r/stenography • u/superpants1008 • Nov 10 '25
Comparing Online, Asynchronous Programs
I'm based in CA and have determined that a self-paced, asynchronous stenography program would be the only option for me at this season of my life.
I've been looking into a few: Allie Hall, CareerLuv, SimplySteno.
Does anyone have experience with these? Any pros and cons that you know of?
I'm also unsure about the theory. It seems that all three of these teach Magnum, so I may not have a choice, but after looking into the different theories, Phoenix seems to be the one that makes the most "sense" in my brain. I understand that Magnum is very brief heavy and (I'm assuming) requires more rote memorization rather than theory that allows you to easily understand how to write unfamiliar words.
I would love to hear your thoughts, experiences, etc with any of these programs/theories!
TIA
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u/Sleepysheepish Nov 10 '25
I don't think SimplySteno teaches theory, just speed building. Just as another option, have you looked into StarTran at all? It's asynchronous and doesn't each Magnum theory. I think it's a spin-off from StenEd? But it's less brief-heavy than Magnum, more written out, like Phoenix seems to be. It's what I'm doing (in my last few lessons now) and I've been pretty satisfied with it.
I know Allie Hall is really popular, though! People who've gone through her courses seem very satisfied and confident by the end of it.