Numerade Reviews, Alternatives, Pricing, & Offerings in 2025

Numerade is an online learning platform focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) help for college and high school students. It was founded in 2018 by Nhon Ma and Alex Lee. Numerade offers step-by-step video solutions to homework problems and a 24/7 Q&A feature answered by educators. This article reviews Numerade’s service in 2025, comparing it to other tutoring platforms to help students and parents choose the best option.

Numerade Reviews and Testimonials

Online reviews of Numerade are mixed or negative. For example, Trustpilot shows about 389 reviews at ~2.9/5 stars, and PissedConsumer lists 205 reviews at 1.2/5 stars. Common complaints include billing and cancellation problems (e.g. hidden charges after trial), slow support, and mixed answer quality. Reddit and forum posts echo these issues: one student warned they paid $179.88 after trying to cancel during a free trial, and another said requests to cancel were ignored. Sitejabber has few Numerade reviews, but the themes are similar. In contrast, Numerade’s own site features positive testimonials and success stories. Independent reviewers note the platform does provide real academic help and is not a “fake” service, but many users feel the billing practices are unfair.

Is Numerade legit? Yes, Numerade is a real company (often cited in edtech news and interviews) and it delivers genuine STEM content. A review site confirms Numerade “provides academic assistance” and is not inherently fraudulent. However, the consensus among students is cautious: Numerade is legitimate as a tutoring tool but has customer-service problems. In summary, Numerade’s learning content is real, but the user experience suffers from billing and support issues.

Numerade Pricing

Pricing Range

Numerade offers a 7-day free trial, then paid subscriptions. The plans (as of 2025) are: a $3/day pass, $7.99/week, $29.99/month, or $95.40/year (about $7.95 per month). All plans give the same access to Numerade’s content library (no subject-level price differences). The annual plan is the cheapest per month. (These figures are from Numerade’s official pricing info.)

What Students Say About Numerade Pricing

Many students find Numerade’s plans expensive for what they get. Review forums note that the price is “high” compared to other study tools. For comparison, a Chegg Study subscription is about $19.95/month, and Course Hero plans can be around $10–$20/month. Numerade’s $29.99 monthly cost is above those, so some users feel it is overpriced. In reviews, students often cite the cost along with issues like billing – for example, one Redditor warned that Numerade’s trial automatically charged them hundreds of dollars. In short, Numerade’s pricing is higher than some industry averages, and users report receiving little leniency on payments.

Hidden Costs

Numerade claims no extra fees beyond the subscription, but many users experience hidden costs via failed cancellations. Students report that even after cancelling, Numerade continued charging monthly fees. In practice, the “cost trap” is that you must cancel carefully and in the right place, or the subscription renews. Numerade’s site shows you can cancel in your account settings, but multiple reports say the cancellation process is confusing or ignored. There are no official add-ons or extra services, but the hidden expense comes from being billed unexpectedly. (Note: Numerade states subscriptions are “generally non-refundable”, so once charged you usually cannot recover that money.)

How Numerade’s Pricing Works

Numerade uses a subscription model with automatic renewal. After your 7-day trial, you are billed in advance on the cycle you chose (weekly, monthly or annually). Payments require a credit card; you can cancel online via your account profile (Profile > Billing > Cancel). If you cancel before the period ends, you will not be billed again. Discounts come only through longer terms: for example, the annual plan effectively gives 73% off per month compared to paying $29.99 monthly. Occasionally Numerade (or partners) offers promo codes or sales, but these are not guaranteed. Overall, it’s “all-you-can-use” STEM content for a flat fee, rather than pay-per-question.

Free Trial

Numerade provides a 7-day free trial to all new users. You sign up with an account and payment info, and get full access to videos, flashcards, Q&A (“Ask”), bootcamps, etc., during the trial. It’s important to cancel before day 8 if you don’t want to pay. Numerade’s sign-up page and help center explicitly warn: click “Continue” to start the trial, and if you do not cancel in 7 days, your chosen plan will begin billing. The site also shows your trial end date clearly in your account settings. Many complaints come from users who missed this detail and got charged.

Refund Policy

Officially, Numerade’s subscriptions are non-refundable after purchase. Their terms say that after the free trial ends and you are billed, “plans are … generally non-refundable” and will auto-renew. In practice, users report that requesting refunds is almost never successful. For example, one complaint describes Numerade refusing to issue any refund after accidental billing, and another student noted “they say they don’t do refunds”. The Help Center suggests contacting support if you have issues, but many students find Numerade’s policy strict. The bottom line: treat any payment as final unless you cancel before renewal.

Numerade Alternatives

• Chegg (www.chegg.com): A major homework-help site and textbook rental company. Chegg Study offers textbook solutions and expert Q&A in STEM and other subjects. As of 2020, Chegg had ~2.9 million subscribers. Plans start around $14.95–$19.95/month. Chegg also has one-on-one tutoring (Chegg Tutors) at pay-per-hour rates. It covers a wide range of subjects and has a large user base. Prices are somewhat lower than Numerade’s, and cancellation tends to be straightforward. (Note: Chegg has faced academic integrity controversies, but it is widely used and offers more transparent billing.)
• Course Hero (www.coursehero.com): An online learning platform (founded 2006) where students share and buy study materials. It has millions of study documents (notes, guides, step-by-step solutions) and a tutor Q&A section. Students pay via subscription or by uploading content. Course Hero costs about $10–$20 per month depending on plan, often cheaper on long-term plans. Unlike Numerade’s custom videos, Course Hero content is crowdsourced from users and tutors. It covers more subjects beyond STEM (including humanities). As of early 2010s it had 158,000 paid subscribers (now likely more). Course Hero is popular but also gets complaints about plagiarized content and pricing.
• Wyzant (www.wyzant.com): A tutoring marketplace (founded 2005) that connects students with live tutors in 300+ subjects. It’s mainly US-based, with over 2 million registered users reported by 2014. Students search tutors by subject and pay by the hour (typical rates ~$30–$60+ per hour). Wyzant does not provide video answers or a content library; instead it offers live one-on-one tutoring online or in person. It has a “Good Fit Guarantee” and lets users leave tutor reviews. The cost per session is higher than Numerade’s flat fee, but it offers guaranteed tutor quality. This platform suits students who need interactive help rather than pre-made solutions.
• Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org): A nonprofit educational site offering thousands of free video lessons and exercises. Founded in 2006, Khan Academy covers math, science, computing, history, and more. All content is free and nonprofit-funded. Students use it to learn and practice skills at their own pace. There is no live tutoring or Q&A feature—just on-demand videos and quizzes. While not a direct paid tutoring service like Numerade, it is an alternative for students looking for guided lessons without cost. Khan Academy has videos for K-12 and early college topics (including calculus and physics) and is available globally in multiple languages.
• My Engineering Buddy (MEB, www.myengineeringbuddy.com): A specialized tutoring service (founded 2008, India-based) focused on engineering and advanced math help. MEB offers live online tutoring, assignment help, test prep, and lab/project support to students in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and the Gulf. They stress high-quality tutors and claim 97% student satisfaction, serving over 10,000 students in 15 years. Pricing is premium (tutors are paid well), so sessions cost more than DIY sites. MEB is often praised for personalized help in difficult courses (like mechanical, civil, electrical engineering). It is a very different model than Numerade: MEB is one-on-one and custom, while Numerade is self-service video content. For tough STEM subjects, MEB is seen by some as a better alternative despite higher cost.

How it Works?

For Students

Students begin by signing up on Numerade’s website. After creating a free account, you choose a subscription plan and provide payment details to start the 7-day trial. Once logged in, you have access to the full platform. You can search by subject or textbook to watch existing video solutions. A key feature is “Ask Our Educators”: you can post your own homework question anytime, and a Numerade tutor (educator) will later create and post a custom video answer. There is no scheduled tutoring session; you simply wait for the answer video (turnaround may be hours to days). Numerade also offers free online bootcamps (short courses in subjects like Calculus or Physics) taught by educators. In summary, Numerade for students is a mostly asynchronous service: pay for all-access, then get self-help videos and the option to “ask” a question without live scheduling.

For Tutors

Tutors on Numerade (called “educators”) apply through the Numerade website. The sign-up process is: enter your info in the educator form, select the subject(s) you’ll teach, and record a short (1–3 minute) sample video solving a math/science problem. Numerade reviews this sample; if it meets their quality standards, you sign a tutor contract and start earning. Once approved, tutors browse available problems (textbook questions or student questions) and record video solutions at their own pace. Each video requires a whiteboard/tablet setup and can take many minutes to produce.

Payment is per video. Reports from tutors say rates vary by subject: for example, videos in chemistry, physics or calculus might pay $1.50–$2.00 each, while math problems pay less. One tutor noted earning $3.50 for a physics video (which took 30–60 minutes). Some tutors have reported even lower pay (around $0.75/video) in weaker-paying categories. Numerade also runs bonus programs (extra pay for batches or featured videos).

• Pros: Flexible hours (you record whenever you want), work from home, pick subjects you like.
• Cons: No guaranteed pay; low effective hourly rate if you record many minutes per video, and you must provide your own equipment. You are an independent contractor, and some tutors have criticized the pay and changing commission structure.

To apply as a tutor, visit Numerade’s Educator page (numerade.com/educators) numerade.com and submit your information and sample video.

FAQs About Numerade

• How does Numerade compare to My Engineering Buddy (MEB)? Numerade is a large self-service video solution site for all STEM topics; MEB is a smaller on-demand tutoring service focused on engineering and science. Numerade offers instant access to thousands of videos and 24/7 Q&A help, but often has impersonal support. MEB provides live 1-on-1 help with tutors (especially in tough subjects like mechanical or electrical engineering) and boasts a 97% satisfaction rate among its students. In short, Numerade is cheaper and broad, while MEB is more expensive and personalized for difficult engineering courses.
• What is Numerade’s cancellation or refund policy? Numerade subscriptions auto-renew monthly or yearly and are “generally non-refundable”. You can cancel at any time via your account settings, but Numerade will not refund the money already paid. Many users report that failing to cancel properly led to extra charges. Always cancel before the end of your billing period if you do not want another payment.
• How much does Numerade cost? As described above, plans are $3/day, $7.99/week, $29.99/month, or $95.40/year. A free 7-day trial is included. Compared to competitors, Numerade’s monthly price is on the high side (Chegg Study is ~$19.95/mo). Students often mention the cost as a drawback in reviews.
• How much do tutors earn on Numerade? Tutors are paid per video solution. Exact rates vary by subject and over time, but reports indicate around $1–$5 per video. Higher-level subjects and student-asked questions pay more. One tutor reported $3.50 for a video requiring 30–60 minutes work, which is much less than typical hourly wages. Another reported only ~$0.75 per video. There is no salary or hourly guarantee. Earnings depend on volume of videos you can produce and any bonus incentives Numerade offers.
• What qualifications do I need to tutor on Numerade? Numerade seeks people with strong STEM backgrounds. Typical educators are college professors, teachers, grad students, or experienced tutors in math, physics, chemistry, engineering, etc.. Numerade will test your knowledge and presentation skills via the video interview. Having advanced coursework or teaching experience helps you pass their review.
• How do I apply to become a Numerade tutor? To become a Numerade educator, go to the Numerade Educator sign-up page on their website (numerade.com/educators). You enter your details, select your subject, and upload a short sample video solving a problem. If Numerade approves your sample, they send you a contract and you can start creating videos for pay.

Numerade Company Information

Founded: 2019 in California by Nhon Ma and Alex Lee. Mission: To make high-quality STEM education affordable and personalized for students everywhere. They say they aim to “close the educational opportunity gap” by giving students access to top educators and content. Global Reach: Numerade is based in the US (Pasadena/Santa Monica area) but serves students worldwide. It claims millions of users (some sources say over 15–20 million students served through the platform). Content is primarily in English, and the platform is available via web and app globally.

Services & Subjects: Numerade offers a large library of short video solutions (over 1.2 million videos made by ~30,000 educators). Subjects cover all major STEM fields: math (calculus, algebra, statistics), physics, chemistry, biology, engineering topics, economics, etc. It also provides homework Q&A, study sets, flashcards, and exam/notes prep. They run free Bootcamp courses for exam prep and interactive quizzes. Recently they integrated machine learning to recommend personalized videos to each student.

USP of Numerade

Numerade’s selling points are its massive on-demand content and expert tutors. It claims “the world’s largest” STEM video library. Students get 24/7 access to thousands of educators to answer questions. The platform is app-based with digital whiteboard solutions, quizzes, and videos. Numerade highlights that it offers top-ranked STEM PhDs and instructors teaching via step-by-step videos. According to founders, the mission is to make top-quality education affordable for all students. Many users like that you can learn on your own schedule and find answers for a wide range of problems without waiting for a scheduled tutor. These features – huge content, anytime help, and innovative AI-driven recommendations – are Numerade’s main USPs.

Drawbacks of Numerade

Despite its promise, Numerade has notable drawbacks. The most common issues are its business policies and content reliability. Users frequently report that Numerade’s subscription is hard to cancel and that the company may ignore cancellation emails, leading to unwanted charges. Customer support is often seen as unresponsive – billing complaints on Reddit and BBB are common. Reviewers also say Numerade’s refund policy is strict (“non-refundable” subscriptions). On the content side, because tutors are paid low per video, the quality of answers can vary. Some students received incorrect or incomplete solutions, and bootcamp videos may be too brief. In summary: Numerade offers powerful tools, but many users cite hidden fees, poor service, and question some tutors’ explanations.

Comparison with My Engineering Buddy

My Engineering Buddy (MEB) is one of Numerade’s main alternatives, especially for engineering students. MEB specializes in live tutoring and homework help for engineering and advanced STEM subjects. As a result, their approach is different: MEB provides personalized 1-on-1 sessions (often via video call or chat) and assignment assistance. Numerade, by contrast, is mostly self-paced video Q&A. MEB’s tutors earn higher hourly rates and give direct explanations, which students like for tough topics. MEB’s LinkedIn profile notes they’ve served over 10,000 students with a 97% satisfaction rate. Numerade’s model is broader and cheaper: access to content anytime. In practice, students say MEB is best if you need deep help in a challenging course (mechanical, electrical engineering, etc.), whereas Numerade is good for on-the-fly help and review. Each has pros and cons, but MEB’s focus on quality pay and difficult subjects makes it a strong competitor for Numerade.

Customer Support and Policies

Numerade provides online help articles and email support. They claim a “Student Success” team will respond within 24 hours of requests. In reality, many user reports say support is slow or unhelpful, especially for billing issues. Numerade’s refund policy is harsh: no refunds on subscriptions. MEB, on the other hand, highlights its supportive service. A LinkedIn post from MEB mentions a “positive and supportive environment” for tutors, with flexible scheduling and competitive pay. In short, Numerade’s student support is mostly automated/help center, while MEB emphasizes personal attention. Neither company offers a formal money-back guarantee beyond its stated policies. From user feedback, MEB seems more responsive (via WhatsApp and email) for student queries than Numerade.

Global Reach and Localization

Numerade is headquartered in California and serves students globally. It reported having over 15 million users worldwide. Its materials are primarily in English, and the app/site interface is English-only. Numerade does not advertise support for other languages. My Engineering Buddy, based in India, also serves a global student base: it lists active work in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Middle East. MEB’s tutors often speak English (and possibly other languages if needed), but their platform is also English-focused. Neither service has strong localization features like multi-language courses. Both rely on internet access: Numerade has iOS/Android apps for study on the go, while MEB uses video calls and messaging. In summary, both platforms reach students around the world but remain English-centric.

Numerade’s Future Plans

Numerade is investing in AI and expansion. In 2024 it raised funding to develop an AI-powered tutor. The CEO said this will let Numerade reach “millions more students” by offering personalized lessons. They combine an AI algorithm with real educators: the AI recommends the “right videos” for each learner and adapts content to student needs. Also, Numerade continues to build its content library (they claim over 1.2M STEM videos and 30k educators as of 2024). Free bootcamps and interactive courses (especially for test prep) are being expanded. Overall, Numerade’s roadmap focuses on new tech (AI lesson planning, quizzes) and scaling access, while aiming to maintain teacher quality. They hope to stay affordable, but also leverage machine learning to stand out in the tutoring market.

FAQs About Numerade

• How does Numerade compare to My Engineering Buddy? Numerade is a video-based tutoring site for many STEM subjects, while My Engineering Buddy (MEB) offers live 1-on-1 help for engineering courses. Numerade is more affordable and self-paced; MEB is more expensive but provides personalized attention. MEB has high satisfaction (97% of 10,000+ students), and is often preferred for very challenging subjects like mechanical or electrical engineering. Numerade is better if you want instant access to a large video library and flexible study at home.
• What is Numerade’s cancellation or refund policy? All Numerade plans auto-renew until you cancel. The company’s official policy is that subscriptions (monthly or annual) are non-refundable after purchase. You can cancel anytime in your account’s Billing section. In practice, if you forget to cancel, Numerade will charge you and will not refund that payment. Always cancel at least one day before the next billing date if you want to avoid a charge.
• How much does Numerade cost? Numerade offers a free 7-day trial, then paid plans. A typical pricing breakdown is $3 per day, $7.99 weekly, $29.99 monthly, or $95.40 yearly (about $7.95/mo). This covers all content in any subject. Compared to competitors, Numerade’s monthly price is relatively high (for example, Chegg Study is ~$19.95/mo). However, Numerade includes unlimited access to all its features.
• How much can a tutor earn on Numerade? Tutors are paid per video solution. Rates vary by subject, but reports indicate roughly $1–$5 per video. For example, one tutor noted earning $3.50 for a physics solution video (taking 30–60 minutes). Because of the time required, that is only about $3–$5 per hour, below standard tutoring rates. Another said some simple problems paid only $0.75 per video. Overall, Numerade pays modest rates, so tutors must create many videos to earn significant money.
• What qualifications do I need to tutor on Numerade? You should have strong STEM expertise. Numerade looks for educators like college professors, teachers, or graduate students in math, engineering, physics, chemistry, etc.. They will test your knowledge via a sample video. Having advanced coursework or teaching experience in your subject will help you get approved.
• How do I become a tutor on Numerade? Go to Numerade’s Educator sign-up page and fill out the application form. You will choose a subject and upload a short (1–3 minute) example video showing a problem solution. Numerade will review your video; if it meets their standards, they send you a contract and you can start earning. (Since they currently mention they may pause new sign-ups, check their site for availability.)

Conclusion

In summary, Numerade offers strengths and weaknesses. Its strengths are the vast STEM content library, on-demand expert help, and flexible subscription access. It provides real solutions and can help students understand difficult concepts. However, many users report serious issues: hidden charges, difficult cancellations, and mediocre tutor pay. Customer support and refunds are lacking, making it unreliable for some. In comparison, My Engineering Buddy stands out as a strong alternative for in-depth tutoring. MEB’s focus on engineering and its high tutor pay translates to better personalized help (students there rate it 5 stars and 97% satisfaction). While Numerade is useful for general, self-guided help, any student (or parent) should weigh these pros/cons. In 2025, Numerade remains a useful video homework tool, but for rigorous, tough subjects and more dependable service, many prefer MEB or other live tutoring options. Always compare pricing, policies, and teaching style before choosing.

Sources: Information compiled from Numerade’s website and help center, user reviews on Trustpilot, Reddit, and complaint sites, as well as news and LinkedIn for company data.