Cambridge Aspire vs zyBooks

Cambridge Aspire combines academic expertise with learning materials for instructors and students. Its Institutional eTextbook Collection gives institutions access to over 1,000 Cambridge eTextbooks, while individuals can purchase specific titles with perpetual access. Instructors can try a subject eTextbook Collection for three months at free. Cambridge Spiral is a web, desktop and mobile application for downloading and reading textbooks offline. It supports bookmarks, highlights, annotations and links, with an Annotations tab for managing and reviewing notes; instructor annotations are available through custom group mode. The eReader allows copying and printing up to 20% of an eTextbook, and text-to-speech turns eCollection textbook titles into audio. Library users may access books through IP verification, Shibboleth or Athens. Online read-only access does not include annotations, bookmarks or offline reading. The Cambridge Aspire website supports LTI 1.1 links to textbooks or chapters in Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, DSL and Sakai.

zyBooks is interactive digital courseware designed as an alternative to textbooks in STEM courses. Instructors can add custom content, create sections and chapters, and set course content and pacing. LMS integration is optional: zyBooks supports LTI 1.3 single sign-on and grade passback, with documentation for Canvas, Blackboard, Brightspace, and Moodle; activity scores can also be downloaded as CSV files. Security course materials include labs for practicing malware creation, network analysis, and vulnerability assessment. The maker describes accessibility against WCAG 2.2 A/AA, Revised Section 508, and EN 301 549, and offers accessibility modes and chapter PDFs. Access is by paid subscription, with a free evaluation available to instructors.