AI tutors for kids: what to look for

alai's makers wrote this page, and alai is one of the options on it. The details for each product come from its own pages, checked on November 5, 2026.

A checklist for choosing an AI tutor

Does it ask questions, or hand over answers?

This matters most. In a 2025 study in PNAS, high school students who practiced math with a ChatGPT-style chat often copied its solutions, then scored 17% lower on an exam without AI than students who never had it, while a tutor that gave teacher-designed hints largely avoided that drop. Common Sense Media, citing a Stanford review of more than 800 studies, says tools that give hints and ask questions show better learning outcomes than tools that hand over answers. To test a tutor, ask it for the answer to a homework problem. The guide to homework help without answers covers the research.

Can your child switch the learning mode off?

General assistants tutor only while a learning mode is on. In tests published in October 2026, Common Sense Media found ChatGPT's study mode often offered a “Show me the answer” option, and a teen could leave parent-set study hours by deleting the @study prefix, after which ChatGPT completed every assignment. OpenAI told Education Week it takes issue with how the tests were run. Common Sense also found that students using Gemini for schools can switch Guided Learning off. alai has no setting that makes Ally give answers in Homework help. Asked for the answer, Ally gives the smallest help that gets your child moving, such as a hint or a worked example of a similar problem.

Does it work on your child's own work?

A tutor that only sees a typed question can explain or solve it, but it can't see where your child's own work went wrong. ChatGPT, Gemini and Khanmigo can all take a photo of a problem. A tutor that follows the work as your child writes it can point at the exact line.

Does it remember, and can you see or delete what it keeps?

A tutor that remembers what tripped your child up can bring it back when the same mistake returns. A parent linked through ChatGPT's parental controls can turn off saved memories for a teen but can't read the teen's chats. Khanmigo shows parents the full chat history and doesn't store the photos a child uploads. In alai, the learner can see, edit and delete what Ally remembers, or reset it, and a parent who set up a child under 13 can download the child's work or delete the child's profile.

Does it follow age rules and ask for your permission?

In the US, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) covers websites and apps directed to children under 13, and general sites that know they're collecting personal information from a child that age. The FTC says these services must tell parents directly and get their approval before collecting, using or disclosing a child's personal information, including photos, videos and audio recordings of the child, and that parents can review it, withdraw consent and have it deleted. For a child under 13, the sign-up should go through you. The guide to AI age rules for kids covers each app.

Does it train AI models on your child's data?

OpenAI says it may use ChatGPT conversations to train its models unless you opt out, and a linked parent can turn off “Improve the model for everyone” for a teen. Google says Gemini chats can be used to improve its AI models while the Keep Activity setting is on, with some read by human reviewers, and that Keep Activity isn't available to children under 13. alai's privacy policy says alai doesn't use your content to train AI models. For any other tutor, check its privacy policy.

Does it say plainly that it can be wrong?

AI tutors make mistakes, and a good one says so. OpenAI says study mode can make mistakes, Google tells parents Gemini can present inaccurate information as fact, and Khan Academy says the models behind Khanmigo sometimes make mistakes. Ally can misread messy handwriting or judge a step wrongly.

Does it read aloud and listen?

For a younger child, or one who finds reading hard, voice matters. Khanmigo listens and reads its replies aloud, ChatGPT has Voice Mode (which a linked parent can turn off), and Google says Gemini Live, for talking out loud, is for users over 13. In alai, your child can hold to talk, Ally answers out loud with a caption, and hints can be read aloud.

What does it cost, and can you set limits?

Look at the price for each child, and at whether you can set hours. ChatGPT's quiet hours block set times for a linked teen, and Google Family Link has screen time limits. alai has no schedule a parent can set. Pro includes 10 hours with Ally a month for each learner, and then Ally pauses for that learner until the next month.

How the main options compare

Checked November 5, 2026, with US prices.

ChatGPT and Gemini

What they do well: They cover almost any subject, and your teen may already use one. ChatGPT study mode asks what your child knows and where they got stuck, explains in layers, quizzes one question at a time and works from uploaded notes or worksheets, on every plan. Gemini's Guided Learning asks open-ended questions and adds images, diagrams, videos and quizzes. Setup steps are in the homework guide for parents.

A limitation: Both learning modes can be left, as the checklist explains. For a child under 13, Google says Gemini access for supervised accounts is still rolling out, so it may not be available yet.

Khanmigo

What it does well: Khanmigo is built into Khan Academy's free library, so it can tutor your child on the exercise, video or article in front of them, from elementary school through college. Khan Academy says it doesn't give answers, and a parent can assign work and track progress from the Parent Dashboard. It's turned off on Khan Academy's quizzes and unit tests.

A limitation: The chat isn't in the Khan Academy app, so your child uses it in a web browser.

Photo solvers such as Photomath

What it does well: Photomath scans a problem, even a word problem, and shows a solution with each step explained, sometimes with more than one method, from elementary math through calculus. The step-by-step solutions are free, and Photomath Plus adds animated tutorials with voice-over, deeper explanations and hints.

A limitation: Photomath is the opposite of what this page is about. It shows the full solution, so a child can copy it without doing the thinking. It's most useful after your child has worked the problem.

alai

What it does well: alai is a note-taking app for iPad and the web with Ally, an adaptive AI tutor that teaches alongside your child. Your child writes each step by hand, and at the first step that doesn't follow, Ally highlights it and asks a short question. Ally is set up not to say the corrected step or the final answer while your child works, learns which kind of help works for your child, and remembers what tripped them up. After your child solves a problem, Ally can explain the solution, and in Learn, Ally teaches a topic directly. Ally tutors math from algebra through calculus, physics, chemistry and Spanish (present-tense verbs so far). The web app runs in a browser such as Chrome or Edge, so it works on a Chromebook or a Windows laptop.

Setup: Teens 13 to 17 make their own account with a parent's or guardian's permission. A parent sets up a child under 13 at tryalai.app/parent with a card check and only the child's first name and age. The free plan includes 30 minutes with Ally to try, and Pro covers up to 8 learners, with 10 hours of Ally a month each.

A limitation: There's no parent dashboard with scores or time spent. alai is also new, and the iPad app isn't on the App Store yet.