CuraCourseCuraCourse vs Cengage MindTap
Cengage MindTap is courseware for Cengage textbooks, with a learning path of reading, practice, and graded activities, plus Coding Labs in some titles. CuraCourse is for instructors who write their own lessons, with practice built into the reading, and it’s free to build.
We wrote this from each company’s public docs. Last checked .
When Cengage MindTap fits
Go with MindTap if you teach from a Cengage textbook and want a finished learning path, ready-made activities, and Coding Labs in supported programming titles. Cengage Unlimited also helps students who take several Cengage courses.
When CuraCourse fits
Pick CuraCourse if you want to write the course yourself, with math answers, graphs, runnable code, and your own activities in the same lesson.
The main differences
Whose material it is
MindTap’s learning path is built on a Cengage eTextbook. You can reorder it, hide parts, and add activities and your own questions. In CuraCourse, you write the lessons, and the practice sits inside your own text.
Math, graphs, and code in one place
Cengage checks equivalent math answers and drawn graphs in WebAssign, a separate product, and Coding Labs come with certain MindTap titles. CuraCourse has math answers, graphing, and code in the same lesson, and you write the code tests yourself.
AI help for students
Student Assistant answers from the Cengage textbook without giving away answers, and instructors can turn it on or off per course or activity in supported titles. CuraCourse’s tutor works from the lesson you wrote, and you choose how much it helps.
Math, graphs, and code in one lesson.
Students graph a function right in the lesson, and their graph is checked against yours. It sits next to your code and math questions, in the same course.
How to set it upEach cell links to its guide or source.
| What you need to do | CuraCourse | Cengage |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive lessons | ||
| Author your own material Write content and organize it for your class. | Available Write lessons with explanations, video, equations, and activities in one editor. Guide | Questions only Reorder and hide activities, write your own questions, and add activities to the reading. The main text is a Cengage eTextbook. Source |
| Questions alongside teaching material Ask questions while students learn a concept. | Available Multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, open response, sorting, and ordering, right after your explanation. Guide | Available Learn It activities put reading and questions side by side, and you can add activities inside the eTextbook. Source |
| Math & graphs | ||
| Math answers checked for equivalence Students type a math expression, and equivalent forms count as correct. | Available Students answer on a math keyboard. Accept the exact form, any equivalent expression, or a value within a tolerance. Guide | In WebAssign WebAssign’s symbolic mode accepts any equivalent form. WebAssign is a separate Cengage product from MindTap. Source |
| Students draw graphs Students plot points, lines, and curves, and the graph is checked automatically. | Available Students plot points, lines, curves, and constructions on a board you set up, checked against your answers. Guide | In WebAssign In WebAssign, students draw points, lines, and curves that are scored automatically. It’s separate from MindTap. Source |
| Custom activities | ||
| Build your own interactive activity Put a simulation or tool you made in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript inside a lesson, with saved progress and scores. | Available Build it yourself or with CuraAI. It saves each student’s progress and score. Guide | Not in their docs You can add web link activities, but Cengage says they can’t be graded. We found no way to embed a scored tool. Docs checked |
| Exams | ||
| Timed exams Give students a set amount of time. | Beta Set a time limit, how students move through questions, and when grades are released. Guide | Available Activities can have a time limit, set one at a time or in bulk, with per-student extensions. Source |
| IDE | ||
| Write and run code in the browser Students code without installing anything. | Available Code exercises run inside the lesson on every plan. Cloud-based labs need Pro, or Core with the labs add-on. Guide | Select titles Coding Labs run in the browser for C++, Java, Python, SQL, and HTML, in titles that include them. Source |
| Automatic code checks Grade code against tests you set. | Available Check student programs against the output you expect, on every plan. Guide | Select labs Students run tests and the lab is scored, though some labs are graded by hand or are practice only. Source |
| Grading | ||
| Manual scoring and feedback Grade work yourself and leave comments. | Available Grade with your rubric, and move through submissions quickly with Lightning Grader. Guide | Available Review work in the gradebook, edit attempt scores, and leave written comments. Source |
| AI rubric grading AI scores work against your rubric and gives feedback. | Available Write the rubric, then review the AI’s scores and feedback. On every plan, and free Starter courses include a few AI credits. Guide | Not in their docs Cengage describes AI tutoring and insights for faculty. We couldn’t find AI scoring of student work in MindTap. Docs checked |
| AI | ||
| AI help you control Decide how much AI helps students. | Available Turn on the AI tutor per lesson and choose how much it helps. Off by default. Guide | Supported titles Student Assistant guides students without giving answers. Turn it on or off per course or activity; it’s off for tests. Source |
| Adoption & cost | ||
| LMS launch and grade sync Students open work from your LMS, and grades go back automatically. | Available LTI 1.3 with grade passback. Works with Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard Ultra, Brightspace, Schoology, and more. Guide | Available With LTI Advantage, scores sync to the LMS automatically, and you can force a manual sync. Source |
| How access is priced What a course costs, including paid features and usage. | Free to start Free for instructors. Students pay $0, $20, or $45 per course, or the school pays. Guide | Per title Students buy access per title or through a Cengage Unlimited subscription. Prices vary by title and term. Source |
“Available” means it’s documented, though it may need a certain plan. “Not in their docs” means we couldn’t find it in the linked pages. It may still exist.
Switching from Cengage MindTap
- Pick the unit you change most and rebuild it as CuraCourse lessons, with your questions inline.
- Keep past grades in MindTap and your LMS gradebook. MindTap courses don’t transfer.
- Connect CuraCourse to your LMS with LTI 1.3, and decide whether students or your school pays.
Common questions
Is CuraCourse a good Cengage MindTap alternative?
Yes, if you want to write your own course. If you rely on a Cengage textbook and its ready-made learning path, MindTap gives you more finished content.
Can I import my MindTap course?
No. Publisher text and activities stay with Cengage. You rebuild your lessons and questions in CuraCourse, and past grades stay in MindTap and your LMS.
Is MindTap the same as WebAssign?
No. They’re separate Cengage products. WebAssign handles equivalent math answers and drawn graphs, and MindTap is the textbook-based learning path.
Sources
We checked these pages in October 2026. Some features depend on the plan or book, so ask Cengage MindTap about your setup. If something is out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it.
- Cengage: Customize the MindTap learning path
- Cengage: MindTap activity types
- Cengage: WebAssign math evaluation modes
- Cengage: WebAssign graphing questions
- Cengage: MindTap web link activities
- Cengage: Set time limits in MindTap
- Cengage: MindTap coding labs
- Cengage: View students’ Coding Labs code
- Cengage: Add comments while reviewing
- Cengage Group: How Cengage uses AI
- Cengage: MindTap Student Assistant
- Cengage: Sync MindTap scores to your LMS
- Cengage Unlimited
CuraCourse entries in the table link to our own guides.