Best AI tutors in 2026

How we ranked

1. Teaches, not just answers (counts most): asks questions, gives hints, checks understanding.
2. Shows you your own work (counts most): talks with you and sees your screen, camera or uploads.
3. Available to most students today: devices, countries and age rules.
4. Cost for a student: what the free plan does and what the main paid plan costs.
5. Track record: how long it has been used by students.

The ranking at a glance

The picks, in order

1. Google Gemini (Guided Learning + Live)

Best for: Best free all-rounder, with voice and screen sharing on phones. Price (October 2026): Free; AI Plus $4.99/month; AI Pro $19.99/month. Platforms: Web, Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac, Chrome.

Guided Learning breaks problems down step by step with questions, images and quizzes. Gemini Live is free voice chat that can see your camera or full screen on Android and iPhone. Gemini also makes free flashcards, study guides and full SAT practice tests.

Why it ranks here: Strong on every criterion: Guided Learning teaches with questions, Live voice can see your phone screen, and it is free on most devices. Live is not in the web app and is 18+ in Chrome.

Watch out: Live is not in the Gemini web app, and Live in Chrome is not available to users under 18. 13+ (under 13 only through a parent's Family Link). Full comparison.

2. ChatGPT study mode

Best for: Free step-by-step help on any device. Price (October 2026): Free; Go $8/month; Plus $20/month; Pro from $100/month. Platforms: Web, iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows.

Study mode asks questions, gives hints and checks your understanding instead of only giving answers. It is free on every plan, and it can quiz you inside the chat. Voice is on all plans; Plus includes up to 3 hours a day of Live voice.

Why it ranks here: Free study mode on every device and lots of voice time on Plus. It ranks below Gemini because the default voice cannot see your screen.

Watch out: It can still give direct answers. The default Live voice cannot see your camera or screen; screen share is in Advanced voice on the phone apps. 13+, with a parent's permission under 18. Full comparison.

3. Khanmigo

Best for: Low-cost guided tutoring on Khan Academy (US). Price (October 2026): $4/month or $44/year; free for teachers. Platforms: Any web browser, including Chromebooks.

Khan Academy's AI tutor guides you to the answer instead of giving it. It covers math, science, coding, history and humanities, and works next to Khan Academy's lessons. A family plan covers up to 10 kids for the same price.

Why it ranks here: The most tutor-like by design and only $4 a month, but US only, no live voice conversation, and it works mainly inside Khan Academy.

Watch out: US only. You sign up at 18+, or a parent signs up kids. No live voice conversation or screen sharing; it is turned off during Khan Academy quizzes and tests. Full comparison.

4. DuckyHelper (our product)

Best for: A live voice tutor that sees and marks up your screen, any subject. Price (October 2026): Free (about 6 min of talking a week); Plus $20/month; Pro $200/month; Unlimited $200/week. Platforms: Web app in any browser, including Chromebooks and Windows; Mac app (macOS 14+, Apple silicon).

A live voice tutor. Talk to Ducky and it sees your screen, explains out loud, and shows you: in the web app it draws marks on the preview of a tab, window or screen you share; in the Mac app it draws circles, arrows and labels right on your real screen and walks you through steps in your own apps, checking each one. Both make quizzes, worked steps, interactive graphs and pictures; flashcards, simulations, maps, timelines and the code runner are Mac app only, and longer practice tests are web only. A dashboard tracks time learned, streak, topics, mastery and test scores.

Why it ranks here: Best at the two criteria that count most: it talks with you while it sees your screen and marks it up, in a browser (including Chromebooks) or on a Mac, where it also draws on your real screen and checks each step you do. It ranks fourth because it is new with no track record, has a small free plan, gives far less talking time per dollar than chat apps, and has no phone app.

Watch out: New, with no track record yet. The free plan is small, and you get far less talking time per dollar than with chat apps. Drawing on your real screen, step checks inside other apps and flashcards are Mac only. No phone app. Under 13 only with verified parental consent.

5. Microsoft Copilot

Best for: Windows users; screen help with Copilot Vision. Price (October 2026): Free; Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99/month, Premium $19.99/month. Platforms: Windows, Mac (US, UK, Canada), iPhone, Android including Chromebooks, web.

Copilot Voice is free. Copilot Vision can see a shared screen or apps on Windows and highlight parts of it, and Copilot Learn makes quizzes, practice tests and flashcards.

Why it ranks here: Copilot Vision can see your Windows screen and highlight parts of it, and Copilot Learn makes quizzes. Vision needs a paid Microsoft 365 plan, and it is a general assistant first.

Watch out: Vision needs a Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium plan. 13+, with some features limited under 18. Full comparison.

6. Gauth

Best for: Photo homework help with a voice tutor and human experts. Price (October 2026): Free with limits; Plus $11.99/month or $99.99/year. Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android, web.

Snap a photo for step-by-step answers in most school subjects. Its AI Live Tutor explains by voice on a whiteboard in the app, Plus adds 24/7 human experts, and it turns notes or lecture audio into quizzes and flashcards.

Why it ranks here: A capable voice and whiteboard tutor, but its paid plan centers on unlimited answers, and it is not for under 13.

Watch out: Built around answers ("Unlimited Answers" on Plus). Works from photos, not your live screen. Not for under 13; 18+ to buy. Full comparison.

7. Synthesis Tutor

Best for: Kids 5 to 11 learning elementary math. Price (October 2026): Family $29/month or $119/year (App Store); 7-day free trial. Platforms: iPad, iPhone, Mac, web including Chromebooks, Android tablets.

An adaptive math tutor for ages 5 to 11, in English and Spanish. It reads everything aloud and moves on when a child shows they have mastered a topic.

Why it ranks here: Excellent for what it is, a math tutor for ages 5 to 11, so it ranks lower on a list for all students.

Watch out: Elementary math only. No free plan after the trial.

8. Claude

Best for: Adults who want a reading, writing and reasoning partner. Price (October 2026): Free; Pro $20/month; Max $100 or $200/month. Platforms: Web, iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows.

A general assistant with voice mode on every plan. Universities can get Claude for Education with a learning mode that asks guiding questions instead of giving answers.

Why it ranks here: A strong assistant, but it requires users to be 18, which rules out most high school students.

Watch out: 18+ only, so most high school students cannot use it. Learning mode is confirmed for Claude for Education; we could not confirm it on consumer plans. Full comparison.