shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Chegg?

Not disclosed - chegg.com

Depends. Worth it only for students regularly stuck on textbook problems who will use it ethically. Everyone else should skip it: free AI chatbots now cover most of its value, and cancellation and security complaints are real.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~30 public sources: FTC and breach records, G2/Trustpilot reviews, Reddit threads, pricing trackers.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

~$14.95–$15.95/mo

Chegg Study

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed

Best for

  • Stuck STEM students
  • Textbook solution lookups
  • Exam cram sessions

Not for

  • Professional or enterprise teams
  • Anyone unwilling to pay for what free AI gives
  • Graded assignments — academic-integrity risk
  • Privacy-cautious buyers

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Subscription auto-renews; many complaints about cancellation and charges continuing

high

Using it on graded work can violate academic-integrity policies

high

2018 breach led to FTC-mandated security program and a class action

medium

Answer quality reportedly declined versus earlier years

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 24/7 homework help across 50+ subjects
  • 4.5/5 seller rating across 199 G2 reviews
  • Cheap vs tutoring: ~$14.95–$15.95 monthly
  • Large user base: 4.6 million subscribers
  • Step-by-step solutions and expert Q&A

Cons

  • Free AI chatbots have eaten its core value
  • Universities flag it as an academic-integrity tool
  • 2018 breach exposed millions of users' data
  • FTC action for careless security practices
  • Returning students say quality dropped

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/24/2026 - 12 sources - Poor record: 2018 breach exposed millions; FTC finalized a security order in 2023.

official x2review x5security x2news x3
  • 2018 data breach, April 2018 breach exposed personal data of millions of users.
  • FTC enforcement action, FTC alleged careless security exposed personal data; finalized order in January 2023 requiring tightened security.
  • Securities fraud class action, Class action over breach disclosure; Chegg agreed to pay a settlement.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 2/5

    Rating

  • ~$14.95–$15.95/mo

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 2/5. $15/mo vs free AI chatbots
  • Ease of use: 4/5. 24/7 app-based help, widely used
  • Feature depth: 3/5. 50+ subjects, but answer quality reportedly declining
  • Support quality: 2/5. Repeated Reddit complaints about cancellations
  • Security posture: 1/5. FTC order after breach exposed millions
  • 4.5/5 G2 rating 199 reviews on G2
  • ~$14.95/mo Starting price Chegg Study monthly plan
  • 4.6M Subscribers Chegg Study subscribers
  • 2018 Data breach Millions of users exposed; FTC action followed

Pricing

Chegg Study

~$14.95–$15.95/mo

  • Textbook solutions
  • Expert Q&A
  • 24/7 access

Security

Poor record: 2018 breach exposed millions; FTC finalized a security order in 2023.

  • 2018 data breachApril 2018 breach exposed personal data of millions of users.⁹
  • FTC enforcement actionFTC alleged careless security exposed personal data; finalized order in January 2023 requiring tightened security.⁸
  • Securities fraud class actionClass action over breach disclosure; Chegg agreed to pay a settlement.

What users say

Students find it genuinely useful for hard problems, but many complain about price, cancellations, and declining quality.

“Is it just me, or is Chegg not as good as it used to be?”
Reddit, r/EngineeringStudents
“Chegg is such a scam.”
Reddit, r/CollegeRant
“Chegg is Stealing Money, and you are not safe”
Reddit, r/UIUC
Full analysis

Based on ~30 public sources: FTC and breach records, G2/Trustpilot reviews, Reddit threads, pricing trackers.

Homework-help subscription for stuck students; free AI plus integrity and security risks make it skippable now.

Methodology

Based on ~30 public sources: FTC and breach records, G2/Trustpilot reviews, Reddit threads, pricing trackers.

Sources

  1. Chegg — official sitechegg.com
    official
  2. Chegg Study product pagechegg.com
    official
  3. Chegg on G2 (199 reviews, 4.5/5)g2.com
    review
  4. Trustpilot reviews of chegg.comtrustpilot.com
    review
  5. Reddit: Chegg quality declinereddit.com
    review
  6. Reddit: cancellation complaintsreddit.com
    review
  7. Chegg pricing reviewmyengineeringbuddy.com
    review
  8. FTC finalizes order with Cheggftc.gov
    security
  9. Chegg data breach — Have I Been Pwnedhaveibeenpwned.com
    security
  10. Wired: ChatGPT ate Chegg's lunchwired.com
    news
  11. Chegg revenue and usage statisticsbusinessofapps.com
    news
  12. Drexel: Chegg and Course Hero integrity resourcesdrexel.edu
    news

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