just to give you some perspective ----- I used to have a 24ft AG pool and now I have a 27ft AG. When it was time to replace my pump several years back, Poconos (used to be one of the other moderators here on the forum) picked out which one I should buy because he was more knowledgeable about that than me. He selected a 1/2hp full-rated inground pump for my AG pool and it is plenty powerful enough. Inground pumps are generally more sturdy than AG pumps are and are self-priming which is wonderful. (Sometimes AG pumps are a hassle to get and keep primed.) I have it paired with a 300lb sand filter.

(We OFTEN see AG pools with pumps that are too big paired with sand filters that are too small and the pump simply forces debris through the sand bed giving virtually no filtering.)