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Best Productivity ResourcesBy Shushant LakhyaniVerified creator

Book

OpenStax

Free, peer-reviewed textbooks for college and high school courses.

Visit OpenStax4.8

  • Rating

    4.8 / 5

  • Pricing

    Free

  • Difficulty

    Beginner

  • Works on

    Web

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What is OpenStax?

OpenStax, a non-profit at Rice University, publishes free, openly licensed textbooks for subjects such as maths, science, business and the social sciences. You can read every book online or download a PDF at no cost, and low-cost printed copies are available if you prefer paper.

Pros: what OpenStax does well

  • Peer-reviewed and free
  • PDF downloads for offline reading
  • Openly licensed

Cons: where it falls short

  • Limited range of subjects
  • Printed copies cost money

Who OpenStax is for

Students and self-learners who want quality textbooks without the price tag.

Who can skip it

People looking for light reading or niche topics.

OpenStax alternatives

Not sold on OpenStax? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.

All Learning resources

ManyBooks

Focus: ebooks, reading and library. Shares free books with OpenStax. A website, not a book. Rated 4.4 (OpenStax: 4.8).

WebsiteFreeWeb
4.4Visit

Project Gutenberg

Focus: ebooks, public domain and classics. Shares free books with OpenStax. A website, not a book. Rated 4.4 (OpenStax: 4.8).

WebsiteFreeWeb
4.4Visit

Libby

Focus: ebooks, audiobooks and library. Also in Reading and Learning, like OpenStax. A mobile app, not a book. Adds iOS and Android. Same 4.8 rating.

Mobile AppFreeiOS, Android
4.8Visit

Paul's Online Notes

Focus: maths, calculus and algebra. Also in Learning and Reading, like OpenStax. A course, not a book. Same 4.8 rating.

CourseFreeWeb
4.8Visit

Free alternatives to OpenStax

Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.

Wikipedia

Focus: encyclopedia, reference and research. Also in Learning and Reading, like OpenStax. A website, not a book. Adds iOS and Android. Same 4.8 rating.

WebsiteFreeWeb, iOS
4.8Visit

Audiobookshelf

Focus: audiobooks, podcasts and self-hosted. Also in Learning and Reading, like OpenStax. A web app, not a book. Adds iOS and Android. Rated 4.7 (OpenStax: 4.8).

Web AppFreeWeb, iOS
4.7Visit

BBC Bitesize

Focus: revision, gcse and school. Also in Learning and Reading, like OpenStax. A website, not a book. Rated 4.7 (OpenStax: 4.8).

WebsiteFreeWeb
4.7Visit

Google Arts & Culture

Focus: art, museums and culture. Also in Learning and Reading, like OpenStax. A website, not a book. Adds iOS and Android. Rated 4.7 (OpenStax: 4.8).

WebsiteFreeWeb, iOS
4.7Visit

Internet Archive

Focus: digital library, wayback machine and archives. Also in Learning and Reading, like OpenStax. A website, not a book. Rated 4.7 (OpenStax: 4.8).

WebsiteFreeWeb
4.7Visit

KOReader

Focus: ebook reader, e-ink and pdf reader. Also in Reading and Learning, like OpenStax. A mobile app, not a book. Adds Android, Linux and Offline. Rated 4.7 (OpenStax: 4.8).

Mobile AppFreeAndroid, Linux
4.7Visit
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