The 10 Best Precalculus Textbooks

Updated by Ezvid Wiki Editors · How we research

Illustration of the 5 precalculus textbooks to scale, next to a graphing calculator, graph paper, a pencil and a mug for size

The right precalculus book depends on the goal: college, high school, AP, self-study or honors. Stewart's Precalculus, 7th Edition, tops 10, plus free OpenStax. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.

An older edition of a precalculus text can cover the same material as the new one for less money, and one full college textbook, OpenStax Precalculus 2e, is free to read online. College students usually need the edition their instructor assigns. High schoolers, AP students and self-learners can pick any book that fits their goal.

At a Glance

  1. 1 Stewart Precalculus 7th Edition $111
  2. 2 OpenStax Precalculus 2e $50
  3. 3 AoPS Precalculus $30
  4. 4 Precalculus: A Self-Teaching Guide $12
  5. 5 Precalculus Made Difficult $35
  6. 6 Pre-Calculus For Dummies $13
  7. 7 Barron's Math 360 Pre-Calculus $24
  8. 8 Barron's AP Precalculus Premium $22
  9. 9 Larson Precalculus 11th Edition $203
  10. 10 Glencoe Precalculus $43

1. Stewart Precalculus 7th Edition

Stewart Precalculus 7th Edition
ABOUT $111 AT AMAZON EBAY

Why the Stewart Precalculus 7th Edition is our top pick

Our pick has free lecture playlists that follow it and teaches trigonometry both ways. Instructors at City College of New York and the University of Alabama posted course videos built on it,6 and its 14 chapters run from fundamentals through vectors in two and three dimensions, conics, a limits preview and probability, with trigonometry taught once from the unit circle and again from right triangles.1 Cengage's current edition is the 8th,2 and used copies of the 7th usually come without the online homework card.3

Our runner-up, the OpenStax Precalculus 2e, covers nearly the same ground for free: 12 chapters from functions to an introduction to calculus, with more than 650 worked examples and over 5,900 exercises.5 Its trigonometry starts from angles and the unit circle rather than right triangles,5 and this paper copy is black and white, with color sold under its own ISBN.4 Brian Stonelake, a Rogue Community College instructor reviewing the first edition for the Open Textbook Library in 2021, called it very clear but "a little light on the proofs/justifications."7

If money decides it, read the runner-up online first. For one printed book with lectures to follow and both routes into trigonometry, our pick is the better fit.

Stewart Precalculus 7th EditionOpenStax Precalculus 2e
Chapters14, with a limits preview12, with an intro to calculus
TrigonometryUnit circle and right triangleUnit circle first
Print copyHardcover, c. 2016Black and white
Free to read onlineNoYes, web and PDF

Sources

2. OpenStax Precalculus 2e

OpenStax Precalculus 2e
ABOUT $50 AT AMAZON EBAY
From the manual
  • The Answer Key covers Try It exercises and odd-numbered section, review and practice-test problems; even-numbered answers go only to instructors. preface
  • Chapters 9 to 12 are optional add-ons that don't build on each other, so most courses assign only some of them. preface
  • Every chapter closes with key terms, 40 to 80 review exercises and a practice test of 25 to 50 problems. preface

OpenStax Precalculus 2e preface (web)

Compare the specs

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Product Edition (year)Length (pages)Online extras
1. Stewart Precalculus 7th Edition 7th, c. 20161,216Enhanced WebAssign, extra
2. OpenStax Precalculus 2e 2e, 20211,410Free web and PDF
3. AoPS Precalculus 2nd, c. 2014528 + 272 solutionsOnline book, extra
4. Precalculus: A Self-Teaching Guide c. 2001216—
5. Precalculus Made Difficult 2nd, 2023221—
6. Pre-Calculus For Dummies 3rd, 2018416—
7. Barron's Math 360 Pre-Calculus 202152850 practice questions
8. Barron's AP Precalculus Premium 2027 ed., 20264761 practice test
9. Larson Precalculus 11th Edition 11th, 2021992CalcChat, CalcView sites
10. Glencoe Precalculus c. 20111,072—

Editions and page counts come from the publishers' pages where they give them, otherwise from library and bookseller records of the same edition. Page sizes differ, so treat length as a rough guide to depth. AoPS's count adds the separate solutions book.

Sources

3. AoPS Precalculus

AoPS Precalculus
ABOUT $30 AT AMAZON EBAY
From the manual
  • Each section opens with numbered problems, and the text then works each one in full before moving on. pp. 1-4
  • The text points back to earlier pages, such as a callback to page 204, so it's built to be read in order. pp. 5-6
  • Boxed Important and Concept notes pull out the key facts and problem-solving habits as the chapter goes. pp. 3, 6

AoPS Precalculus sample pages (PDF)

4. Precalculus: A Self-Teaching Guide

Precalculus: A Self-Teaching Guide
ABOUT $12 AT AMAZON EBAY

5. Precalculus Made Difficult

Precalculus Made Difficult
ABOUT $35 AT AMAZON EBAY

6. Pre-Calculus For Dummies

Pre-Calculus For Dummies
ABOUT $13 AT AMAZON EBAY

7. Barron's Math 360 Pre-Calculus

Barron's Math 360 Pre-Calculus
ABOUT $24 AT AMAZON EBAY

8. Barron's AP Precalculus Premium

Barron's AP Precalculus Premium
ABOUT $22 AT AMAZON EBAY

9. Larson Precalculus 11th Edition

Larson Precalculus 11th Edition
ABOUT $203 AT AMAZON EBAY

10. Glencoe Precalculus

Glencoe Precalculus
ABOUT $43 AT AMAZON EBAY

Editor's Notes

November 4, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:

For this update we went through each book's publisher pages and catalog records. We corrected the AoPS entry, which does open with a functions review and keeps its full solutions in a second book, noted Larson's new 12th edition and the AP exam's 2027 format change, and dropped price ratios we couldn't source. New here: edition and length figures for all ten books, the case for the Stewart over the free OpenStax text, and notes from the OpenStax preface and AoPS sample pages.

October 17, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:

Most readers want one good book, not a stack, so we sorted this list by purpose: a college course, high school, the AP exam, self-study and honors work. The Stewart Precalculus 7th Edition stays, and it costs less than the newer 8th edition with the same subject matter. The OpenStax Precalculus 2e takes over from the old Abramson print copy, since it's the revised version of that same free book, and the Larson Precalculus 11th Edition replaces the 10th.

Sullivan, Blitzer, Demana and Lial all wrote solid course texts, but each overlaps the college books we kept, most cost more, and a couple were down to a single copy. Buy one if your class assigns it. Miller's book gave way to the much cheaper Glencoe Precalculus for high school use. New picks cover readers the old list ignored: Precalculus: A Self-Teaching Guide and Pre-Calculus For Dummies for self-learners, Precalculus Made Difficult for anyone who wants the ideas explained, and two Barron's books for review and the AP exam.

Nobody lab-tests textbooks, so we went by publishers' tables of contents, course use, independent roundups and owner feedback. The free online books in the special honors are worth a look before you spend anything.

Earlier notes

October 30, 2020, by Gregg Parker:

The biggest consideration this time around was who exactly is buying these textbooks? There are four main consumers: students, teachers, homeschool parents, and self-guided learners. Students are generally forced to get whatever book their professor recommends, so unfortunately they lack a lot of choice. Teachers and professors have an advantage with this material in that they can supplement the instruction, meaning their primary concern should be how many problem sets there are, and how easy it will be for their students to understand those problems. That's why Pearson Precalculus has been added, and why Miller's Precalculus is hanging on.

For homeschool parents and self-guided learners, the biggest challenge is connecting with the material. Coburn's Precalculus has been removed because it's simply too dry, and tough to get through without an instructor. Blitzer's Precalculus, on the other hand, is given preference over other texts because it deals with real-world examples, so you won't always be asking yourself, "Why do I need to know this?"

The top four choices are all textbooks that can appeal to each of the aforementioned groups. They're often used in high school and college classes, which is great if you want to keep up with a standard course. They're also clear while covering difficult concepts, and include a wealth of practice problems. Precalculus: The Art of Problem Solving retains the top spot because, in addition to all these benefits, it's also reasonably priced, unlike some textbooks that are out of many people's range. [2026 update: the list is now sorted by purpose, and the AoPS book sits at #3 as the pick for honors and contest work.]

March 18, 2019, by Quincy Miller:

While the math might be basically the same in all these books, that doesn't mean they all take the same approach or are all intended for the same audience. Some, like Miller's Precalculus, are aimed at students who might be overwhelmed by the material, especially if they lack a firm grasp of the prerequisites. Others, like Larson's Precalculus, are more geared to students who are looking to advance in mathematics and require a challenge. Sullivan's Precalculus is a nice middle-of-the-road solution, as it pushes learners to prepare themselves for more difficult material while also gently forcing them to brush up on things they should already know.

Special Honors

Stitz-Zeager Open Source Mathematics Community college instructors Carl Stitz and Jeff Zeager wrote a complete precalculus textbook, over 1,000 pages, and give it away as a PDF. A newer interactive edition runs free on the Ximera platform, and printed copies are sold at low cost through OpenIntro. The book is also split into separate college algebra and trigonometry volumes. stitz-zeager.com

Precalculus: An Investigation of Functions David Lippman and Melonie Rasmussen of Pierce College in Washington wrote this free, open textbook for a two-quarter precalculus sequence that includes trigonometry. It focuses on functions, modeling and interpretation. The PDF is free, a low-cost print copy is available, and instructors can get online homework built around it. opentextbookstore.com

Start With Your Course And Edition

If you're taking a class, ask for the exact title, edition and ISBN before you buy.

If you're taking a class, ask for the exact title, edition and ISBN before you buy. College courses usually assign one book and build homework around it, and some publisher editions come bundled with an online homework code, such as WebAssign or MyLab, that a used copy won't include. Ask whether your course actually requires that code.

The edition matters for price. Stewart's 8th edition came out in 2023, and the 7th covers the same subject for less. For self-study, an earlier edition is almost always fine. Free lecture videos help too: instructors at City College of New York and the University of Alabama have posted course videos that follow Stewart's book (Celsius Elements).

A full course text covers numbers, functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, equations and inequalities, trigonometry, sequences and series, the binomial theorem, induction and analytic geometry. Many add vectors, matrices and a preview of calculus. Shorter books leave some of these out, so check the table of contents against your syllabus.

Textbook, Study Guide Or AP Prep?

Textbooks teach from scratch, with explanations, worked examples and long exercise sets. College titles run roughly 1,000 to 1,400 pages, so they're heavy to carry. Study guides and refreshers, like the Dummies and Barron's Math 360 books, explain topics in short pieces and work best next to a class or for a review.

AP Precalculus is a College Board course that began in the 2023-24 school year. The exam tests three units: polynomial and rational functions (30 to 40 percent of the multiple-choice section), exponential and logarithmic functions (25 to 40 percent), and trigonometric and polar functions (30 to 35 percent). A fourth unit on parameters, vectors and matrices is taught in some schools but isn't on the exam (AP Central). The number of questions and the section timing change starting with the May 2027 exam, so buy a review book labeled for your exam year. An AP review book drills that scope, but it isn't meant to teach the course.

Strong students who enjoy hard problems can go further. Art of Problem Solving's book has nearly 1,000 problems, some drawn from the AIME and USA Mathematical Olympiad, and teaches by having students attempt problems first. Almost half are solved in the text, and the rest are in a separate solutions manual (Art of Problem Solving).

Free And Low-Cost Legal Options

You don't need to pay to learn precalculus. OpenStax Precalculus 2e is free to read online or download, and its Creative Commons license allows noncommercial sharing and adaptation (OpenStax). The PDF is large, about 110 megabytes. Carl Stitz and Jeff Zeager offer their complete Precalculus as a free PDF, with an interactive fourth edition and low-cost printed copies (Stitz-Zeager). David Lippman and Melonie Rasmussen's Precalculus: An Investigation of Functions is also free, with an inexpensive paperback (Lippman and Rasmussen).

Skip pirated PDFs of commercial textbooks. They're illegal to share, often incomplete, and sometimes carry malware, and the free books above are just as complete.

Printed textbooks are low-risk. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall database shows no recall of any book on this list; the one book recall we found from these publishers was Wiley's Candle and Soap Making For Dummies in 2003, over its lye instructions (CPSC).

How we researched this

We compared 18 precalculus textbooks, study guides and test-prep books and kept these 10. The documents behind them were the OpenStax Precalculus 2e preface, Art of Problem Solving's store page and sample chapter, Cengage's Stewart and Larson pages and the Barron's book descriptions, plus library and bookseller records for editions and page counts. The advice drew on the College Board's AP Precalculus course page, faculty reviews in the Open Textbook Library and the Celsius Elements roundup. None of these books turns up in the CPSC's recall records.

Sources (16)
  1. Celsius Elements: The 9 Best Precalculus Books
  2. OpenStax: Precalculus 2e
  3. Art of Problem Solving: Precalculus
  4. College Board AP Central: AP Precalculus
  5. Tutoringmaphy: Top 10 Books for AP Precalculus
  6. Stitz-Zeager Open Source Mathematics
  7. Lippman and Rasmussen: Precalculus
  8. CPSC recalls
  9. OpenStax: Precalculus 2e preface
  10. Exodus Books: AoPS Precalculus text and solutions set
  11. Cengage: Stewart Precalculus, 8th Edition
  12. Cengage: Larson Precalculus, 12th Edition
  13. Rutgers Mathematics: master textbook list
  14. Open Textbook Library: Precalculus faculty reviews
  15. College Board: AP Precalculus launch-year report
  16. CPSC: Wiley recall of Candle and Soap Making For Dummies

Frequently asked questions

What is the best precalculus textbook?

For a college course, get the book your instructor assigns. Otherwise, Stewart's Precalculus, 7th Edition, is clear and complete, and OpenStax Precalculus 2e covers the same ground for free online.

What is the best precalculus book for self-study?

Precalculus: A Self-Teaching Guide is built for learning alone, Pre-Calculus For Dummies is a friendly refresher, and OpenStax Precalculus 2e gives you a full free course text.

Is there a free precalculus textbook?

Yes. OpenStax Precalculus 2e, the Stitz-Zeager Precalculus and Lippman and Rasmussen's Precalculus: An Investigation of Functions are all free and legal to download.

What does the AP Precalculus exam cover?

Units 1 to 3: polynomial and rational, exponential and logarithmic, and trigonometric and polar functions. Unit 4, on parameters, vectors and matrices, isn't tested. From May 2027 the exam has new question counts and timing.

Is an older edition of a precalculus textbook OK?

For self-study, yes. For a class, check with your instructor: homework problems and page numbers can change between editions, and older copies won't include online homework codes.

Do I need the AoPS Precalculus solutions manual?

Probably. Almost half of the book's problems are solved in the text, and full solutions to the rest are only in the separate solutions manual. AoPS sells the two together or separately, so check what your copy includes.

Updated by Ezvid Wiki Editors

Originally written by Gregg Parker.

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