OpenStax
Free peer-reviewed textbooks for college and AP courses—PDF, web, and print-at-cost.
Quick facts
- Price model
- Free
- Starting price
- Free digital
- Best for
- College textbooks · AP courses · Homeschool high school
- Replaces
- Cengage Unlimited, Pearson+ subscriptions
- Platforms
- WebiOSAndroid
- Last verified
- 2026-06-22
Why it's listed
Textbooks shouldn't be SaaS—OpenStax proves free can be rigorous.
OpenStax textbooks cover biology, economics, physics, and more with instructor resources. Students save hundreds per semester vs proprietary textbook access codes.
The catch
Optional homework platforms from partners may still cost money.
Good fit for
- College students
- High school AP families
Not ideal for
- Courses requiring proprietary online-only codes
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