Cosmeo

We found an excellent comparison review of Cosmeo at TopTenReviews.com, where its features and subject matter are compared in detail with those of 13 other homework help sites. Two single-product reviews, at MultiMedia & Internet@Schools and at Yahoo! Tech, provide much more detail with some specific testing. The brief review at Teach42.com is more biased, since the author works for the parent company that owns Cosmeo, but reader comments are useful.

Reviewers recommend Cosmeo.com as the best paid reference website for students seeking homework help. The site, operated by the Discovery Channel, charges about $10 per month or $100 per year. Free homework help is available elsewhere, but Cosmeo has a slicker interface with more multimedia features. Experts say there's a wealth of information here -- including a search engine, atlas, online encyclopedia, tutorials and a separate math area called WebMath. It does require a fast Internet connection, and recently reported staff cuts lead to questions about Cosmeo's viability. A 30-day free trial is available, but your credit card will be charged if you don't cancel by phone before it ends. Note that Cosmeo doesn't offer individual help. For personal tutoring, reviewers recommend TutorVista.com (*est. $100 per month).