Chegg vs ChatGPT: How AI Is Disrupting Online Education in 2025

In this post, I’m putting Chegg and ChatGPT head to head to explore how AI is shaking up the online education landscape.If you want a deep comparison of these two platforms and how AI-driven models are reshaping student learning, this is the place.Today, we’ll cover:

The rise and fall of Chegg’s traditional model

How ChatGPT offers instant, conversational homework help

Features, accuracy, and personalization of both platforms

How Chegg is incorporating AI to stay competitive

What the future holds in online education disruption
Let’s dig in!

Introducing: The Two Competitors
In the blue corner, we have Chegg—once the go-to study platform for millions of students seeking homework help, textbook solutions, and tutoring. Chegg built its reputation on expert-verified answers and structured study materials.

In the red corner, we have ChatGPT by OpenAI—a large language model AI chatbot that burst onto the scene in late 2022. ChatGPT offers instant, conversational answers and personalized explanations across countless subjects for free or via subscription.

How ChatGPT Disrupted Chegg’s Business Model
Chegg enjoyed steady growth and little competition until ChatGPT launched. Students quickly gravitated to ChatGPT due to its key advantages: instant responses, no subscription fees (for free tier users), and the ability to explain complex problems conversationally.

By mid-2024, studies showed over 60% of college students preferred ChatGPT for homework help, compared to just 30% relying on Chegg. Chegg’s stock plummeted nearly 99%, and it shed half a million subscribers.

ChatGPT’s AI model generates answers from vast datasets instantly, while Chegg’s human-verified system couldn’t compete with the speed and accessibility, even if ChatGPT sometimes makes mistakes.

Feature Comparison: Chegg vs ChatGPT
Feature Chegg ChatGPT
Content Source Verified experts, textbook solutions AI-generated from training data
Accuracy High (human-verified) Good, but occasional hallucinations
Personalization Adaptive study plans, tailored tutoring Customizable prompts, conversational learning
Cost Starts at $15/month, add-ons extra Free + $20/month for Plus subscription
Availability Structured platform, limited by business hours Accessible 24/7, instant responses
User Experience Structured learning modules Chat-based, interactive Q&A
Chegg’s Shift Toward AI
In response to AI’s rapid rise, Chegg launched CheggMate, a GPT-4-powered chatbot integrating AI with Chegg’s databases for improved accuracy and personalized learning experiences. However, CheggMate struggled to capture mindshare compared to ChatGPT’s momentum.

Chegg is now pivoting further, partnering with multiple AI providers like Scale AI, offering users choice among different AI tutors, and focusing heavily on personalized education pathways. They emphasize trust and reliability as their competitive edge—vital in education where accuracy matters.

What the Future Holds
The Chegg vs ChatGPT battle epitomizes broader shifts in online education:

AI tools like ChatGPT democratize access to instant homework help.

Traditional platforms must adapt by integrating AI while maintaining content quality.

Education will likely evolve toward hybrid models combining AI tutors with human oversight.

Students benefit from personalized, accessible, and diverse learning options.

Conclusion
ChatGPT’s emergence triggered a tectonic shift in online education, forcing established players like Chegg to reinvent themselves or risk obsolescence. While Chegg’s human-verified model offers trust and structured learning, ChatGPT’s AI-driven instant assistance reshaped student expectations.

Those who thrive in 2025 will balance AI’s speed and scale with expert-backed reliability and personalization—the true future of education disruption.