Course Hero is an online learning platform where students can access study materials and get homework help. It was founded in 2006 by Andrew Grauer. The site offers course-specific notes, practice problems, and 24/7 tutoring support to help students learn. In this article, we review Course Hero’s features and costs, examine user feedback, and compare it to similar services. Our goal is to help students and parents decide if Course Hero is worth it.
Course Hero Reviews and Testimonials
Public reviews of Course Hero are mixed. On review sites like Trustpilot and Sitejabber, Course Hero scores are low (around 2/5 on Trustpilot and 1.3/5 on SiteJabber. Hundreds of users complain about inaccurate answers and billing issues. For example, one user says most answers on Course Hero are “completely incompetent” or wrong. Another review mentions difficulty contacting support and getting refunds.
However, some students praise Course Hero’s resources. A Capterra review gave 5 stars, calling it “invaluable” for finding study guides for almost all classes. The student said Course Hero helped boost their grades and found the site user-friendly. Even if some users love its large library of notes and solutions, many others warn that answer quality can be poor.
Is Course Hero legit?
Yes. Course Hero is a real education company (founded 2006 by Andrew Grauer with a vast library of study resources (tens of millions of documents). It is not a scam, but it does have pros and cons. Many reviews warn that answer quality is inconsistent and that the service can be expensive. In short, it is legitimate, but users should be cautious about the downsides.
Course Hero Pricing
Pricing Range
Course Hero offers both free and paid plans. Basic (free) membership allows very limited access. For full access, students usually buy a Premier subscription. A Premier membership includes up to 30 document unlocks and up to 40 tutor questions per period. Prices depend on plan length. For example, a 1-month plan is about $39.99 (for up to 10 questions), a 3-month plan is ~$59.85 ($19.95/month for 20 questions), and a 12-month plan is ~$119.40 ($9.95/month for 40 questions). All fees are in USD.
What students say about Course Hero Pricing
Many students find Course Hero expensive. Some forum posts note that the monthly fee (~$40) is steep if you only need occasional help. Several complaints mention unexpected charges. For example, one student reported being charged again after canceling, writing “they won’t quit… I don’t have $100 to throw away on trash”. Others say the subscription is good value if used heavily, but wasted money if they sign up and barely use it. Overall, review sites often list cost as a major con.
Hidden Costs
Beyond the subscription, extra fees can add up. Course Hero charges $3 for each additional tutor question beyond your plan. Unused question credits and unlocks expire at the end of the billing cycle and are not refunded. There is no pro-rated refund for partway cancellation. Also, remember that prices are shown in USD (taxes may apply in some regions), so overseas users may pay more. In practice, some users feel like hidden costs are built in by the strict limits on usage.
How pricing works
Course Hero plans auto-renew until canceled. When you sign up for a Premier plan, you pay immediately and get access for the period. At the end of the term, the subscription automatically renews at the same rate. You must cancel through your account settings to stop future payments. The platform accepts major credit or debit cards and PayPal. There are no penalties for canceling, but you lose any remaining credits at renewal.
Free Trial
Course Hero does not offer a traditional free trial of the paid service. New users only get the 2 free Questions (for tutors) and limited document uploads. To see any full solutions or use more questions beyond that, you must pay. The Basic membership is free but grants almost no direct access (it mainly lets you earn unlocks by uploading your own notes). Occasionally the site may run promotions, but there is no automatic multi-day trial.
Refund Policy
There is no clear money-back guarantee. Officially, you must contact support to see if you qualify for a refund. In practice, many users report trouble. Complaints on review sites describe unhelpful responses or no response at all from support when trying to cancel or refund. In short, assume that canceling stops future charges, but refunds for past charges are not guaranteed.
Course Hero Alternatives
Chegg
Chegg Study is a popular alternative. It provides step-by-step textbook solutions and homework help. Chegg’s basic Study plan is $15.95/month (in USD), and the Study Pack with extra features (like a plagiarism checker and writing help) is $19.95/month. Chegg no longer offers live 1-on-1 tutoring (their “Experts” answer questions in writing). Chegg also rents textbooks. In summary, Chegg offers similar help for a lower price, but it has fewer tutor questions per subscription and is more limited in scope.
Quizlet
Quizlet is more of a study tool than a Q&A site. It uses flashcards, practice tests, and games. The free version has many features; Quizlet Plus (premium) costs $7.99/month (or $35.99/year). Quizlet does not connect you with tutors or answer new questions; it helps you study content already on the platform. It is much cheaper than Course Hero, but it does not provide homework help answers or expert explanations.
Brainly
Brainly is an online homework help community. Users ask questions and other students or tutors answer. Basic use is free (with ads). Brainly Plus (ad-free and with unlimited answers) costs around $3/month or $39/year. Answer quality can vary since the community answers. Brainly is useful for quick school-level questions and is much cheaper, but it lacks the broad curated library and guaranteed accuracy of a paid service like Course Hero.
Studypool
Studypool is a Q&A marketplace. Students post questions and set a budget, and tutors bid to answer. You pay only for the question answered. In practice, most questions cost $10–$20, plus a service fee. Studypool can be cheaper if you only need occasional answers. However, there are far fewer study documents (it focuses on Q&A only), and tutor quality varies. It’s more flexible pricing but less comprehensive than Course Hero.
StuDocu
StuDocu is a document-sharing platform. Students upload and download study notes, lecture slides, and guides. To download many files, you need a Premium subscription (quarterly or annual, price depends on your currency, roughly $8–$10 per month if billed annually). Free users are very limited. StuDocu has lots of peer notes for many courses, so it can replace Course Hero’s notes library. But it has no tutor help, so it’s only a partial alternative.
My Engineering Buddy
My Engineering Buddy (MEB) is a global tutoring platform with over 100 subjects, focused on STEM (engineering, math, physics, etc.). It connects students to human tutors. Pricing is per hour: sessions start around $20/hour. There are no subscriptions. Compared to Course Hero, MEB has fewer documents and no crowdsourced answers, but it offers personalized help and transparent pricing. Course Hero has a larger library and 24/7 Q&A, while MEB provides on-demand tutoring with vetted tutors. For many students, MEB’s live sessions may feel more reliable than Course Hero’s mixed content.
How it Works?
For Students
Students create a free Course Hero account and get two free Questions for tutor help (valid 30 days). They can then browse the library of millions of study resources or ask their own homework questions. To ask a question, students use their available Questions (from the free trial or subscription). A qualified tutor in that subject will answer it, typically within hours. There is no appointment or scheduling needed; the 24/7 help is on-demand. Students pay using either a paid membership (which grants a bundle of questions) or by buying extra Questions ($3 each).
For Tutors
To become a tutor on Course Hero, you sign up here. You fill in your profile, list the subjects you can tutor, and upload an ID and academic credentials. Course Hero reviews your application (often in a few days). Once approved, you start seeing student questions in your subjects. Tutors answer questions in writing (no voice or video needed) at any time they are available. Each answered question earns a small fee. Course Hero claims top tutors can earn up to $1,500 per month, but pay is per question (around $1–$4 each).
FAQs About Course Hero
How does Course Hero compare to My Engineering Buddy?
Both are online learning services, but they work differently. Course Hero offers a subscription to access study materials and get answers to a fixed number of questions per month. My Engineering Buddy connects you directly to human tutors in 100+ subjects, charging by the hour (from about $20/hr). In general, Course Hero has a vast document library and on-demand help, while MEB focuses on personalized tutoring. Reviews suggest MEB tutors are vetted, whereas many Course Hero answers can be unreliable.
Can tutors set their own fee?
No! Course Hero pays tutors a flat rate per answered question. Tutors cannot set or negotiate fees. Typical pay per question is a few dollars (approximately $2 base). Your earnings depend on how many questions you answer.
How much can a tutor earn? Course Hero states that top tutors can earn $1,500+ per month. In reality, earnings vary widely. Since pay is per question (roughly $1–$4 each), a tutor would need to answer hundreds of questions to reach that level. Many tutors report much lower earnings unless they handle a large volume of student questions.
How many hours of work per month? There are no fixed hours. Tutors work whenever they want. Some tutors answer questions a few hours per week; others spend 20+ hours per week if they take on many questions. Essentially, your hours depend on how many questions you choose to answer.
Is it easy to get students? Questions are posted 24/7, so there is always work available. However, new tutors may need time to build a reputation. The platform often routes easier questions to active tutors. Many tutors say you must answer promptly and correctly to get regular questions. Some reports indicate that after tutors earn some money, their accounts were suddenly limited or suspended. So while questions are plentiful, the experience can vary.
Tips to get more students: Complete your profile fully and list all your subjects. Answer questions quickly and thoroughly to build a good rating. Be online during peak hours. Uploading useful study documents can earn you extra credits (Questions) to ask. Being active and helpful is the best way to see more student questions.
What tutors like or dislike about Course Hero? Tutors like the flexibility of working anytime and earning extra money. They can use just a computer and internet without scheduling. The main dislikes are the low pay per answer and unreliable support. Many tutors say customer service is nearly non-existent, and some have had accounts suspended with no explanation. In short, they appreciate the convenience but often criticize the compensation and support.
Course Hero Company Information
Course Hero is an American educational technology company based in Redwood City, California. It was founded in October 2006 by Andrew Grauer. (Another co-founder was Gregor Carrigan.) The company’s mission is to help students “graduate confident and prepared”. Course Hero has grown globally, with services used by students worldwide. As of 2021, the platform claimed over 70 million study resources in its library. Course Hero is owned by Learneo, Inc., which also owns services like the Symbolab math solver. The company has raised significant venture funding and is valued above $1 billion.
USP of Course Hero
Course Hero’s unique selling points are its large, crowdsourced content library and on-demand help. It boasts tens of millions of user-uploaded documents (notes, exams, essays, solved problems) that students can access by contributing or subscribing. The site also offers features like step-by-step textbook solutions, practice quizzes, and even AI-powered tools (e.g. a “Chat with PDF” feature). These aim to make studying efficient and to cover many subjects in one place.
However, reviews suggest the reality doesn’t always meet the hype. Many users report that answer quality is inconsistent. Complaints mention plagiarized or incorrect answers with some frequency. In marketing, Course Hero promises expert help, but user feedback indicates weak quality control. Despite this gap, the platform’s strength remains its scale: few competitors match its breadth of materials and round-the-clock access.
Drawbacks of Course Hero
Based on user feedback, the main drawbacks include: expensive pricing, inconsistent answer quality, and poor support. Many students say answers on the site are often wrong or irrelevant. This undermines trust in the service. Additionally, customer service is almost non-existent; users describe it as “deceptive” or automated. Other concerns include aggressive billing practices and the potential academic integrity issues (using these resources may violate school policies).
Comparison with My Engineering Buddy
Course Hero and My Engineering Buddy both serve students but in different ways. Course Hero covers all subjects with crowdsourced Q&A and a huge library. My Engineering Buddy is specialized in STEM (over 100 subjects) and provides one-on-one tutoring. Course Hero uses a subscription with limited questions; MEB charges hourly and is pay-as-you-go. Reviews indicate MEB tutors tend to be vetted and of higher quality, whereas Course Hero’s content can be hit-or-miss. In terms of pricing, a very active user might spend more on per-hour tutoring, but they also get guaranteed expert help.
Customer Support and Policies
Course Hero’s official support is primarily via email and an online help center. There is no public support phone number. Memberships auto-renew by default, and refunds are only possible if requested and approved by support. Many users find the support system frustrating. complaints include unhelpful automated replies and lack of response when issues arise. In short, the policies favor the company: you must cancel to avoid charges, and customer service is limited.
Global Reach and Localization
Course Hero is used worldwide. The website supports English and has a Spanish version (Course Hero Español) for Spanish-speaking . Its content comes from students globally, but most contributors are in the U.S. and other English-speaking countries. Prices are shown in local currencies based on location. My Engineering Buddy likewise serves students internationally, with support in multiple time zones, but neither platform offers extensive localization beyond a few major languages.
Course Hero’s Future Plans
Course Hero is expanding its AI and educational initiatives. In 2024 it launched an “AI Academy,” a training program for educators on using AI in the classroom.
For students, it now offers AI-powered study tools like “Chat with PDF” (which lets you
upload any document and ask questions about it). The company also runs community programs like its Hero Student Scholarships and the College Grit awards to support struggling students. On the business side, Course Hero has acquired other learning tools (such as LitCharts and Symbolab) to broaden its offerings.
Conclusion
Course Hero offers a massive library of study materials and 24/7 help, which can be very useful for students. However, it also has notable drawbacks: high cost, uneven content quality, and poor customer service. College students and families should weigh these factors carefully. Course Hero is legitimate, but many find its downsides frustrating. As a result, some students turn to alternatives like My Engineering Buddy. MEB provides vetted tutors and clear pricing, making it a solid alternative.
