# Chegg Study vs Cengage Read

The clearest difference is rating: Chegg Study at 4.7 against Cengage Read's 4.2. Chegg Study also leads on ratings volume (205K vs 4.1K) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Cengage Read's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chegg Study sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $15.99 per month. Cengage Read asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chegg Study holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chegg Study has 205K ratings behind it against 4.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 20% and 20% positive.

Chegg Study ships an update every 3 weeks, Cengage Read every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chegg Study | Cengage Read |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (205K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chegg-study-homework-help/id385758163/reviews)** | [4.2 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cengage-read/id6444260893/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **205K** | 4.1K |
| Positive reviews | **19.8% of reviews** | 19.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#59** | — |
| Size | 122 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chegg, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/385758166) | [Cengage Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/371168145) |

## What reviewers say

### Chegg Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chegg-study-homework-help/id385758163)

**Currently charting:** #59 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

This app provides homework help and personalized study support for millions of students across 80 subjects. Access millions of explained solutions, flashcards, and expert Q&A to master tough concepts and prepare for exams. Utilize AI-powered solutions for quicker assistance.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step explained solutions, Flashcards for subjects, Expert Q&A responses, Homework question scanner, AI-powered solutions, 24/7 study help

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chegg Study | $15.99 | per month |
| Chegg Study | $15.99 | per month |
| Chegg Study | $15.99 | per month |
| Chegg Study Basic | $15.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for homework and studying
- 👍 Provides step-by-step solutions
- 💡 Useful for visual learners

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Incorrect or incomplete answers
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Account suspension issues
- 🤯 Frustrating device management
- 🕰️ Slow response times

**Reported bugs**

- Repeated account suspensions without justification
- Inability to cancel subscription easily
- Blurry image uploads
- Inconsistent login behavior across devices

**Requested features**

- Increase monthly question limit
- Allow more than 2 registered devices
- Improve customer support response times
- Add ability to comment on answers


### Cengage Read

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cengage-read/id6444260893)

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.

**Highlights:** Read eTextbooks on the go, Take notes and highlight, Bookmark important sections, Text-to-speech functionality, Search keywords, Navigate via table of contents

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to read textbooks
- 🚀 Convenient for on-the-go learning
- 👍 Useful for listening to audio while commuting
- 👍 Allows highlighting and note-taking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chegg Study free?

Chegg Study is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cengage Read free?

Cengage Read is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chegg Study or Cengage Read?

Chegg Study is rated higher. Chegg Study averages 4.7 out of 5 from 205K ratings, while Cengage Read averages 4.2 from 4.1K ratings.

### Do Chegg Study or Cengage Read have ads?

Neither Chegg Study nor Cengage Read shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chegg Study or Cengage Read?

Chegg Study ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cengage Read every 2 months. Most recently, Chegg Study was updated on October 15, 2026 and Cengage Read on October 13, 2026.

---

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