RangeSharp
RangeSharp
Solvers, range trainers, trackers, coaching sites, and free resources. What's worth paying for in 2026.
Poker study tools fall into a few buckets. Solver, trainer, equity calculator, tracker, coaching site, free resource. You don't need all of them. You do need to know what each does and where your money goes.
Here's how I'd organize the landscape in 2026.
A common mistake: treating every tool as equal. A solver answers "what does GTO say?" A trainer answers "do I know it?" A tracker answers "am I doing it?" They solve different problems. Buying a fancy solver won't fix your recall. Buying a trainer won't fix your postflop leaks. Match the tool to the gap you're trying to close.
Most serious players end up with a stack: solver + trainer + tracker. The solver tells you what GTO says. The trainer gets it into your head. The tracker shows you what you actually do at the table. Skip one and you have a leak. No solver, you're guessing. No trainer, you forget. No tracker, you don't know if you're improving.
I'll go through each category, then recommend a stack for different budgets.
Solvers compute GTO strategies. You define the game (stack depths, positions, bet sizes), and they output frequencies and ranges for every decision point.
PioSolver: Industry standard. One-time purchase (around $250-400 depending on version). Does preflop and postflop. Steep learning curve. Most coaches and serious players use it. Worth it if you're running your own solves and care about postflop.
GTO+: Cheaper, around $70-100. Good for preflop. Postflop exists but Pio is more commonly used for that. Easier to learn. Solid value if you mainly care about preflop.
HRC (Holdem Resource Calculator): Focused on preflop. Used by a lot of tournament players. Different interface. Worth considering if you're tournament-only and want a preflop specialist.
MonkerSolver, Simple Postflop: Other options. Monker has a different structure. Simple Postflop is lighter. I won't pretend to have used every solver; Pio and GTO+ cover most people.
Honest take: If you're not running solves, you don't need a solver. You can use someone else's output (GTO Wizard, free charts, a coach's ranges). But if you want to explore your own spots, GTO+ is the cheapest entry. Pio is the serious upgrade. The main mistake I see: people buy Pio, run three solves, then never touch it again. Start with GTO+ or free output. Upgrade when you're actually using it.
These turn solver output into drills. You see a hand, you pick an action, you get feedback. The good ones use spaced repetition so you remember.
FreeRangeLab: Preflop-only. Decision trees, paste-to-import from 7 solver formats, spaced repetition (FSRS v6), leak detection, AI training debrief, auto-save, 100-level undo, compare mode. $19/mo Pro. Smaller GTO library than FreeBetRange. This is my recommendation for a range trainer. The workflow (paste, train, get feedback) is faster than anything else I've used.
FreeBetRange: $19/mo. Larger library (100k+ ranges). Folder navigation, 11-step import wizard, separate Editor/Viewer. No spaced rep, no auto-save, no undo, no leak detection. Good if you want to browse pre-made ranges. Weaker on the training side.
GTO Wizard: $49/mo. Preflop and postflop trainer + solver access. Polished. Overkill if you only need preflop. Worth it if you want one subscription for everything.
PokerTrainer.se, Preflop Academy: Cheaper, simpler. Less solver integration. Fine for beginners.
See our range trainer comparison post for a deeper breakdown of FreeRangeLab, FreeBetRange, GTO Wizard, and the rest.
These show hand equities, range vs range, and combo counts. Useful for quick checks. You don't need them for memorizing ranges, but they help when you're building or verifying a strategy.
Equilab: Free. Does head-up equity, range vs range, basic stuff. Clunky UI but it works. Most people start here.
Flopzilla: One-time purchase, around $50. More flexible. Range building, combo removal, board runouts. Worth the money if you use it often.
PioSOLER (Pio's equity tool): If you have Pio, you have this. No need to buy a separate calculator.
Honest take: Equilab is free. Use it until you hit its limits. Flopzilla is the upgrade. Don't spend on equity tools until you're sure you need more than Equilab.
Trackers log your hands and show stats: VPIP, PFR, 3-bet, fold to 3-bet, etc. HUD overlays at the table. Session reviews. Leak finders.
PokerTracker 4: One-time purchase plus optional add-ons. Industry standard for Hold'em. HUD, reports, hand replayer. Steep price ($100+) but you own it.
Hold'em Manager 3: Similar to PT4. Slightly different workflow. Some people prefer it. Same ballpark price.
Free options: PokerTracker and HM have trial periods. Some sites have built-in tracking. For serious volume, you'll want one of the big two.
Honest take: If you play online and care about improving, a tracker pays for itself. You can't fix what you don't measure. PT4 or HM3, pick one and learn it.
Upswing Poker, PokerCoaching.com, Run It Once, etc. Subscription sites with videos, courses, and sometimes community. Not training tools. They teach concepts; they don't drill you on ranges.
Worth it? Depends. If you're clueless about GTO or need structure, a course helps. If you've watched a bunch of content and still can't remember your UTG open, you need a trainer, not more videos.
I won't compare every platform. They're similar in spirit. Pick one that matches your format (cash vs tourney, stakes) and your learning style. Don't stack three subscriptions. Finish one thing before starting another.
GTO Wizard free tier: Limited but usable. You can see some preflop solutions without paying.
Free range charts: Plenty of PDFs and images online. 6-max cash, tournaments, various stack depths. No interactivity, but they're free. Good for reference.
YouTube: Endless strategy content. Quality varies. Use it for concepts. Don't use it as your primary study method. Passive watching doesn't build recall.
Reddit, forums: r/poker, 2+2, etc. Mix of good advice and noise. Use for discussion, not as your main study plan.
Spreadsheets: Some players copy solver output into Google Sheets. It works for storage. No training, no feedback. Fine if you're organized and disciplined. Most people aren't.
Tight budget: Equilab (free) + FreeRangeLab free tier + whatever tracking your site gives you. Add a cheap course or free content if you need concepts. Upgrade FreeRangeLab to Pro when you're serious about retention.
Medium budget ($30-50/mo): GTO+ or HRC (one-time) + FreeRangeLab Pro + PokerTracker or HM (one-time). Solver for your own spots, trainer for memorization, tracker for reality check. Skip coaching subscriptions unless you're brand new.
High budget: PioSolver + GTO Wizard ($49/mo) or FreeRangeLab Elite + PT4/HM3. Full stack. Add a coaching site if you want structure. At this point you're investing. Make sure you're actually using the tools.
If you're overspending, cut coaching before tools. Most coaching is passive. Trainers and trackers are active. A month of FreeRangeLab Pro with real usage beats a year of course videos you half-watch.
Cut GTO Wizard if you only need preflop. FreeRangeLab or FreeBetRange at $19 does that job.
Cut equity calculators if you have a solver. Pio and GTO+ include equity functions. Equilab is free; use it for quick checks.
The study stack that works: solver (or someone else's output) + range trainer with spaced repetition + tracker. Everything else is optional. Prioritize tools that give you feedback and retention. That's why I recommend FreeRangeLab as the range trainer. It's built for the "get it into your head" step, which most players skip.
Pick one thing from each category. Use it for a month. Then add or swap. Don't collect subscriptions. Use them.
A final note on free vs paid. Free tools exist. Equilab, free range charts, FreeRangeLab's free tier, YouTube. You can get pretty far on $0. The question is whether paid tools save you time. If you're studying 5 hours a week and a $19/mo trainer cuts your "forgetting curve" in half, that's worth it. If you're studying 30 minutes a month, maybe not. Match the investment to the commitment.
One more category I didn't give its own section: hand history review tools. Flopzilla Pro, GTO+ replayer, or the replayer inside PokerTracker. They let you run through hands and analyze decisions. Useful for postflop. Less relevant for preflop training, which is mostly about memorizing ranges. If you're building a full study stack and already have a solver, the solver's replayer often suffices. Don't buy a separate tool unless you've hit a wall.
Last thing: your study stack should fit your playing format. Cash players need different ranges than tournament players. 6-max differs from 9-handed. Make sure your solver, trainer, and any pre-made content actually cover what you play. A lot of default content is 100bb 6-max cash. If you're playing 20bb tournaments, that's the wrong baseline. Check before you commit.
Master your preflop ranges.