearson)

Rating: Best for structured self-testing

Pearson’s Cert Guide format opens each chapter with a short quiz so you can skip what you already know, and closes it with key-topic tables. The Premium Edition adds Pearson Test Prep software with four full practice exams.

Best for: Learners who like to test first and read only what they miss.

4. CompTIA Security+ Practice Tests: Exam SY0-701 by David Seidl (Sybex)

Rating: Best practice-question book

This is not a teaching book. It is 1,000 practice questions organized by exam topic, which makes it a good companion to any of the three study guides above.

Best for: Readers who want printed practice questions to work through away from a screen.

Best Video Courses

1. Professor Messer’s Security+ Course (Free)

Price: Free (YouTube and professormesser.com) | Rating: Best free resource

Professor Messer has been the standard for CompTIA video prep for over a decade. His SY0-701 course covers every exam objective in 121 structured, bite-sized videos (just over 15 hours in total). The free monthly study groups add community accountability. The only downside is that videos are passive learning — you need to pair them with active recall practice. His digital course notes are $30 if you want a printed-style summary to review from.

Best for: Everyone. Use as your video foundation and supplement with active recall practice for retention.

2. Jason Dion’s Security+ Course (Udemy)

Price: Varies with Udemy’s frequent sales | Rating: Best budget paid option

Dion’s Udemy course is the most common paid alternative to Messer. He explains concepts with real-world scenarios that make abstract topics concrete, and Udemy’s regular sales make it an inexpensive second voice if Messer’s style doesn’t click for you.

3. CompTIA CertMaster Learn

Price: Sold per certification by CompTIA | Rating: Most expensive, most structured

CertMaster Learn is CompTIA’s official e-learning platform. It includes adaptive learning, embedded practice questions, and pairs with CertMaster Labs for virtual labs. It is the most polished all-in-one option and the most expensive one on this list. Whether that is justified depends on your budget — the free and low-cost stacks below cover the same objectives.

Best Active Recall & Practice Tools

Passive reading and video watching feel productive but produce weak retention. Research on the testing effect shows that retrieving information from memory beats re-reading it for long-term retention. (We rank 7 study methods by retention rate if you want the full breakdown.) These tools make active recall the default study mode.

1. SecuSpark Battle Mode

Price: Free tier (3 practice exams per certification included on the free tier), $14.99/mo for unlimited | Rating: Best for engagement + retention

SecuSpark turns Security+ questions into RPG battles. You fight enemies by answering correctly, take damage when you get questions wrong, and progress through a campaign organized by exam domain. The game creates stakes that make each question feel like it matters, which is exactly what active recall needs to work.

There are 1,808 Security+ questions, each explained on your results, with an AI Deep Dive on the ones you miss (3 a day free). The flashcard system uses FSRS spaced repetition to resurface concepts you are forgetting. PvP leagues add exam-day pressure when you are ready for it.

Best for: Anyone who struggles to stay consistent with study sessions. The RPG progression makes you want to come back.

2. Anki (Free, Open Source)

Price: Free on desktop and Android; the official iOS app is paid | Rating: Best customizable flashcards

Anki is the most powerful spaced-repetition tool available. The learning curve is steep, but community-shared Security+ decks save you the effort of creating cards from scratch. The scheduling works well for long-term retention.

Best for: Students who enjoy optimizing their study process and do not mind technical setup.

3. ExamCompass (Free)

Price: Free, no registration | Rating: Best for quick topic checks

ExamCompass offers free SY0-701 practice tests and acronym quizzes with a score report at the end of each one. Useful for checking whether you understand a set of topics before moving on. Not sufficient as your only practice tool.

Best Practice Tests

1. Professor Messer’s SY0-701 Practice Exams

Price: $30 digital | Questions: three 90-question exams

The closest thing on this list to sitting the real exam: three full-length exams mixing multiple-choice and performance-based questions, with detailed explanations. They are also part of Messer’s $119 SY0-701 Success Bundle.

2. SecuSpark Practice Tests

Price: Free tier (3 practice exams per certification included on the free tier), $14.99/mo for unlimited | Questions: 1,808 across 75 shorter practice exams

Built for daily practice rather than one sitting: shorter exams, an explanation on every answer, and AI Deep Dives on misses. The battle mode makes practice feel less like a chore, and the domain report shows exactly which areas need work. Our free PBQ simulator adds three interactive performance-based questions. See our free Security+ practice exam guide for sample questions and scoring tips.

3. Sybex CompTIA Security+ Practice Tests (SY0-701)

Format: Book plus online test bank | Questions: 1,000

The largest single set of practice questions on this list, organized by exam topic. Good for volume once you have finished a study guide.

4. CompTIA CertMaster Practice

Price: Sold per certification by CompTIA | Questions: Adaptive question pool

The official practice tool from CompTIA. Adaptive difficulty adjusts based on your performance, and it includes performance-based questions. Expensive as a standalone purchase, but it comes from the organization that writes the exam.

Best Hands-On Labs

1. TryHackMe (Free tier available)

Browser-based cybersecurity labs. The “Pre Security” path and the CompTIA PenTest+ path cover concepts that also appear on Security+. Great for understanding the practical side of domains like cryptography and network security.

2. CompTIA CertMaster Labs

Price: Sold per certification by CompTIA | Browser-based virtual labs aligned with exam objectives. The most directly relevant labs for Security+, but the price is hard to justify when free alternatives exist.

The Optimal Study Stack

You do not need every resource on this list. Whatever you pick, check its table of contents against the five SY0-701 domains. Here are three study stacks for different budgets:

Budget Stack

• Professor Messer videos (free)
• One study guide book from the table above
• SecuSpark Battle Mode for active recall (free tier available)
• SecuSpark Flashcards for spaced repetition (free tier available)

Mid-Range Stack

• Everything in the Budget Stack
• Professor Messer’s SY0-701 Practice Exams ($30 digital)
• TryHackMe labs (free tier)

Premium Stack

• Everything in the Mid-Range Stack
• Dion’s Udemy course (on sale)
• A second book: the Sybex study guide or the Sybex practice tests

Notice that the Budget Stack covers everything you need to pass. The more expensive options add convenience and depth, but the core formula is the same: learn concepts (book/video) + practice recall (battles/flashcards) + test readiness (practice exams).

Related Guides

• Security+ 30-Day Study Plan — day-by-day schedule using these materials
• 7 study methods ranked by retention rate — pick the right method for your style
• CompTIA exam costs in 2026 — full pricing breakdown for all certifications
• Security+ pass rate data — what CompTIA does and doesn’t publish