Comparison

Macmillan Learning eBook vs Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Macmillan Learning eBook

Access and study digital textbooks on your iPad or iPhone with a comprehensive, digital-first experience. Download books for offline reading, customize your study tools with notes and flashcards, and personalize the reading environment for easier learning.

Highlights
  • Offline reading
  • Note-taking and highlighting
  • Flashcard creation
  • Customizable reading settings
  • Read Aloud feature
  • Cross-device syncing
  • Accessibility features
Features
Read full description

Use Macmillan® Learning eBook to enjoy a digital-first, comprehensive study experience from the convenience of your iPad or iPhone. Download and access digital textbooks to study anytime, anywhere. Features: • Download books to your iOS device for 100% offline reading. • Customize highlighters and add notes for a rich study experience. • Create flashcards with text and images to learn concepts faster. • Personalize font, font size, and background colors to make reading easier. • Listen to your books and learn on the go with Read Aloud. • Sync your current reading position and all your work across devices so you can easily pick up where you left off. • Built with accessibility in mind.

About

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

Access your Pearson eTextbooks and supplementary learning materials in one app. Watch short video explanations of complex topics and utilize study tools like notes, highlights, and flashcards. The app also offers an audiobook feature for most eTextbooks and powerful search functionality.

Highlights
  • eTextbook access
  • Video explanations
  • Notes and highlights
  • Audiobook feature
  • Searchable content
  • Flashcard creation
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The Pearson+ mobile app provides you access to all your Pearson eTextbooks in one place, as well as curated bite-sized video explanations of complex topics for your toughest college courses. Get started by logging in with the same username and password you created via the web-based version of Pearson+. Feature highlights: -- Anytime, anywhere access to eTextbook content and embedded media assets -- Short video explanations of complex topics to help you succeed in the classroom -- Ability to easily create and refer to your notes and highlights within the eTextbook  -- Have your eTextbook read aloud to you with our audiobook feature (available for most eTextbooks) -- Search across all the content in the eTextbook to easily find exactly what you need -- Create your own flashcards or use pre-built ones to help you study -- Personalize the reading experience to best meet your needs For bug reports or general feedback, please reach out to us at PearsonPlusFeedback@pearson.com.

Screenshots

Macmillan Learning eBook4 screens
Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts at 4.8 against Macmillan Learning eBook's 4.3. Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (30% vs 11%). Macmillan Learning eBook's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts has 62K ratings behind it against 2.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 11% of Macmillan Learning eBook's written reviews are positive against 30% of Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Macmillan Learning eBook ships an update every 3 months, Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Macmillan Learning eBook versus Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMacmillan Learning eBookPearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (2.2K ratings)4.8 (62K ratings) — better
Positive reviews11.1% of reviews30.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.2K62K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#118 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size183 MB552 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperHPHLPPearson Education, Inc.

Customer experience

Macmillan Learning eBook

All ratings2,194 ratings
Positive81.9%
Neutral4.0%
Negative14.1%
Written reviews108 reviews
Positive11.1%
Neutral3.7%
Negative85.2%

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

All ratings61,975 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews398 reviews
Positive30.4%
Neutral13.6%
Negative56.0%

User reviews

Macmillan Learning eBook

From 2.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📚 Easy access to textbooks
  • 🔊 Useful read-aloud feature
  • 💻 Works well on desktop

Room to improve

  • 🔑 Login issues across devices
  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
  • 💾 Disappearing or lost content
  • 🔍 Poor search and navigation
  • 📝 Limited annotation and note-taking

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

From 62K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient access to textbooks
  • 🎧 Useful audio feature
  • 📚 Helpful study tools (flashcards, quizzes)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy highlighting and page navigation
  • 📱 Poor usability on mobile devices
  • 🔍 Lack of search and page number features
  • 💰 Expensive for limited functionality

Bugs and requests

Macmillan Learning eBook

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login credentials not recognized
  • Frequent app crashes
  • Textbooks disappearing from library

Requested features

3 requests
  • Integrate with popular reading apps
  • Improve annotation and note-taking tools
  • Provide a universal e-reader option

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Textbooks failing to load or display properly
  • Audio playback issues and lack of syncing
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching apps or rotating devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved highlighting and annotation tools
  • Better syncing between devices and web version
  • Page number support
  • Split-screen and landscape mode on tablets

In-app purchases

None

Macmillan Learning eBook

No in-app purchases

None

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Macmillan Learning eBook free?
Macmillan Learning eBook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts free?
Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Macmillan Learning eBook or Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts?
Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts is rated higher. Macmillan Learning eBook averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts averages 4.8 from 62K ratings.
Do Macmillan Learning eBook or Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts have ads?
Neither Macmillan Learning eBook nor Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Macmillan Learning eBook or Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts?
Macmillan Learning eBook ships an update every 3 months, and Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts every 2 weeks. Most recently, Macmillan Learning eBook was updated on September 25, 2026 and Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts on September 30, 2026.

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