Paper.co is an online tutoring platform offering 24/7 academic support for K–12 students. It provides unlimited one-on-one tutoring and writing feedback (often at no cost to families). The company cites usage by 300 million students with about 90% user satisfaction. In this article, we analyze Paper.co’s user reviews, pricing, top alternatives (including My Engineering Buddy), and key features for 2025.
Paper.co Reviews and Testimonials
User feedback on Paper.co is limited but mixed. On Trustpilot, only 2 reviews exist (avg ~3/5), offering little insight. On forums and school news, experiences vary widely. For example, a student journalist reported that one freshman found Paper’s feedback “very helpful” with “positive feedback and constructive criticism”. In contrast, another student complained that tutors kept giving wrong answers and “kept getting bounced around” between tutors. Tutors on Reddit express frustration: one wrote “Paper is far from perfect” and noted being forced to help 7 students at once. A high school teacher on Reddit said her student was switched among four tutors in one session, blaming Paper’s failure to deliver true one-to-one help. These testimonials highlight common themes: fast, always-on access is appreciated, but quality and personalization can be uneven.
The question often asked is: Is Paper.co legit? Based on these reviews, Paper.co is not a scam – it is a real, widely-used service. For instance, Paper’s own materials describe it as helping all students “shine in school and beyond”. However, the mixed feedback suggests users should have realistic expectations. In summary, Paper.co is legitimate, but reviews caution that tutoring quality and consistency may not always meet the advertised one-on-one promise.
Paper.co Pricing
Pricing Range
Paper.co’s pricing is school-based, not per student. There are no publicly listed hourly or per-subject rates. Instead, schools pay a fixed annual fee per student for unlimited access. For example, one district paid about $30.79 per student per year, covering 24/7 tutoring for that student. All prices are in USD. Paper’s own pricing page emphasizes an “unlimited 24/7” model at a fixed cost, so students don’t see hourly charges.
What Students Say About Pricing
Students generally don’t pay directly, so pricing seldom comes up. Paper is free for students through school programs. We found no student complaints about fees on Reddit or Quora. One Reddit post mentioned that tutors earn around $20/hr, implying the service is valuable. In short, families get unlimited help without extra charges. Paper’s FAQ explicitly says it offers tutoring “at no cost to families”}, which matches the lack of fee-related comments online.
Hidden Costs
There are no reported hidden fees for students. Paper’s model means usage spikes incur no extra cost. There are no add-on or registration fees for families, since all costs are handled by the district subscription. We saw no evidence of surprise charges in reviews, consistent with Paper’s promise of “no additional costs” as usage grows.
How Pricing Works
School districts typically contract with Paper and pay via purchase orders or subscriptions; students do not sign up or pay individually. Some regions use education consortia to simplify pricing (for example, Illinois’ West 40 network negotiated Paper contracts for many districts). From a student’s view, there are no promo codes or payments: they simply log in when their school provides access. Paper’s payment arrangements are entirely B2B (school-level).
Free Trial
Paper.co does not offer a separate free trial. Once a district adopts Paper, all students gain full access immediately. The service is designed to be “on-demand, 24/7, 365 days a year”, so students effectively have continuous use rather than a trial period. We found no references to trial offers, as Paper’s model provides instant unlimited support through the school partnership.
Refund Policy
Since Paper.co is paid by schools, not individual users, there is no student refund policy. We found no official statement on refunds. In practice, families have no transactions with Paper (the district subscription covers everything), so no refunds have been requested. Any contract changes (like a district canceling Paper) would be handled at the institution level, not via individual refunds.
Paper.co Alternatives
If Paper.co isn’t a perfect fit, several other tutoring and study services may help:
My Engineering Buddy (MEB)
My Engineering Buddy is a one-on-one tutoring service focused on STEM, engineering, and math. It offers 24/7 help via chat and video. MEB is highly rated – its Trustpilot shows ~4.7/5 stars (88 reviews). It covers 100+ subjects for college and high-school levels. Strengths: Expert engineering tutors and personalized support lead to high satisfaction. Weaknesses: It’s a paid service (no free option) and specializes mainly in STEM (fewer resources for writing or humanities).
Wyzant
Wyzant is a US-based tutor marketplace for live online sessions. Students browse tutors by subject and book lessons. Tutors set their own rates (typically about $35–$60/hour); there is a small service fee on top. Strengths:Large tutor pool in many subjects, pay-as-you-go flexibility (no subscription). Weaknesses: Can be expensive per lesson, requires scheduling sessions (no instant drop-in), and quality varies by tutor.
Tutor.com
Tutor.com provides 24/7 live tutoring in over 100 subjects. Pricing is by session: for example, one 60-minute session costs about $39.99, or $0.75/min (~$45/hour). It ensures qualified tutors and offers various plans. Strengths: Always-available help, guaranteed tutor quality. Weaknesses: Relatively high hourly cost, and sessions are limited (no unlimited plan).
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a free platform with thousands of instructional videos on K–12 topics (especially math and science). It also offers practice exercises. Strengths: Completely free, high-quality curriculum content. Weaknesses: No live tutoring or Q&A, and it’s not interactive – students must learn by video at their own pace.
Course Hero
Course Hero is a study platform with study guides, textbook solutions, and an answer forum. Plans start at ~$39.95 for 3 months (~$13.30/month). Strengths: Vast library of study materials and on-demand answers. Weaknesses: It requires a paid subscription, and answers are often generic rather than personalized coaching.
Chegg
Chegg Study offers homework help for a subscription. A typical plan is ~$15.95/month for access to 20 questions, or ~$19.95/month for unlimited questions. Chegg also sells textbook solutions and a math solver. Strengths: Extensive resources and step-by-step solutions. Weaknesses: It’s not live tutoring (answers come as notes), and requires monthly fees.
How it Works?
For Students
Students access Paper.co via their school. They log in using their school email or single sign-on (no payment needed). Once logged in, a student can start a live chat or submit a question anytime. Paper’s system matches the student to an available tutor (typically within 30 seconds). There is no appointment scheduling – help is instant 24/7. The chat interface includes a virtual whiteboard (like in the introduction image) and saves a transcript. Students can also upload essays to the Review Center to get asynchronous feedback from tutors. All tutoring and writing help are available on demand, aligning with each student’s schedule and need.
For Tutors
Paper tutors are typically screened college/graduate students and experienced teachers. Paper now offers both flexible part-time work and a full-time career path for educators. Tutors are hired as W-2 employees (not contractors), providing stable income. Work is entirely remote: tutors log in to Paper’s chat platform from home. Paper provides comprehensive training and a supportive team for its tutors. Below are common tutor FAQs:
- Q: How do I apply to be a Paper tutor? A: Paper has a careers page. You can click “Apply to be a Paper tutor” on their site and follow instructions.
- Q: Who is eligible to tutor? A: Paper hires high-performing college/graduate students and certified teachers with expertise in K-12 subjects.
- Q: What is the pay rate? A: Tutors are paid hourly. One Reddit user mentioned an average of about $20/hour, though actual rates may vary by role.
- Q: What are the working hours? A: Hours are very flexible to fit tutors’ schedules. You choose the shifts you want. Paper also now offers a full-time tutoring role.
- Q: Are tutors employees? A: Yes. Paper tutors are paid as employees (not contractors), with benefits like stable pay and training.
- Q: What training/support do tutors get? A: Paper provides extensive onboarding, resources, and a mentor team. Tutors report receiving ongoing support and feedback.
- Q: Can tutors handle more than one student at once? A: Officially, tutoring is meant to be one-on-one. However, some reports say tutors sometimes chat with 2–5 students simultaneously, which can hurt focus. In practice, Paper encourages one-student sessions for best quality.
Paper.co Company Information
Paper Education, Inc. was co-founded in 2014 by Philip Cutler and Roberto Cipriani. It began as “GradeSlam” and rebranded to Paper in 2020. The company’s mission is to democratize education (“help every student reach their potential”) by providing universal tutoring access. Paper operates globally through school partners, primarily in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and similar markets. It covers all K–12 subjects and even offers multilingual support (English, Spanish, French, Mandarin). Unique features include instant 24/7 chat tutoring, saved transcripts, and an integrated essay-review center. By 2022, Paper had added new tools (after-school video content and a college/career advice portal) to serve its 3+ million students in 500+ districts. Its services aim to be comprehensive: live tutoring for homework, writing feedback, test prep, and college planning tools.
USP of Paper.co
- Unlimited 24/7 access: Students can get help anytime, day or night.
- Free for students: Paper is free to families because schools pay the subscription.
- All-subject coverage: It offers tutoring in every K–12 subject plus writing and college prep support.
- Multilingual support: Tutors are available in multiple languages to serve diverse learners.
- High-quality oversight: Tutors are W2 employees (not random contractors), and Paper invests in AI-human research to improve quality.
Drawbacks of Paper.co
- Quality varies: Reviews note that tutor skill levels can be inconsistent, especially for specialized topics.
- Long wait or transfers: If demand is high, students may wait longer or get passed to multiple tutors.
- Guided feedback: Paper’s method often asks students questions rather than giving direct answers. Some users find this confusing or insufficient.
- Limited to school subjects: It excels at K–12 homework help, but is not designed for advanced college coursework.
- School-dependent: Only students whose schools subscribe can use it, which can be a limitation if a district opts out.
Comparison with My Engineering Buddy
My Engineering Buddy (MEB) differs from Paper in focus and funding. Paper is a school-funded, general K–12 tutoring service (typically free to students) covering a broad curriculum. In contrast, MEB is a private, paid service specialized in STEM and engineering subjects. MEB has a high Trustpilot rating (~4.7/5). For STEM-focused students or college math/engineering help, MEB’s expert tutors may provide deeper help. Paper’s strength is its broad, unlimited access in schools; MEB’s strength is specialized, personalized STEM mentoring.
Customer Support and Policies
Paper’s support is geared toward schools and educators. There is an online Help Center (support.paper.co) with FAQs for Live Tutoring and Writing Review. Users (students, teachers) can find guides on using the platform and contact Paper via that site. Paper also publishes policies like a Student Code of Conduct and a Privacy Policy. It emphasizes compliance with student privacy laws (COPPA, FERPA) to protect data.
Global Reach and Localization
Paper.co is used internationally through partner districts. It offers localized support mainly via language options (English, Spanish, French, Mandarin) rather than tailoring content by country. Most deployments are in wealthier regions (North America, Europe, Australasia). The platform itself is standard, but Paper works with each school system’s curriculum standards. There is no geographic limitation on usage (any student with a login can connect), but Paper’s network is strongest where it has contracted schools.
Paper.co’s Future Plans
Paper continues to innovate its services. In 2024 it launched GROW, a “high-impact” tutoring program with outcome-based guarantees (data-driven achievement, guaranteed staffing, standards-aligned curriculum). Paper’s CEO says this expands its mission so no student “is left behind”. Paper is also exploring AI to improve its offerings. Its research shows that combining AI with human tutors gives the best writing feedback. Going forward, Paper is expected to integrate more technology (e.g. AI editing tools) and expand beyond homework help (as seen by its new college/career portals). These initiatives suggest Paper will deepen its service by adding data-driven outcomes and tech-assisted learning.
FAQs About Paper.co
- Q: What is Paper.co? A: Paper.co is an online educational support platform providing 24/7 tutoring and writing help to K–12 students. It was founded in 2014 and works through school subscriptions.
- Q: Is Paper.co free? A: Yes. For families, Paper is free because schools pay the cost. Paper advertises “24/7, unlimited tutoring at no cost to families”.
- Q: What subjects does Paper cover? A: It covers all standard K–12 subjects (math, science, English, history, etc.) and also offers essay feedback. Tutors are multilingual (English, Spanish, French, Mandarin).
- Q: When can students use Paper? A: Students can log in and start a tutoring session anytime – it’s available 24/7/365. No scheduling is needed.
- Q: Who founded Paper? A: Paper was co-founded by Philip Cutler and Roberto Cipriani in 2014.
- Q: Is Paper tutoring truly one-on-one? A: In theory, yes, each student is matched to a single tutor. In practice, some reviews report tutors occasionally handling multiple students at once.
- Q: How does Paper.co compare to My Engineering Buddy? A: Paper is a district-funded tutoring service for all K–12 subjects (often free). My Engineering Buddy is a paid tutoring service focusing on engineering and STEM, with a high user rating (4.7/5). Both offer one-on-one help, but Paper is broader and school-based, while MEB is specialized and subscription-based.
Conclusion
Paper.co offers broad, anytime tutoring that many students find useful, but feedback is mixed. It excels at providing immediate help through schools, yet users report inconsistent tutor quality. For college or specialized STEM support, My Engineering Buddy is a strong alternative (trusted rating ~4.7/5). In short, Paper.co is legit and can be helpful for general K–12 homework, but families should consider alternatives like My Engineering Buddy for focused engineering/math tutoring. We recommend exploring both to see which best fits a student’s needs.
Sources: We cited official Paper.co materials and various user review platforms. Trustpilot and Glassdoor data (where available), Reddit and news reports were used to summarize feedback. Pricing and company info are drawn from Paper’s site and education news.
