The best AI homework helpers in 2026: every tool compared
Quick answer
The best AI homework helper depends on whether you want a tutor or an answer engine. For K–12 kids, Khanmigo ($4/month) is built to guide without giving answers. The best free tutors are ChatGPT Study Mode and Gemini Guided Learning. Photo solvers like Photomath and Gauth show answers instantly, so they are best for checking finished work.
Top picks by need
Khanmigo
Guides with questions, $44 a year for up to 10 kids, parent dashboard.
ChatGPT Study Mode
Free Study Mode, plus Study Hours parents can set on teen accounts.
NotebookLM
Free study guides and audio overviews from your own materials.
Comparison table: all 19 AI homework tools
Filter by type, or show only tools that guide without giving answers. Tap a name for the full review with pricing and age rules.
| Tool | Type | Gives answers? | Free? | Paid plan (US) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khanmigo Khan Academy (nonprofit) | Tutor | Guides, no answers | Teachers only | $4/month or $44/year | K–12 |
| ChatGPT Study Mode OpenAI | Tutor | Guides, no answers | Yes | About $20/month | Middle school through college (13+) |
| Gemini Guided Learning | Tutor | Guides, no answers | Yes | Paid | Middle school through college |
| Claude Learning Mode Anthropic | Tutor | Guides, no answers | Yes | Through partner universities | Adults and college students (18+) |
| Microsoft Copilot Study and Learn Microsoft | Tutor | Guides, no answers | Yes | $0 | Middle school through college |
| Synthesis Tutor Synthesis | Tutor | Guides, no answers | Trial | $29/month | K–5 (ages 5–11) |
| Perplexity Learn Mode Perplexity | Tutor | Partly | Yes | Discounted for verified students | High school and college |
| Photomath | Solver | Gives answers | Yes | About $9.99/month; cheaper annual plan | Elementary through college math |
| Google Lens Homework Help | Solver | Partly | Yes | $0 | All grades |
| Gauth ByteDance (GauthTech) | Solver | Gives answers | Yes | About $11.99/month; quarterly and annual plans cost less | Middle school through early college |
| Question.AI 3HOUSE (Singapore) | Solver | Gives answers | Yes | About $9–12/month (US App Store) | Middle school through college |
| Brainly Brainly | Solver | Gives answers | Yes | $29.99/month or $95.99/year | K–12, strongest for middle and high school |
| Chegg Study Chegg | Solver | Gives answers | Trial | About $15.95/month | High school and college |
| Mathway Chegg | Solver | Gives answers | Yes | About $9.99/month; annual plan cheaper | Middle school through college |
| Symbolab Symbolab | Solver | Gives answers | Yes | About $6.99/month or $29.99/year | Middle school through college |
| Wolfram|Alpha Wolfram Research | Solver | Gives answers | Yes | Discounted student pricing; varies by billing period and region | High school and college |
| NotebookLM | Study | Partly | Yes | Via Google AI plans | Teens (13+) through college |
| Quizlet Quizlet | Study | Guides, no answers | Yes | $9.99/month or $44.99/year | Middle school through college |
| Knowunity Knowunity GmbH | Study | Partly | Yes | About $9.99/month on the US App Store | Middle school through high school |
Prices are US list prices checked in October 2026. They change often; each review links to the official pricing.
Tutors vs. answer engines: the difference that matters
AI homework tools split into two camps. Tutors such as Khanmigo, Synthesis Tutor and the study modes in ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot respond to a question with questions: what have you tried, what is the next step, why does that work. The student does the thinking, and the AI checks it.
Answer engines such as Photomath, Gauth, Question.AI, Mathway and Chegg take a photo or typed problem and return a worked solution in seconds. They are excellent for checking finished work and seeing where a mistake happened. They are also the fastest way to skip the learning entirely.
A simple house rule makes either kind useful: solve first, then use AI to check or explain. If the answers differ, the student finds the first step where they went wrong.
The big chatbots now offer both behaviors. ChatGPT Study Mode, Gemini Guided Learning, Claude's Learning mode and Copilot Study and Learn all tutor when switched on, but a student can switch back to regular mode for direct answers. The exception is ChatGPT for Teens, where a parent can set Study Hours.
How to choose by grade level
Elementary school (K–5)
Pick tools built for children and managed by a parent: Synthesis Tutor for math confidence (ages 5–11) or Khanmigo through a parent account. Avoid general chatbots, which require users to be 13 or older.
Middle school (6–8)
Khanmigo remains the safest choice. Students 13 and up can use ChatGPT Study Mode on a teen account with Study Hours set. Use Photomath only for checking.
High school (9–12)
Combine a tutor mode for learning with a reliable checker such as Wolfram|Alpha, and NotebookLM or Quizlet for test review. Perplexity helps with research papers because it cites sources.
College
All of the above, plus Claude Learning Mode (18+) for writing feedback and Chegg Study for textbook-heavy STEM courses.
Every tool by category
AI tutors that guide instead of answering
Built to coach. They ask questions, give hints and check the student's thinking instead of handing over the final answer.
- Khanmigo ($4/mo): Khan Academy's AI tutor, built from the ground up not to hand over answers.
- ChatGPT Study Mode (free option): A free tutoring mode inside ChatGPT that walks students through problems step by step.
- Gemini Guided Learning (free option): Google's free step-by-step learning mode with diagrams, images and videos built in.
- Claude Learning Mode (free option): A Socratic response style in Claude that asks how you would approach a problem before helping.
- Microsoft Copilot Study and Learn (free option): Copilot's free tutoring mode, which replaced the retired Microsoft Math Solver app.
- Synthesis Tutor ($29/mo): A voice-guided AI math tutor for ages 5–11 with hands-on visual lessons.
- Perplexity Learn Mode (free option): An active-learning version of Perplexity's cited search, aimed at verified students.
Homework solvers and answer engines
Snap or type a problem and get a worked solution. Useful for checking work; easy to misuse for copying.
- Photomath (free option): Point the camera at a math problem and get a step-by-step solution.
- Google Lens Homework Help (free option): Free camera homework help built into the Google app, now home to the retired Socratic app's features.
- Gauth (free option): A multi-subject photo solver with an AI chat tutor and on-demand human experts.
- Question.AI (free option): A scan-and-solve homework app for all subjects with a built-in tutor chat.
- Brainly (free option): A huge community Q&A library combined with an AI tutor and optional live experts.
- Chegg Study ($15.95/mo): Textbook solutions and expert Q&A, mostly for high school and college STEM.
- Mathway (free option): A math problem solver that gives answers free and steps with a subscription.
- Symbolab (free option): An AI math solver and calculator suite with steps, graphing and practice quizzes.
- Wolfram|Alpha (free option): A computational knowledge engine that calculates answers from curated data.
AI study tools
Turn class notes, readings and slides into summaries, flashcards and practice quizzes.
- NotebookLM (free option): Upload your class materials and get summaries, study guides and audio overviews grounded only in them.
- Quizlet (free option): Flashcards and practice tests, with AI tools that turn notes into study sets.
- Knowunity (free option): A student-made notes library with an AI scanner, chat and tutor.
Safety, privacy and age limits
- Age minimums are real. ChatGPT and NotebookLM personal accounts are for users 13 and older; Claude's consumer app is 18+. Under-13s need tools designed for children or a school-managed account. In the US, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) requires parental consent before online services collect personal information from children under 13.
- Know who owns the app. Gauth is owned by ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, and some US school districts restrict ByteDance-owned apps.
- Keep personal details out. Teach kids not to upload photos with their face, name, school or address, and not to paste private information into any AI chat.
- Look for parent visibility. Khanmigo offers chat history and alerts; ChatGPT for Teens offers parental controls and Study Hours.
- Expect mistakes. Every AI tool can be confidently wrong. Calculation engines like Wolfram|Alpha are the most reliable for math.
Is using AI for homework cheating?
It depends on how it is used and on the school. Asking an AI to explain a concept, quiz you or check finished work is generally treated like working with a tutor. Submitting an AI-written answer or essay as your own usually breaks academic integrity rules, and many teachers now ask students to show their steps or explain their reasoning out loud. The safest approach is to ask the teacher what is allowed and to keep AI in the explaining and checking role.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI homework helper that doesn't give answers?
For K–12 students in the US, Khanmigo is the strongest dedicated option: it is built to respond with hints and questions, costs $4 a month or $44 a year, and one parent account covers up to 10 children. For a free option, ChatGPT Study Mode and Gemini Guided Learning both tutor step by step, and ChatGPT for Teens lets parents set Study Hours.
What is the best free AI homework helper?
ChatGPT Study Mode, Gemini Guided Learning and Microsoft Copilot Study and Learn are free tutoring modes that guide rather than answer. For checking math, Photomath's free tier and Wolfram|Alpha's free answers are reliable. NotebookLM is the best free tool for turning class notes into study guides.
Is using AI for homework cheating?
It depends on how it is used and on the school's policy. Using AI to explain a concept or check finished work is generally treated like using a tutor; submitting an AI-generated answer as your own usually violates academic integrity rules. Ask the teacher what is allowed.
What AI homework tools are safe for kids under 13?
Most general chatbots, including ChatGPT and NotebookLM on personal accounts, require users to be 13 or older, and Claude's consumer app requires 18+. Tools designed for younger children, such as Khanmigo (managed through a parent account) and Synthesis Tutor (ages 5–11), are better fits. School-provided accounts follow the school's rules.
Which AI is best for math homework?
To learn math, use a tutor that guides: Khanmigo for K–12 or Synthesis Tutor for ages 5–11. To check finished work, Photomath (free basic steps) and Wolfram|Alpha (free computed answers) are accurate and fast. Symbolab and Mathway also show steps with a paid plan.
Can parents stop a teen from getting answers from ChatGPT?
Partly. With ChatGPT for Teens, a linked parent can set Study Hours so new chats during homework time start in Study Mode by default. It does not block ChatGPT entirely, so a family agreement about when regular mode is off-limits still matters.
Do AI homework apps make mistakes?
Yes. All AI tools can be confidently wrong, especially on word problems, messy handwriting and multi-step reasoning. Calculation engines like Wolfram|Alpha are the most reliable for math. Students should check AI answers against class notes and the teacher's methods.
How we built this guide
We reviewed each tool's official site, app store listings, help documentation and recent independent reviews, and recorded US pricing, free-tier limits, age rules and whether the tool guides or gives answers. No company paid to be listed. We re-check prices regularly; the date on each page shows the last check. Read our full methodology.