“In my Sophomore Statics class, I spent 4 hours staring at one truss problem. I felt like an idiot. I finally caved and bought Chegg. Seeing the first step of the solution didn’t just give me the answer; it taught me the method I missed in class. It saved my grade, not by cheating, but by teaching.”
It is 11:30 PM. Your Calculus III homework is due at midnight.
You are staring at a Triple Integral problem that looks like alien hieroglyphics. Your textbook is useless. Your professor isn’t answering emails.
You need help now.
You know the two giants of homework help: Chegg and Course Hero. Both promise to save your GPA. Both cost money. But which one actually solves complex engineering problems correctly?
As an engineering student, “close enough” isn’t good enough. If the math is wrong, the bridge collapses (or you just get a zero).
I spent a month testing both platforms on upper-level Engineering, Physics, and Calculus problems. Here is the definitive winner for STEM majors in 2025.
The Contenders
Chegg Study
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The Pitch: “Expert Q&A.” You post a specific photo of your problem, and a subject matter expert solves it step-by-step.
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The Cost: ~$15–$20/month.
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Best Feature: The textbook solution library is massive.
Course Hero
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The Pitch: “Crowdsourced Library.” It is a massive database of old exams, notes, and study guides uploaded by other students.
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The Cost: ~$10–$40/month (depending on the plan), OR free if you upload your own documents.
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Best Feature: Seeing how other professors tested the same material.
Round 1: Speed (The “Midnight Panic” Test)
Scenario: I uploaded a complex Thermodynamics problem at 11:00 PM.
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Chegg:
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Time to answer: 45 minutes.
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Quality: The answer was handwritten but legible. The expert broke down the steps clearly.
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Course Hero:
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Time to answer: N/A. (I had to search for similar problems).
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Search Result: I found a similar problem from a different university, but the numbers were different. I had to reverse-engineer the math myself.
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Winner: Chegg. When you have a specific deadline, you need a specific answer, not a “similar example.”
Round 2: Accuracy (The “Engineering” Test)
Engineering requires precision.
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Chegg: The experts are usually vetted in STEM. On calculus problems, they are correct 90% of the time. However, on highly niche topics like “Aerospace Propulsion,” I found some lazy answers that skipped steps.
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Course Hero: This is the Wild West. Since content is uploaded by students, I found notes that were clearly incorrect (someone else’s failed exam). You have to be the judge of what is right.
Winner: Chegg (for step-by-step math).
Round 3: The “Unethical” Factor (Honor Code)
We have to talk about this. Professors hate both of these sites.
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Chegg: If you upload an exam question during an exam, Chegg cooperates with universities to identify you. Students have been expelled for this.
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Course Hero: Uploading your professor’s slides or exams to get “free unlocks” is a copyright violation.
The Verdict: Using either of these to cheat is high-risk. Using them to study (checking your work on homework) is the only safe way.
The Final Verdict for Engineering Majors
If you only have budget for one subscription in 2025:
Get Chegg Study.
Here is why:
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Step-by-Step Math: Course Hero shows you the what (the notes). Chegg shows you the how (the calculation steps). For engineering, the how is everything.
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Textbook Solutions: Most engineering professors pull homework straight from the textbook. Chegg has verified solutions for almost every major Engineering text (Hibbeler, Stewart, etc.).
When to use Course Hero instead: Use Course Hero if you are taking Gen-Ed classes (History, Psychology, Literature). Finding old essays and study guides is where Course Hero shines. But for Physics? Stick to the experts.
Summary
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Chegg = The Math/Science Tutor.
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Course Hero = The Humanities/History Archive.
Don’t use them to replace your brain. Use them to unblock it.