Khan Academy review 2027

What problem does Khan Academy solve for school-age kids?

Khan Academy explains; IXL drills. Together they cover school math better than any paid app in the test, and Khan is free. That combination is the point: most apps either teach or quiz, and Khan does both, with video lessons followed by mastery practice. It lost engagement points because a 10-year-old will not open it alone.

It is still the right fit for homework help from third grade up, and it goes all the way to AP and SAT. The verdict headline from our testing was blunt: best free app for school-age kids.

How did it score 8.7 out of 10?

Our score breakdown is criterion by criterion, with real points out of the real maximum.

• Learning: 27 out of 30. Measures alignment to grade-level standards, adaptive difficulty, and measured progress in the two-week trial.
• Engagement: 12 out of 20. Measures whether the child asked to use it again, and how much of a session was learning versus reward animation.
• Parent tools: 13 out of 15. Measures progress reports, time limits, multiple child profiles, teacher/parent dashboard.
• Safety & ads: 15 out of 15. Measures no third-party ads, COPPA-compliant, no in-app purchases inside the child view.
• Value: 20 out of 20. Measures annual price per child against what is free elsewhere.

Engagement is where it lost. Everything else held up.

What are the standout strengths?

It is free, nonprofit, and has no ads. It teaches with video then checks with mastery practice — the gap IXL leaves. It goes all the way to AP and SAT. Parent and teacher dashboards are included.

In the two-week trial, the measured results were simple: ages 5–18, per year $0, ads none. That is not a marketing claim; it is what the test recorded.

What is inside, and how is it built?

The spec rows describe the real components and structure.

• Ages: 5–18+
• Subjects: Math, science, reading, history, economics, computing, SAT
• Price: Free; Khanmigo AI tutor $4/mo
• Free tier: Yes
• Ads: None
• Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
• Child profiles: Multiple (parent account)
• Parent reports: Yes, mastery by unit

That is the whole build: a web and app platform, a parent account holding multiple child profiles, and reports by unit rather than by time spent.

How does it compare with other kids learning apps?

We tested five competitors in the same category. Here is where Khan Academy sits against each.

Khan Academy Kids (9.1, Free). Ahead of Khan Academy on score, and aimed at ages 2–8 with reading, math, logic, social-emotional lessons and books. Khan Academy covers ages 5–18+ and adds science, history, economics, computing and SAT. For a six-year-old, Khan Academy Kids is the better fit; for a ten-year-old, Khan Academy is.

Reading Eggs (8.7, $12.99). Level on score, but it is a paid phonics program for ages 2–13 with maths via Mathseeds. Khan Academy is free and reaches 18+, but Reading Eggs is the stronger reading-specific tool.

IXL (8.4, $9.95). Behind Khan Academy on score, and it is practice, not lessons. IXL covers ages 4–18 across math, English language arts, science, social studies and Spanish, with detailed reporting by standard. Khan Academy explains; IXL drills.

ABCmouse (8.0, $14.99). A preschool-to-second-grade curriculum for ages 2–8. Khan Academy is free and goes far beyond second grade.

HOMER (7.8, $9.99). A personalised early-reading program for ages 2–8. Khan Academy is free and covers more subjects for older children.

Feature comparison across the category

Shared spec labels, side by side.

• Ages: Khan Academy 5–18+; Khan Academy Kids 2–8; Reading Eggs 2–13; IXL 4–18; ABCmouse 2–8; HOMER 2–8.
• Subjects: Khan Academy math, science, reading, history, economics, computing, SAT; Khan Academy Kids reading, math, logic, social-emotional, books; Reading Eggs phonics, reading, spelling, comprehension plus maths via Mathseeds; IXL math, English language arts, science, social studies, Spanish; ABCmouse reading, math, science, art, music; HOMER reading, math, social-emotional, creativity.
• Price: Khan Academy free; Khan Academy Kids free; Reading Eggs $12.99/mo or $89.99/yr; IXL $9.95/mo one subject, $19.95/mo core, annual from $79; ABCmouse $14.99/mo or $59.99/yr; HOMER $9.99/mo or $59.99/yr.
• Free tier: Khan Academy yes; Khan Academy Kids yes; Reading Eggs trial; IXL limited (10 questions/day); ABCmouse trial; HOMER trial.
• Ads: none across all six.
• Platforms: Khan Academy web, iOS, Android; Khan Academy Kids iOS, Android, Fire; Reading Eggs web, iOS, Android; IXL web, iOS, Android; ABCmouse web, iOS, Android, Fire; HOMER iOS, Android, Fire, web.
• Child profiles: Khan Academy multiple (parent account); Khan Academy Kids multiple; Reading Eggs up to 4; IXL multiple (family plans); ABCmouse up to 3; HOMER up to 4.
• Parent reports: Khan Academy yes, mastery by unit; Khan Academy Kids yes; Reading Eggs yes, by lesson; IXL detailed, by standard; ABCmouse yes; HOMER yes.

Where does Khan Academy fall short?

Engagement is the weak point, and it is not a small one. The app is not designed to be fun; younger kids need a parent alongside. Reading and writing coverage is thinner than math. Khanmigo is a paid add-on.

Those are the test cons, and they match the score: 12 out of 20 on engagement against 27 out of 30 on learning.

Is Khan Academy good value?

The price summary is free. Khanmigo, the AI tutor, is a $4/mo add-on. Against paid rivals at $9.95, $12.99, $14.99 and $9.99 per month, the core product costs nothing and carries no ads.

Who should buy Khan Academy?

It is still right for homework help from third grade up. If your child is in the 5–18+ range and needs explanations rather than only drills, this is the free option that covers math, science, reading, history, economics, computing and SAT.

If your child is younger than five, or needs a program that pulls them in without an adult, look at the early-years apps instead. Khan Academy explains; it does not entertain. That is the trade, and for school-age homework it is the right one.