Can you use AmblesideOnline for a co-op?
Yes, if everyone knows the plans are free at AmblesideOnline's site, you do not charge a curriculum fee, and the group meets in person. Those three limits are AO's own, not ours.
If any of those do not fit, you need a paid group license. That is a planning problem, not a moral one.
The three restrictions
AmblesideOnline publishes AO for Groups so co-ops and cottage programs can use the lists without pretending they wrote them. The restrictions are short. Miss one and you are outside the license.
- Everyone involved must know the curriculum is freely available at AmblesideOnline's site.
- You may not charge a curriculum fee.
- Physical settings only. Not online classes or online co-ops.
What that means in practice
You can still charge for space, insurance, a teacher stipend, or snacks. You cannot bundle those costs into a line item named curriculum and keep using AO. Families must be able to walk away with the same booklist from AO's site at no charge.
Online delivery is the other hard stop. A hybrid that meets two days on campus can use AO for Groups on those days. A Zoom-only co-op cannot.
When the restrictions do not fit
Paid group options exist. Charlotte Mason Together is SCM's co-op product, with Season lesson-plan bundles from $84.95–$114.95 and resource-inclusive bundles from $162.70–$238.70 (checked 2026-09-06). Alveary licenses co-ops and schools separately; family membership is $299 per year (checked 2026-09-06). Those prices belong on charlotte mason co-op curriculum, not here.
Read how charlotte mason co-ops work if you are still choosing a model. Then browse charlotte mason schools by state if you would rather join a group than start one.