Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts vs Cengage Read
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- eTextbook access
- Video explanations
- Notes and highlights
- Audiobook feature
- Searchable content
- Flashcard creation
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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.
Cengage Read
Access and study your digital textbooks from anywhere. This app allows students to read, take notes, highlight, bookmark, and use text-to-speech for a flexible learning experience on the go.
- Read eTextbooks on the go
- Take notes and highlight
- Bookmark important sections
- Text-to-speech functionality
- Search keywords
- Navigate via table of contents
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Read your eTextbook and study on the go with the Cengage Read app. Cengage Read lets students study whenever – and wherever – they want. Take notes, highlight and bookmark info, have the text read out loud with text-to-speech and easily search keywords and jump to pages with the table of contents. Just log in with your Cengage username and password to get started.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts at 4.8 against Cengage Read's 4.2. Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (62K vs 4K). Cengage Read'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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts has 62K ratings behind it against 4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts's written reviews are positive against 20% of Cengage Read's.
Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts ships an update every 2 weeks, Cengage Read every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts | Cengage Read |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (62K ratings) — better | 4.2 (4K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 30.6% of reviews — better | 19.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 62K — better | 4K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #120 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 552 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pearson Education, Inc. | Cengage Learning |
Customer experience
Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts
Cengage Read
User reviews
Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts
From 62K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Cengage Read
From 4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to read textbooks
- 🚀 Convenient for on-the-go learning
- 👍 Useful for listening to audio while commuting
- 👍 Allows highlighting and note-taking
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🔥 Poor text formatting and layout
- 👎 Difficult to navigate and use
- 🔒 Login and account issues
- 🔍 Missing key features like split-screen and assignment tracking
Bugs and requests
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
Cengage Read
Reported bugs
4 issues- Frequent crashes and sign-outs
- Inconsistent highlighting and note-taking functionality
- Inability to view full pages and content
- Text-to-speech feature not working properly
Requested features
4 requests- Improve text formatting and layout
- Add split-screen support for note-taking
- Enhance accessibility features like text-to-speech
- Integrate assignment and due date tracking
In-app purchases
Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts
No in-app purchases
Cengage Read
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts free?
Is Cengage Read free?
Which has better reviews, Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts or Cengage Read?
Do Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts or Cengage Read have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pearson+ | Study Prep & eTexts or Cengage Read?
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