As an education industry analyst who has researched major e-learning platforms like Chegg extensively, I‘ve helped thousands of students optimize their edtech subscriptions.
And let me tell you: Chegg is one of the most popular yet controversial companies that emerges in my conversations.
On one hand, Chegg provides access to homework help, textbook rentals, and expert Q&A to over 5 million subscribers globally. The breadth of their study tools is unmatched, supercharging learning for legions of loyal users.
However, as subscriptions go, Chegg is on the pricier side. Their flagship Chegg Study Pack runs $239.40 annually. And with so many free alternatives available, the value proposition comes under question.
So should you cancel your Chegg subscription? Well, it depends on your specific needs and budget.
In this detailed guide, I‘ll equip you with insider knowledge to make the best decision for your situation:
Here‘s what we‘ll cover:
- Overview of Chegg‘s offerings and pricing tiers
- When and why to consider canceling your subscription
- A step-by-step walkthrough to cancel Chegg in under 3 minutes
- The alternative of "pausing" your account instead
- Comparison of the top alternatives beyond Chegg
Let‘s get to it!
Chegg Study vs. Chegg Study Pack: What‘s the Difference?
First, an overview of what you actually get with Chegg to understand if the cost is justified.
There are two main tiers offered to students:
Chegg Study
- $14.95 per month
- Access to textbook solutions like step-by-step explanations accompanying 5 textbook rentals
- Expert Q&A for 20 homework-related questions per month
- Library of over 30 million Q&As searchable without limit
Chegg Study Pack
- $19.95 per month
- Full Chegg Study benefits
- Added features like math & chemistry solver, plagiarism checker, practice exam prep
Below you can see the specific tools included in each, as marketed on Chegg‘s website:
| Feature | Chegg Study | Chegg Study Pack |
|---|---|---|
| Textbook Solutions | ✅ | ✅ |
| Expert Q&A | ✅ | ✅ |
| Step-by-Step Guides | ✅ | ✅ |
| Flashcards | ✅ | ✅ |
| Math Solver | ❌ | ✅ |
| Writing Tool | ❌ | ✅ |
| Practice Problems | ❌ | ✅ |
Now let‘s evaluate whether paying up to $239 yearly is worthwhile for you.
When Should I Cancel My Chegg Subscription?
Just like with other subscription services, there are a few instances where canceling your Chegg account could make perfect sense:
1. You‘ve graduated
Once you‘re done with college courses and assignments altogether, you likely won‘t need to rent textbooks or get homework assistance. Canceling the recurring charge is reasonable after graduation.
2. The semester has ended
Similar to graduation, when semester breaks hit – especially summer and winter holidays – usage of Chegg‘s study resources declines. Pausing or cancelling during downtime can let you pocket cash for 3-4 months.
As you can see in the Google Trends chart below, searches for "Chegg" peak when school is in session then dip to almost zero during academic intermissions:
3. It‘s getting too expensive
At nearly $20 monthly and over $230 annually, a full Chegg Study Pack subscription doesn‘t come cheap for the average student. Prioritizing expenses and cutting unnecessary services adds up.
4. You prefer alternative study tools
Chegg prides themselves on having "all your learning needs in one place." However, consolidating textbooks, Q&A, flashcards, and more into one portal isn‘t necessarily everyone‘s ideal study flow.
If you find better value using specific tools like Quizlet for flashcards, Bartleby or Course Hero for solutions manuals, then canceling Chegg to "best-of-breed" software in each category may suit your learning style better.
Now let‘s get into the step-by-step guide to cancel your account.
How to Cancel Chegg in 3 Minutes
If after reviewing the prior section, you decide it‘s best to fully cancel your Chegg subscription, the process takes less than 3 minutes.
Let me walk you through it:
Step 1) Sign into Chegg.com Account
First, head to Chegg.com and click "Log In" to access your account dashboard.
Enter your credentials when prompted then click the profile icon in the top right corner once logged in. Select "My Account" from the dropdown menu:
This will open your complete account settings in a new tab.
Step 2) Navigate to "Orders" > "Subscriptions"
Next, on the left sidebar, click on "Orders" to view your full transaction history with Chegg, including any active subscriptions.
Under the "Subscriptions" header, you will find details related to your Chegg Study subscription tier such as monthly/yearly cost and renewal timing.
See below for reference:
Step 3) Click "Cancel Subscription"
Finally, hit the red "Cancel Subscription" button adjacent to your subscription information.
A popup will request you to first confirm why you want to cancel. Select the appropriate reason then check "Continue to Cancel."
And that‘s it! After the next billing renewal, your Chegg subscription will be successfully terminated and all recurring charges ended.
I recommend double checking under the "Subscriptions" tab a few days later to validate the cancellation went through as expected without any hiccups.
If you have multiple add-ons or premium channels beyond the core Chegg Study/Study Pack, remember to cancel those individually as well.
And what if you want to pump the brakes on Chegg temporarily rather than outright canceling your account? Let‘s explore that option next…
Pausing Chegg vs Canceling Chegg
Instead of permanently canceling your Chegg subscription, you also have the ability to pause your account for 1 to 6 months.
This gives you the flexibility to essentially put your account on sleep mode during academic breaks then seamlessly reactivate whenever you‘re ready to access Chegg‘s study resources again.
Here’s an overview of the key differences between pausing vs fully canceling Chegg:
Pausing Account
✅ Pause between 1-6 months
✅ Retain account details and payment info
✅ Resume access immediately anytime
❌ Still out-of-pocket for unused months
Canceling Account
✅ Completely stop recurring charges
❌ Lose access to Chegg study tools
❌ Must re-subscribe as new customer
So in summary, if you know for sure you’ll want to use Chegg again in the near future, a pause could be an optimal middle ground until the next semester. But canceling makes more sense if your usage will be infrequent or you’re unsatisfied with the service.
If you move forward with pausing your subscription, the process mirrors canceling:
-
Visit "My Account" and go to "Orders"
-
Under your subscription, click blue “Pause” button
-
Select number of months then hit “Confirm”
It’s that simple! After the duration, Chegg will automatically withdraw payment and reactivate benefits. Update billing details if your card information has changed.
Here is the referenced visual walkthrough:
Next let’s explore some alternative services similar to Chegg if you still need study resources after canceling.
Top Alternatives to Chegg‘s Study Tools and Textbooks
Let’s say even pausing your Chegg subscription doesn’t quite fit your budget or use case. Or maybe you want to complement Chegg with other specialized study apps.
Here are 4 of the best services that can help fill gaps in your learning toolkit if discontinuing Chegg entirely:
💡 Quizlet
Quizlet focuses specifically on user-generated flashcards, games, and study activities – they‘ve accumulated over 500 million study sets on every academic subject imaginable. Pricing starts free and goes up to $47.88 annually for premium access.
📽 Khan Academy
Packed with over 10,000 free video lessons supplementing K-12 and college coursework, Khan Academy is a top destination for self-driven learning via visual media. No paid tiers exist making it accessible for all.
📚 Bartleby
With textbook Q&A plus subject matter experts on standby for homework assistance, Bartleby delivers Chegg-like support often for lower cost. Subscriptions run ~$9 to $20 monthly.
🗂 StudyBlue
Boasting over 20 million members who author flashcards and study guides, StudyBlue has become a crowdsourced cache of academic materials across 20,000+ topics. The app comes free while premium power-ups run $9.99 monthly.
For a detailed side-by-side comparison, see the table below highlighting key attributes when evaluating alternatives to Chegg:
And there you have it! With this guide, you should have all the tools needed to make an informed decision around canceling or pausing your Chegg subscription during your academic journey.
Feel free to drop any remaining questions in the comments below.
