Questions about alai
Updated
The short answer
alai is an iPad and web notes app with Ally, an adaptive AI tutor that learns how you learn and asks a question when a step goes wrong. It's for students 13 and older in the US (younger ones through a parent). There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $2.99 a month.
Is alai free?
There's a free plan with every note tool, and it includes 30 minutes with Ally so you can try the tutor. The paid plans are:
- Essential: notes, with no limits on files or audio. $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year.
- Pro: Essential, the AI note tools and Ally, the tutor, for 10 hours a month per learner. $14.99 a month or $119.99 a year for the first learner, plus $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year for each extra learner, up to 8 learners in all.
If your first paid plan is a monthly one, its first month is 50% off. Plans are bought on the web, and the iPad app links there. Pricing lists everything each plan includes.
Can I cancel, and can I get a refund?
You can cancel any time with Manage plan. Your plan stays on until the end of the month or year you've paid for, then your account moves to Free, and nothing you made is deleted. We don't refund or credit the unused part of a month or year, except where the law requires it or if we close your account or shut alai down. Support covers billing questions, and section 10 of the Terms has the details.
Who can use alai, and how old do I need to be?
alai is for anyone 13 and older in the US, and a parent or guardian can set it up for a child under 13 at tryalai.app/parent. Everyone needs a free account. You can continue with Google or Apple, sign in with a one-time code sent to your email, or use your email and a password.
What devices does alai work on? Do I need an Apple Pencil?
alai's iPad app needs iPadOS 26 or later. alai also works on the web, at tryalai.app/app, in a browser such as Chrome, Edge or Safari, so it runs on a Chromebook or a Windows laptop too. The same account signs in to both, and your notes sync between them.
On iPad you write with Apple Pencil, the way you would on paper. On the web you write with a stylus or a mouse. A finger can draw too if you turn on Finger draws in settings.
Is alai on the App Store?
Not yet. You can start on the web at tryalai.app/app with a free account.
How do I get access?
Make a free account at tryalai.app/app. The same account signs in to the iPad app. A child under 13 gets an account from a parent or guardian at tryalai.app/parent.
Does Ally give the answer?
Ally is set up not to while you're working a problem. In Homework help, Ally reads your page after you pause, points at the first wrong step and asks a question about it, without saying the corrected step or the final answer. For example, under 3(x + 4) = 2x + 19, if you write 3x + 4 = 2x + 19, Ally underlines the +4 and asks, “Did the 3 reach every term inside the brackets?”
If you ask for the answer, Ally says the goal is to help you learn it and gives the smallest help that gets you moving: a hint, a fill-in-the-blank outline of your own problem, or a worked example of a similar one. After you've solved a problem, Ally can explain the finished solution, and in Learn Ally explains the topic directly. The guide to homework help that gives hints instead of answers explains why alai works this way.
Can Ally make mistakes?
Yes. Ally can misread messy handwriting or judge a step wrongly, and the answer key alai makes from an uploaded worksheet isn't checked by a person. When a line is hard to read, Ally asks you to rewrite it or say it out loud. It's worth substituting your final answer back into the problem, and the guide to checking handwritten math step by step shows how.
What subjects does alai cover?
Ally tutors math, physics, chemistry and Spanish. Spanish is the newest, and so far it covers present-tense verb conjugation. The study tools, such as summaries, flashcards and quizzes, work on notes from any class. The subjects pages go into each one.
Can I talk to Ally out loud?
Yes. Press and hold Hold to talk and ask a question, such as why a step works. Ally answers out loud, with a caption. You can turn Ally's voice off in Settings.
Does Ally remember me between sessions?
Yes, when you're signed in. alai keeps a learning history made of short codes: the topic, the mistakes you made, that a hint was shown, and what fixed it. It never holds your handwriting, transcripts or images. Ally uses it to bring up a slip you've made before. Ally also tries different ways of helping and keeps the one that works best for you. You can see it in the Memory drawer during a session and clear it with Reset Ally's memory. Your notes stay when you do. The guide to adaptive AI tutors explains what Ally keeps and why.
Is my data used to train AI?
alai's privacy policy says no. alai doesn't use your content to train AI models, and it has set up its AI providers so they don't either. alai doesn't store the page snapshots Ally checks or recordings of your voice. Ally does use your own past work and learning history to tailor help to you, with your name and email left out, and that stays with your account.
Can I bring my notes from Goodnotes or Notability?
Yes. Bring your notes imports Notability notes and Goodnotes notebooks with your handwriting kept as ink you can erase, move and keep writing beside. Notes from OneNote, Apple Notes, Evernote and other apps can come in as PDFs, and folders keep their structure.
How do I contact alai?
Email support@tryalai.app. The support page says what to include in a bug report and answers questions about plans and accounts.
Is alai the same as Alai, the AI presentation maker?
No. alai at tryalai.app is an iPad and web notes app with an adaptive AI tutor, Ally, made by Allen Hsieh and Aiden Guan. Alai at getalai.com is an AI presentation maker from a different company. The two aren't connected.