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Best Free Alternatives to Course Hero

Stop paying $9.95 - $39.99/mo. Discover professional-grade tools that won't break your budget.

Category: EducationVerified for 2025

Top Recommended Replacements

StuDocu

FREE

Best Overall Budget Alternative

Why we like it

The leading competitor for peer-shared notes; significantly cheaper than Course Hero; includes AI-generated summaries and 'Class Recording' with transcription; allows unlimited viewing of many documents for free.

Keep in mind

Library is slightly smaller than Course Hero in the North American market; fewer 'expert-vetted' textbook solutions.

Numerade

FREE

Best for Video Solutions

Why we like it

Focuses on 'Video-first' learning; provides 100M+ step-by-step video explanations for textbook problems; features 'Ace', an AI tutor that creates personalized video study plans.

Keep in mind

Heavily focused on STEM; less useful for humanities or document-heavy subjects like Law or History.

SciSpace

FREE

Best for Research & PDF Analysis

Why we like it

An AI research assistant that 'reads' your PDFs; can explain complex tables, formulas, and paragraphs in simple terms; generates citations and summaries instantly.

Keep in mind

Designed for academic research rather than passing specific undergraduate course exams.

OpenStax

FREE

Best for Free Textbooks

Why we like it

Non-profit hub for peer-reviewed, open-source textbooks; used by 60% of US colleges; 100% free forever; high-quality pedagogical structure.

Keep in mind

Only covers general subjects; lacks the 'cheatsheet' and previous exam documents found on Course Hero.

Quizlet (AI Powered)

FREE

Best for Memorization

Why we like it

The 'Magic Notes' feature converts your notes into flashcards and practice tests automatically; Q-Chat acts as a Socratic tutor; extremely popular for pre-med and languages.

Keep in mind

The best AI features are now locked behind the 'Plus' subscription; less effective for complex math/physics problems.

Brainly

FREE

Best Community Q&A

Why we like it

Massive peer-to-peer network; 'Brainly AI' provides verified answers for common middle and high school problems; very affordable.

Keep in mind

Content is often lower-level (K-12 focused) compared to the university-level materials on Course Hero.

LitCharts

FREE

Best for Literature & Humanities

Why we like it

Superior to Course Hero for English/Lit majors; provides side-by-side translations of Shakespeare and deep symbolic analysis; part of the same Learneo family but more specialized.

Keep in mind

Very narrow niche; zero help for math, science, or business courses.

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