# Crash Course vs Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

Crash Course and Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 76% of Crash Course's written reviews are positive against 31% of Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts's. Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). On price, rating, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crash Course sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Crash Course against 4.8 for Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts has 63K ratings behind it against 1.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Crash Course's written reviews are positive against 31% of Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts's.

Crash Course ships an update every 4 months, Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crash Course | Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crash-course-watch-and-study/id1505594172/reviews) | **[4.8 (63K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pearson-plus-study-prep-and-etexts/id1571362338/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K | **63K** |
| Positive reviews | **75.7% of reviews** | 31.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#124** |
| Size | 146 MB | 549 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Complexly LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1505594171) | [Pearson Education, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/329060244) |

## What reviewers say

### Crash Course

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crash-course-watch-and-study/id1505594172)

Access thousands of free educational videos covering humanities and sciences. Enhance your learning with supplemental flashcards and quizzes for select courses. Join a community dedicated to making education fun and engaging.

**Highlights:** Thousands of educational videos, High school and college level courses, Humanities and sciences subjects, Supplemental flashcards, Quizzes for review, Community of learners

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Contribute $1.99 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Contribute $4.99 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 4 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 5 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 6 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 7 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 8 | $39.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 9 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 10 | $59.99 | one-time |
| Contribute Tier 14 | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🙌 Helpful for students
- 🎓 Great for learning difficult topics
- 💕 High-quality, engaging content
- 🆓 Completely free to use
- 🙏 Grateful for the free education

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔍 Limited course selection
- 🔄 Trouble downloading/accessing content
- 🔒 App is marked 17+, should be more accessible

**Reported bugs**

- Courses disappearing after updates
- Search function not working
- Trouble downloading content
- App crashing during use

**Requested features**

- Add math and English courses
- Expand course selection
- Improve search functionality
- Allow offline video viewing
- Add progress tracking and favorites


### Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pearson-plus-study-prep-and-etexts/id1571362338)

**Currently charting:** #124 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crash Course free?

Crash Course is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts free?

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Crash Course or Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts?

Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts is rated higher. Crash Course averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts averages 4.8 from 63K ratings.

### Do Crash Course or Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts have ads?

Neither Crash Course nor Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Crash Course or Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts?

Crash Course ships an update every 4 months, and Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts fortnightly. Most recently, Crash Course was updated on October 20, 2026 and Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts on October 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*