TL;DR

There are dozens of genuinely free homework help websites that don't require credit cards, trials, or subscriptions
The best ones cover every subject — from math solvers and science databases to writing labs and history archives
AI-powered tools like Gradily give you step-by-step explanations so you actually learn, not just copy
Many of these sites are backed by universities, nonprofits, or open-source communities — they're built to stay free
Bookmark this list and stop paying for help you can get for $0

Why Free Homework Help Websites Matter
Best Free Homework Help Websites for Math
Free Homework Help Websites for Science
Free Writing and English Help
Free Homework Help for History and Social Studies
All-Subject Free Homework Help Websites
AI-Powered Free Homework Help
How to Get the Most Out of Free Homework Help Websites
Red Flags: Free Sites to Avoid
Final Thoughts

Why Free Homework Help Websites Matter

Let's be real: homework can be brutal. You're staring at a calculus problem at 11 PM, your textbook reads like it was written by someone who hates you, and you can't exactly call your professor at midnight.

That's where free homework help websites come in.

But here's the thing — when you Google "homework help," you get hit with a wall of paid services. Chegg wants $15.95/month. Course Hero locks answers behind a paywall. Even some tutoring sites bait you with "free" and then ask for credit card info on the second click.

You shouldn't have to pay to understand your own coursework.

The good news? There are incredible free resources out there — real ones, not trials-that-auto-charge-you ones. Some are built by universities. Some by passionate educators. Some by nonprofits whose entire mission is making education accessible. And some use AI to give you personalized, step-by-step help without charging a dime.

We've spent time sorting through the noise to find the free homework help websites that are actually worth your time. Here's the list, organized by subject.

Best Free Homework Help Websites for Math

Math is the #1 subject students search for homework help in, and thankfully, it also has the most free resources.

Khan Academy

Best for: Algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, AP math courses

Khan Academy has been the gold standard of free education since 2008, and it's only gotten better. Every math topic from basic arithmetic through multivariable calculus is covered with video lessons, practice problems, and progress tracking.

What makes it great:

Completely free. No premium tier, no ads.
Practice problems with instant feedback and hints
Course structure that mirrors actual school curricula
Personalized learning dashboard

The catch: It's not a "give me the answer" tool. You'll actually have to learn the material. (That's a feature, not a bug.)

Wolfram Alpha (Free Tier)

Best for: Solving specific math problems, checking your work

Wolfram Alpha is basically a computational superpower. Type in any math expression — from solve 2x + 5 = 17 to complex integrals — and it computes the answer. The free tier shows you the result and a basic step-by-step for many problems.

Pro tip: Pair Wolfram Alpha with a learning tool. Use it to check answers after you've attempted the problem yourself.

Symbolab

Best for: Step-by-step math solutions

Symbolab offers a free calculator that walks through algebra, trigonometry, and calculus problems step by step. The free version covers a lot of ground, though some advanced step-by-step breakdowns are behind a paywall.

Desmos

Best for: Graphing, visualizing functions, understanding calculus concepts

Desmos isn't a homework solver, but it's one of the most powerful free tools for understanding math visually. If you're trying to grasp what a derivative actually looks like or how transformations affect a function, Desmos makes it click.

Free Homework Help Websites for Science

Science homework often combines conceptual understanding with problem-solving, so you need resources that handle both.

CK-12

Best for: Biology, chemistry, physics, earth science

CK-12 is a nonprofit that creates free textbooks, flashcards, and interactive simulations for science subjects. Their "FlexBooks" are customizable digital textbooks that are genuinely well-written and cover everything from middle school science through AP-level material.

What you get for free:

Full digital textbooks for every major science subject
Interactive simulations (especially great for physics and chemistry)
Practice quizzes and adaptive learning

PhET Interactive Simulations

Best for: Physics, chemistry, biology, earth science

Built by the University of Colorado Boulder, PhET gives you free interactive simulations that let you experiment with scientific concepts. Want to see what happens when you change the voltage in a circuit? Or how natural selection works over generations? PhET lets you play with it.

Every simulation is free, runs in your browser, and requires zero sign-up.

OpenStax

Best for: College-level science textbooks

OpenStax is a Rice University initiative that publishes free, peer-reviewed college textbooks. If your homework is based on a standard biology, chemistry, physics, or anatomy textbook, there's a decent chance OpenStax has a free version that covers the same material.

Free Writing and English Help

Writing assignments come with their own set of challenges — thesis statements, citations, grammar, and the dreaded "I don't know how to start."

Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)

Best for: Essay writing, citations (APA, MLA, Chicago), grammar

Purdue OWL is the single most useful free writing resource on the internet. Period. It covers everything from how to write a thesis statement to the exact formatting of an APA 7th edition reference. English professors literally send students here.

What it covers:

Essay structure and argumentation
Every citation style you'll ever need
Grammar and mechanics
Research paper methodology

Grammarly (Free Tier)

Best for: Catching grammar mistakes, basic clarity improvements

Grammarly's free version catches spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors as you type. It won't rewrite your essay for you (that's what the paid tier tries to do), but it's a solid safety net for catching embarrassing mistakes before you submit.

Hemingway Editor

Best for: Making your writing clearer and more readable

Paste your essay into Hemingway Editor and it highlights sentences that are too long, passive voice usage, and overly complex words. It's free to use in the browser and helps you tighten up your writing fast.

History and social studies homework often requires research — primary sources, context, analysis. These sites help with all of that.

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)

Best for: Primary sources, historical documents, research projects

DPLA aggregates millions of items from libraries, archives, and museums across the US. If you need a primary source for a history paper — a letter from the Civil War era, a photograph from the Great Depression, a government document from the 1960s — this is where you start.

Crash Course (YouTube)

Best for: Quick overviews of historical periods and concepts

Crash Course won't write your history essay, but it will give you a solid conceptual foundation in about 12 minutes. Their World History, US History, and Government series are excellent for getting the big picture before diving into your homework.

The National Archives

Best for: US government documents, historical records

The National Archives makes millions of primary source documents freely available online. If your assignment involves anything related to US government or American history, this is an authoritative, free resource that your professors will respect as a source.

All-Subject Free Homework Help Websites

Some platforms cover everything, making them your one-stop shop for free homework help websites across multiple subjects.

Gradily

Best for: AI-powered homework help across all subjects with step-by-step explanations

Gradily stands out among free homework help websites because it combines AI with actual educational methodology. Instead of just giving you an answer, Gradily walks you through the reasoning step by step — so you understand the "why" behind the solution.

What makes Gradily different:

Works across subjects: math, science, writing, history, and more
Explains concepts in plain language, not textbook jargon
Free to use — genuinely free, not a 7-day-trial-free
Designed for students who want to learn, not just submit

Whether you're stuck on a chemistry equation or need help structuring an argument for your political science essay, Gradily adapts to your question and your level.

Quizlet

Best for: Flashcards, study sets, test prep

Quizlet's free tier gives you access to millions of user-created study sets and the ability to create your own flashcards. It's not a homework solver, but it's incredibly helpful for reviewing material and memorizing key concepts.

Slader / Mathway (Free Versions)

Best for: Textbook solution checking

These platforms have solutions for many popular textbooks. While full step-by-step breakdowns sometimes require paid access, the free versions can still help you check if you're on the right track.

AI-Powered Free Homework Help

AI has completely changed the landscape of free homework help websites in the last two years. Here's how to use it wisely.

ChatGPT (Free Tier)

Best for: Explaining concepts, brainstorming, getting unstuck

ChatGPT can explain almost any concept in plain English, help you brainstorm essay ideas, and walk through problem-solving approaches. The free tier uses GPT-4o mini, which is more than capable for most homework help.

Important warning: ChatGPT can make mistakes, especially with math calculations and specific facts. Always verify its answers. Use it as a tutor, not an answer key.

Google Gemini

Best for: Research help, summarizing complex topics

Google Gemini is free and has the advantage of being connected to Google's search index. It's particularly good at summarizing research topics and pointing you toward relevant sources.

Gradily's AI Homework Helper

Among AI-powered free homework help websites, Gradily takes a specifically education-focused approach. While general AI tools like ChatGPT are built for everything from writing code to planning vacations, Gradily is built specifically for students and homework. That focus means better explanations, more relevant examples, and responses that are calibrated for learning — not just answering.

Perplexity AI

Best for: Research questions with cited sources

Perplexity is like ChatGPT meets Google Scholar. It answers your questions and shows you exactly where the information came from, with clickable citations. For research papers and fact-checking, it's a game-changer.

How to Get the Most Out of Free Homework Help Websites

Having access to free homework help is great, but how you use these tools matters more than which ones you choose.

1. Try the Problem First

Seriously. Give it a genuine attempt before looking anything up. Even a wrong attempt teaches you more than jumping straight to the answer. Free homework help websites are most valuable when you use them to understand where your thinking went off track.

2. Use Multiple Resources

No single website is perfect for everything. A good approach:

Start with your textbook or class notes
Watch a Khan Academy or Crash Course video if the concept is fuzzy
Attempt the problem yourself
Check your work with Wolfram Alpha, Symbolab, or Gradily
Review the step-by-step explanation to understand any mistakes

3. Focus on Understanding, Not Answers

This is the difference between students who struggle all semester and students who start rough but finish strong. If you just copy answers, you'll bomb the exam. If you use free homework help websites to understand how to solve problems, you'll actually learn.

4. Bookmark and Organize

Create a bookmark folder called "Homework Help" and organize by subject. When it's 11 PM and you're stressed, you don't want to be searching — you want to click and go.

5. Check Your School's Resources First

Many schools pay for premium access to platforms that students don't even know about. Check your school library's website — you might have free access to things like Chegg, Grammarly Premium, or specialized databases through your institution.

Red Flags: Free Sites to Avoid

Not every site that says "free" actually is. Watch out for:

"Free" sites that require a credit card — If they need your payment info to start a "free trial," they're going to charge you. Real free homework help websites don't ask for credit card numbers.
Sites that only show answers without explanations — These are designed for cheating, not learning. They also tend to have wrong answers more often than you'd think.
Essay mills and paper-buying services — These will get you expelled. Academic integrity violations stay on your record and can follow you to grad school and beyond.
Sites with aggressive pop-ups and downloads — If a site is trying to get you to download something, it's probably malware, not homework help.
"Free" sites that sell your data — Read the privacy policy (or at least skim it). Some sites monetize by selling student data to third parties.

Stick with established, reputable free homework help websites — the ones backed by universities, nonprofits, or companies with transparent business models.

Final Thoughts

You don't need to spend money to get good homework help. Between Khan Academy, Wolfram Alpha, Purdue OWL, OpenStax, Gradily, and the dozens of other free resources out there, you have access to better educational tools than any previous generation of students.

The key is being intentional about it. Use free homework help websites to learn, not just to finish assignments. Build a toolkit of go-to resources for each subject. And remember that the best tool is the one that helps you understand the material well enough to solve the next problem on your own.

The days of choosing between expensive tutoring services and struggling alone are over. Everything you need to succeed is already out there, and it's free.

Now go finish that homework. You've got this.

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