OpenStax
OpenStax is a nonprofit education initiative of Rice University that publishes free, peer-reviewed educational materials, including openly licensed textbooks…
What OpenStax is
OpenStax is a nonprofit education initiative of Rice University that publishes free, peer-reviewed educational materials, including openly licensed textbooks for introductory courses. Subject matter experts write the textbooks, which are reviewed for accuracy and updated regularly. Books are available online on the web, Android, and iOS, with free PDF downloads and low-cost print editions. Most titles can be read without an account, though a small number require sign-in. Students can highlight, take notes, and make study guides; selected features require a free student account, and read-aloud support is available. Educators with a free account can access test banks, PowerPoint slides, solutions manuals, and customization tools. OpenStax Assignable lets instructors assign readings, assessments, and supporting materials through an LMS, with automatic grading and gradebook synchronization. It supports LTI 1.3 and major LMS platforms including Blackboard, Canvas, D2L Brightspace, and Moodle.
Good
- Textbooks include free online access and PDF downloads.
- Books are peer-reviewed and updated regularly.
- Educators can access teaching resources with a free account.
- Assignable supports LTI 1.3 and major LMS platforms.
Watch out
- A small number of titles require sign-in.
- Select student features require a free account.
Who it suits
OpenStax suits students seeking free introductory-course textbooks and educators who need course materials or LMS assignments. Some student features and a small number of titles require an account.
Verdict
OpenStax pairs free textbooks with tools for students and educators, while Assignable adds LMS-based assignments and grading. Readers should check account requirements for particular titles or student features, and note Assignable’s per-semester charge.
Plans and prices
From OpenStax's own pricing page, checked 14 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| OpenStax textbooks | Free | Online access · PDF downloads · no expiration · low-cost print available |
| OpenStax Assignable | Priced on request | Two-week student trial · LMS access required · institutional licenses available · full support varies by title · per student, per course, per semester |
The facts
Each one read from OpenStax's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Accessibility
- OpenStax works toward WCAG 2.1 Level AA and Section 508 compliance and uses Level Access for automated and manual accessibility reviews.checked 14 Oct 2026
- API licence
- The openstax_api repository is released under the MIT license and documents Gemfile installation and test commands.checked 14 Oct 2026
- API repository
- The public openstax_api Ruby repository provides versioned API controllers, models, route helpers and Doorkeeper application extensions.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Assignable
- Assignable lets instructors assign readings, assessments, and supporting materials in their LMS, with auto-grading and automatic gradebook sync.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Assignable accessibility report
- The September 2025 Assignable accessibility report covers WCAG 2.2 Levels A and AA and lists some criteria as partially supported.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Assignable features
- Assignable lets instructors create LMS assignments using readings, assessment questions and interactive supplemental material.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Assignable scope limit
- The entire textbook library can be assigned, but full assessment and supplemental support is available only for some titles.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Audience
- OpenStax provides free, openly licensed textbooks and affordable technology for introductory courses.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Content licence
- OpenStax books use Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike licensing, requiring attribution, noncommercial use and identical licensing for adaptations.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Current service status
- OpenStax's status page reports Assignable, openstax.org and Accounts as fully operational with no known issues.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Exercises API
- The Exercises API exposes books, exercises, publications, users and vocabulary endpoints, using OAuth or a session and versioned Accept headers.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Format limit
- EPUB downloads were discontinued because OpenStax says they represented about one percent of usage; current formats include web, PDF, DOCX and print.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Formats
- Textbooks are available online on any device and as free PDF downloads; low-cost print editions are also offered.checked 7 Oct 2026
- History
- OpenStax began as Connexions in 1999 and became OpenStax in 2012.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Independent value study
- A Frontiers in Education experiment found preference shifted toward open textbooks after participants saw prices, and OpenStax samples received a mean fair value of $41.95.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Instructor resources
- A verified free educator account can unlock title-dependent test banks, PowerPoint slides, solution manuals and customization tools.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Integration limit
- OpenStax does not support beta, sandbox or test LMS environments, and unsupported LTI systems receive no integration guidance.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Assignable supports LTI 1.3 and major LMS platforms including Blackboard, Canvas, D2L Brightspace, and Moodle.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Limit: Instructor supplements
- Faculty in the ERIC study cited missing test banks and PowerPoint materials and said editing chapters could be complicated.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Limit: Physics readability
- An independent reviewer describes the 1,269-page College Physics book as dense, small-font and wordy, with a sparse index that can overwhelm first-year students.checked 14 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 2012checked 28 Sep 2026
Money
- Free access limits
- Most textbooks can be read without an account, but a small number of titles require sign-in and select student features require a free account.checked 7 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Limit: Android login
- AppBrain comments repeatedly report login failures that prevented highlighting and note-taking, with one reviewer preferring the website.checked 14 Oct 2026
- Limit: Mobile app coverage
- The historical Android app listing records complaints about fewer books, missing subjects, weak search and no synchronization with the website.checked 14 Oct 2026
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