Comparison

GradeSaver vs bartleby

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

Head to head
About

GradeSaver

Access high-quality study guides for literature, written by Harvard students. Each guide provides comprehensive summaries, character analysis, themes, historical context, and quizzes. Purchase individual guides or subscribe for full access to a vast library of literary resources.

Highlights
  • Harvard-edited study guides
  • Chapter-by-chapter summaries
  • Character and theme analysis
  • Historical context
  • Author biographies
  • Quizzes
Features
Read full description

GradeSaver offers the highest quality study guides. Written and edited by Harvard students, ClassicNotes™ are the best book notes available. Each study guide includes essays, an in-depth chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quiz. Study guides for individual works of literature can be purchased within the app. You have two subscription options: 1. $5.99 for a monthly subscription 2. $19.99 for a yearly subscription Your subscription will renew automatically each month or year and payment will be charged to your iTunes Account within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. No cancellation of your subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. You can find our privacy policy here: http://www.gradesaver.com/privacy/

About

bartleby

Get expert help with your toughest homework assignments and problems. Access millions of step-by-step explanations and receive 24/7 Q&A support from subject matter experts. Study smarter with a vast digital library of resources.

Highlights
  • 8+ Million Step-by-Step Explanations
  • 24/7 Expert Q&A Support
  • Digital Database of Resources
  • Support for 30+ Subjects
  • Mobile Access to Homework Help
Features
Read full description

Get the support you need to tackle your hardest homework assignments and trickiest problems; get to know bartleby—an app filled with experts ready to guide you through your homework! WITH THE BARTLEBY APP YOU CAN: • Browse 8+ Million Step-by-Step Textbook & Homework Explanations: Access valuable insights for college textbook questions to help you efficiently tackle your schoolwork. Our expanding collection covers a wide range of topics, including math, history, engineering, business, accounting, biology, chemistry, geometry, and more. It’s like your own personal homework helper. • Get 24/7 Expert Q&A Support: Anytime you need help, simply snap a photo or ask a question to our subject matter experts and receive a detailed explanation in as fast as 30 minutes.* Our tutors cover 30+ subjects, from math to biology and everything in between, and are waiting 24/7/365 to assist you with your study needs. • Easily Search Our Digital Database of Resources: No more struggling with confusing websites or apps. Our easy-to-use resource library lets you quickly find helpful materials shared by fellow students—saving them to your profile for future reference. With dozens of subjects and courses available, you’ll have a hassle-free way to get the information you need to learn and succeed. • Access 24/7 Online Support: You’ll never study alone with bartleby! If you have a question about your app, your subscription, or how to use all the great services in our student suite, drop us a line and we’ll respond ASAP. Subscribers to “bartleby learn” can seamlessly access 24/7 homework help, including math help, from our team of expert tutors through their phones, tablets, and supported mobile devices. We also offer textbook guides, study materials, and more. bartleby helps students learn on-the-go with expert guidance every step of the way. OVER 30 SUBJECTS SUPPORTED, INCLUDING: • BUSINESS: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Operations, Management, Marketing • ENGINEERING: Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering • MATH: Advanced Math, Algebra, Calculus, Geometry, Probability, Statistics, Trigonometry • SCIENCE: Physics, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Nursing • SOCIAL SCIENCE: Psychology, Sociology Check Out Our New Subjects: Anatomy & Physiology, Earth Science, Geography, History, Political Science. BARTLEBY REVIEWS: Here’s what a real student had to say about bartleby’s focus on student success: “Other study platforms online often only provide the result, which isn’t ideal for true learning. I appreciate the effort bartleby puts into providing high-quality, detailed guidance.” — Grant B, Georgetown University Access “bartleby learn” for just $9.99/month with no long-term commitment—cancel anytime!** Study smarter with bartleby. Homework made easier, faster, and more effective. *Response times may vary based on subject and complexity. Median response time is 34 minutes, though some responses may take longer for new subjects. **Payment willhttps://www.bartleby.com/terms be charged to your iTunes account upon purchase confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically at $9.99 each month unless canceled. Terms of use: https://www.bartleby.com/terms

Screenshots

GradeSaver4 screens
bartleby4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: bartleby at 4.3 against GradeSaver's 3.4. bartleby also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (2.5K vs 89). GradeSaver's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (45% vs 24%). 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. GradeSaver sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and bartleby sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

bartleby holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: bartleby has 2.5K ratings behind it against 89, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 45% of GradeSaver's written reviews are positive against 24% of bartleby's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GradeSaver ships an update every 5 months, bartleby monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
GradeSaver versus bartleby: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGradeSaverbartleby
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (89 ratings)4.3 (2.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews — better24.0% of reviews
Number of ratings892.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGradeSaver LLCBarnes & Noble Education, Inc.

Customer experience

GradeSaver

All ratings91 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral6.6%
Negative36.3%
Written reviews44 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral13.6%
Negative40.9%

bartleby

All ratings2,498 ratings
Positive81.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative15.7%
Written reviews100 reviews
Positive24.0%
Neutral14.0%
Negative62.0%

User reviews

GradeSaver

From 89 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Saves grades
  • 👍 Helpful for essays
  • 👍 Concise plot synopses
  • 👍 Useful for procrastination
  • 👍 Great for book reports

Room to improve

  • 💰 Requires subscription
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 💰 Pay for most content
  • 💰 Ads on website, not app
  • 💰 Misleading about essays

bartleby

From 2.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick response time
  • 💡 Detailed step-by-step explanations
  • 👍 Helpful for academic subjects
  • 🚀 Efficient for getting homework help

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and glitches
  • ⏱️ Long wait times for answers
  • 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
  • 💰 Expensive for limited usage
  • 🤔 Inconsistent quality of answers

Bugs and requests

GradeSaver

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Quiz crashes on opening
  • Cannot restore subscription
  • Subscription not accessible on new device
  • App won't work after phone update

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add book “And The Mountains Echoed”
  • Allow free testing of options
  • Provide examples of paid content
  • Make website content free on app
  • Add advertisements to app
Show 2 more
  • Update app for new phones
  • Make app iPad scaled

bartleby

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • White screen issues when submitting questions
  • Login problems and account access errors
  • Subscription and billing issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improve iPad app support
  • Add a 'report incorrect answer' feature
  • Provide access to past questions asked
  • Enhance mobile app stability and performance

In-app purchases

2 purchases

GradeSaver

Subscriptions2
  • ClassicNote Monthly Pass$5.991 Month
  • ClassicNote Yearly Pass$19.991 Year
1 purchases

bartleby

Subscriptions1
  • Bartleby Learn Subscription1 Month trial6 variants$9.991 Month

Questions

Is GradeSaver free?
GradeSaver is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is bartleby free?
bartleby is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, GradeSaver or bartleby?
bartleby is rated higher. GradeSaver averages 3.4 out of 5 from 89 ratings, while bartleby averages 4.3 from 2.5K ratings.
Do GradeSaver or bartleby have ads?
Neither GradeSaver nor bartleby shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GradeSaver or bartleby?
GradeSaver ships an update every 5 months, and bartleby monthly. Most recently, GradeSaver was updated on November 1, 2026 and bartleby on November 3, 2026.

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