Khan Academy is one of those rare internet unicorns that actually lives up to its hype. Founded in 2008 by Sal Khan (who started by tutoring his cousin via YouTube videos), it's now a massive nonprofit educational platform with lessons in math, science, reading, history, and more. Kids from kindergarten through high school (and honestly, adults too) use it for everything from homework help to test prep to filling learning gaps.
The big question parents always ask: Is it really free? Like, actually free?
Short answer: Yes. Like, genuinely yes.
Here's what you can access without paying a single cent:
The core learning platform:
- Math from kindergarten through early college (calculus, linear algebra, statistics)
- Science content (biology, chemistry, physics)
- Reading and language arts
- History and social studies
- Economics and finance
- Test prep for SAT, LSAT, MCAT, and more
- Computer programming courses
- Arts and humanities content
Interactive features:
- Practice exercises with instant feedback
- Instructional videos (literally thousands of them)
- Personalized learning dashboards
- Progress tracking
- Mastery challenges
- Teacher/parent monitoring tools
No ads, no paywalls, no surprise charges. You create a free account, and boom—everything's unlocked. Your kid can spend three hours learning about photosynthesis or finally understanding fractions, and you won't get a bill.
This is wild when you consider that other educational apps often hit you with premium tiers, limited free trials, or "unlock more content for $9.99/month."
There isn't really one, but let's be clear about what Khan Academy is and isn't:
Khan Academy is free because:
- It's a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by donations from foundations and individuals (big donors include the Gates Foundation and Google)
- Their mission is literally "free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere"
- They're not trying to sell you anything
What you WON'T find:
- Live tutoring (it's all self-paced video and practice)
- Fancy gamification (no avatars, no virtual pets, no elaborate reward systems like in Prodigy Math)
- Comprehensive curriculum for homeschooling (it's supplemental, not a full replacement for school)
- Content for every single subject (no foreign languages beyond the basics, limited arts content)
The "catch" is that it requires self-motivation. Khan Academy won't send push notifications begging your kid to come back. There's no addictive gameplay loop. It's just... learning. Which for some kids is perfect, and for others feels like homework.
They have a separate app called Khan Academy Kids for ages 2-8, and yes, it's also completely free. No in-app purchases, no ads, no premium version.
Khan Academy Kids has:
- Early literacy and math
- Social-emotional learning
- Creative activities
- Cute characters and more engaging visuals than the main platform
- Offline access
It's legitimately one of the best free educational apps for young kids. My only gripe is that kids can outgrow it pretty quickly—by second or third grade, most are ready for the main Khan Academy platform.
Okay, here's where there IS a paid option: Khanmigo.
Khanmigo is Khan Academy's AI-powered tutor (built on GPT-4). It launched in 2023 and costs $44/year (or $4/month). This is the ONLY thing Khan Academy charges for.
What Khanmigo adds:
- An AI tutor that can answer questions and guide learning (Socratic method style—it won't just give answers)
- Writing feedback
- Debate practice
- Interactive conversations about what your kid is learning
- AI tutoring that actually tries to teach
rather than just doing homework for kids
Should you pay for it? Honestly, most families don't need it. The free Khan Academy is already incredibly robust. Khanmigo is more of a "nice to have" if your kid would benefit from more interactive guidance or if you're curious about AI in education. But it's not necessary to get value from the platform.
Ages 2-8: Use Khan Academy Kids. It's designed for this age group with appropriate pacing and visuals.
Ages 8-12: Start with the main Khan Academy platform. Focus on grade-level math and reading. The videos are clear enough that most kids can follow along independently, though younger kids might need parent support to navigate the interface at first.
Ages 13+: Khan Academy really shines here. Test prep (especially SAT), high school math and science, and the computer programming courses are all excellent. This is where motivated teens can genuinely get ahead or catch up without needing expensive tutors.
It's not a babysitting tool. Khan Academy requires active engagement. You can't just plop your kid in front of it and expect magic. It works best when used intentionally—"Let's spend 20 minutes on fractions" or "Use this to prep for your chemistry test."
The interface is dated. It's functional but not flashy. If your kid is used to the dopamine hits of Roblox or YouTube, Khan Academy might feel boring by comparison. That's not necessarily bad—it's just different.
It's genuinely educational screen time. When we talk about quality vs. quantity in screen time, Khan Academy is the gold standard for "quality." It's active learning, not passive consumption.
Parent/teacher tools are solid. You can create a parent account to monitor progress, assign specific lessons, and see where your kid is struggling. Teachers use Khan Academy in classrooms for this exact reason.
Khan Academy is 100% free for everything that matters. The core platform, Khan Academy Kids, test prep, thousands of videos, practice exercises—all free. The only paid feature is Khanmigo (the AI tutor), which is optional and honestly unnecessary for most families.
Is it perfect? No. It's not going to replace a great teacher or tutor. It won't work miracles if your kid is completely disengaged. But as a free resource for homework help, skill building, or test prep? It's unbeatable.
If you're looking for alternatives to Khan Academy or want to explore other educational apps, there are plenty of options. But honestly, start here. It costs nothing to try, and the worst-case scenario is your kid learns something.
- Create a free account at khanacademy.org (or download Khan Academy Kids for younger children)
- Explore with your kid rather than just assigning it as homework—watch a video together, try a practice problem
- Set realistic expectations—20-30 minutes a few times a week is more sustainable than daily marathons
- Use it strategically—test prep before the SAT, filling gaps in math understanding, exploring topics they're curious about
And if you're wondering whether this counts toward screen time limits or how to balance educational apps with everything else? Let's talk about that.