Study smarter with research & learning resources and tutor help
Course Hero is a subscription-based research and learning platform that provides access to millions of course-specific study documents, step-by-step solution explanations, and on-demand tutors; it’s best for college students and instructors needing quick homework help and example documents, and its paid plans start at modest monthly rates while a limited free access option exists for previewing content.
Course Hero is a research & learning platform that aggregates course-specific study documents, textbook solutions, and on-demand tutoring. It primarily surfaces user-uploaded study guides, practice problems, and instructor materials organized by course and school, with search filters and subject tags. Its key differentiator is the size of its document library and crowd-sourced solution explanations plus 24/7 paid tutoring support. Course Hero serves college and high-school students, graduate learners, and educators. Pricing includes limited free previews and tiered paid subscriptions for fuller access.
Course Hero is an online research and learning marketplace founded to help students access course-specific study materials and tutoring. Launched as a platform to collect and organize user-contributed study documents, it positions itself between a digital library and a homework-help service. The site aggregates syllabi, study guides, lecture notes, past exams, and step-by-step solutions uploaded by students and educators. Course Hero’s core value proposition is quick access to focused, course-aligned resources and on-demand tutors when students need help understanding problem solutions or preparing for exams.
Key features include a searchable document library containing millions of user-uploaded files sorted by subject, school, and course; document preview and unlocking mechanisms where users either upload, earn unlocks, or subscribe to view full content; a “Textbook Solutions” collection that provides step-by-step answers for many common textbooks; and 24/7 online tutoring sessions that connect students with subject-matter tutors for live help. The platform also offers a document request feature where users can ask the community to upload a missing file. Course Hero’s search includes filtering by course and school, and individual documents show contributor details, view counts, and page previews so students can assess relevance before unlocking.
Course Hero offers limited free access through previews and upload-for-credits models, but full access requires a paid subscription. As of 2026, typical consumer pricing includes monthly and semester-style plans (the company advertises options such as a monthly subscription and multi-month bundles), with monthly rates commonly reported in the range of around $9.95–$59.95 depending on term length and promotional pricing—Course Hero often offers cheaper semester or annual equivalents. Free users can preview documents and earn unlocks by uploading documents or contributing; paid subscribers receive a set number of unlocks per month and unrestricted access to many documents and textbook solutions. Tutor sessions and some premium content can incur separate fees or require higher-tier access.
Students, graduate assistants, and educators use Course Hero for distinct workflows: undergraduate students use it to find past exams and sample problem solutions for exam preparation, and teaching assistants use it to locate course-specific examples and grading references. For example, a Biology undergraduate uses Course Hero to review 20+ past quiz solutions to increase exam readiness, while a Physics TA uses it to source worked example documents for office hours. Course Hero competes with resources like Chegg; compared to Chegg Study, Course Hero leans more heavily on crowd-sourced documents and downloadable course packs rather than primarily publisher-backed textbook solutions.
Three capabilities that set Course Hero apart from its nearest competitors.
Current tiers and what you get at each price point. Verified against the vendor's pricing page.
| Plan | Price | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Preview documents, earn unlocks by uploading, limited page views | Casual users checking a few documents |
| Monthly | $14.95/month | Monthly unlock allotment, access to many documents and solutions | Students wanting month-to-month access |
| Semester | $39.95/semester | Larger unlock bundle per semester, full access to most materials | Full-term students needing sustained access |
| Tutoring (per session) | Varies; charged per minute/session | Pay-as-you-go live tutoring; separate from subscription | Students needing on-demand live help |
Choose Course Hero over Chegg if you prioritize extensive, crowd-sourced course documents and community uploads for specific classes.