Is Course Hero Free? FAQs & Pricing Options

<p>Many students exploring online study tools eventually ask, 'Is Course Hero free?' Course Hero is a popular platform known for offering study guides, class notes, textbook solutions, and expert Q&amp;A services. While you can use some features at no cost, full access requires a paid membership. </p> <p>Whether you're curious about the platform's value or interested in alternatives, we'll break down what you can expect from both the free and paid versions of Course Hero. Below, we'll go over what Course Hero includes, how much it costs, and whether it's considered a legitimate source of academic help. </p> <h2 id="section---WhatIsCourseHero">What Is Course Hero?</h2> <p>Course Hero is an academic platform that helps students better understand their coursework by offering access to user-generated and expert-created study materials. While it's not a site for enrolling in full-length classes, it offers support tools meant to supplement traditional learning. </p> <p>Students can search for resources by subject, school, or course number. Content includes lecture notes, practice problems, textbook solutions, and study guides. Course Hero aims to make studying easier by giving users access to materials created by students and educators who've completed similar courses. </p> <p>The platform reviews content before publishing to help maintain quality standards. Even though content is largely user-submitted, Course Hero works to verify that documents meet academic guidelines. </p> <h2 id="section---IsCourseHeroFreeToUse">Is Course Hero Free To Use?</h2> <p>Course Hero uses a freemium model. You can sign up for free and unlock a limited amount of content, but most documents and features require a paid subscription or earned unlocks. Free users can preview some materials, and uploading your own documents may earn you access to additional content. </p> <p>To earn free unlocks, you'll need to submit original study documents. For every 10 accepted uploads, you typically receive five unlocks. You can also earn unlocks by rating documents, referring friends, or participating in certain promotional offers. </p> <p>While the free version allows for exploration and occasional use, students needing regular access to documents or answers will likely need to upgrade to a paid plan. </p> <h2 id="section---WhatDoesThePaidVersionInclude">What Does the Paid Version Include?</h2> <p>The paid version of Course Hero offers full access to its library of over 100 million study materials. Subscribers can unlock any document, view full tutor answers, and receive faster academic support. Paid users also get up to 40 questions per month to ask subject-matter experts. </p> <p>Course Hero's <a href="https://www.coursehero.com/plans/">subscription prices</a> as of 2025 are: </p> <ul><li>Monthly: $39.99 per month </li><li>Quarterly: $59.85 every three months (around $19.95 per month) </li><li>Annual: $119.40 per year (around $9.95 per month) </li></ul><p>A subscription is recommended for students who need continuous help throughout a semester or academic year. Subscribing unlocks the full benefits of the platform, including unlimited document access and priority customer service. </p> <h2 id="section---WhatTypesOfContentDoesCourseHeroOffer">What Types of Content Does Course Hero Offer?</h2> <p>Course Hero focuses on offering course-specific study materials, which differ from traditional course platforms. Rather than formal classes, it provides supplementary tools to help you study more effectively. Below, we'll unpack the kinds of resources you can find on the platform. </p> <h3 id="section---StudyDocumentsAndClassNotes">Study Documents and Class Notes</h3> <p>A major feature of Course Hero is its document library, which includes study guides, class notes, essays, and exam prep materials. These are uploaded by users who've taken the course before and are organized by school, subject, and course number. </p> <p>Students use these materials to review lectures, fill in learning gaps, or prepare for quizzes and exams. Most content is text-based, but some includes diagrams, tables, or slides. </p> <h3 id="section---TextbookSolutionsAndPracticeHelp">Textbook Solutions and Practice Help</h3> <p>Subscribers can access detailed solutions to problems in commonly used college textbooks. Each solution includes a step-by-step explanation to help students understand how to approach similar problems on their own. </p> <p>Course Hero also provides practice questions, which are organized by topic. These can be useful for reinforcing core concepts and checking your understanding before a test. </p> <h3 id="section---ExpertTutorAssistance">Expert Tutor Assistance</h3> <p>With a paid plan, users can submit up to 40 academic questions per month to Course Hero tutors. These experts typically respond within 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the subject and demand. </p> <p>Students often use this feature when they're stuck on a specific problem or want help breaking down a complex topic. Tutor responses include explanations and strategies to improve understanding. </p> <h2 id="section---FAQsAboutCourseHeroAccessAndPricing">FAQs About Course Hero Access and Pricing</h2> <p>Below, we'll go over common questions about Course Hero's access options, educator tools, and how the unlock system works. </p> <h3 id="section---DoesCourseHeroOfferFreeClasses">Does Course Hero Offer Free Classes?</h3> <p>If you're searching for <a href="https://learn.org/articles/free_online_classes_courses_for_adults.html">free online courses for adults</a>, you may be interested in what Course Hero has to offer. While Course Hero does not offer traditional courses or classes, it does offer a wealth of resources to guide you in your studies. This includes study guides, class notes, textbook help, and tutoring services. </p> <h3 id="section---DoTeachersGetCourseHeroForFree">Do Teachers Get Course Hero for Free?</h3> <p>Educators can apply for complimentary access to Course Hero by submitting an application through the platform. To qualify, applicants must verify their teaching status using a school-affiliated email address and provide details about their current role. </p> <p>Once approved, teachers receive free access to the full library of study materials and educational tools. Course Hero offers this program to support instructors who want to use resources in their teaching or curriculum planning. </p> <h3 id="section---HowManyCourseHeroUnlocksPerMonth">How Many Course Hero Unlocks Per Month?</h3> <p>Paid subscribers get unlimited access to documents on the platform. However, if you're using the free version, unlocks must be earned through content contributions or other activities. </p> <p>Each time you upload 10 original, approved documents, you earn five unlocks. These are added to your account and can be used to view locked content. Free unlocks do not renew monthly: they are based on your participation, not a time-based cycle. </p> <h3 id="section---DoYouHaveToPayForCourseHeroAnswers">Do You Have To Pay for Course Hero Answers?</h3> <p>In most cases, yes, you need to pay to access complete Course Hero answers. While previews of tutor responses may be visible to free users, full answers are restricted to subscribers or users with available unlocks. </p> <p>To ask your own questions and receive personalized answers from Course Hero's tutor network, you must have an active subscription. This feature is part of the paid plan and not accessible through the free version alone. </p> <h2 id="section---ExploreFreeOnlineCourses">Explore Free Online Courses</h2> <p>If you're interested in exploring free or low-cost study tools, courses, or even online degrees, browse Learn.org's extensive database of resources for more information.</p>