Best AI Tools for Teachers: 9 Tools Compared
Nine AI tools for teachers compared: lesson planning, leveled texts, feedback and study aids. Free-for-teachers offers and eligibility from official pages.
In this guide
Teachers have more to do than hours in the day. Plan the lesson. Make the worksheet. Level the reading for three groups. Mark the essays. Write to parents.
AI tools for teachers promise to help with all of that. Many of them are free for teachers, at least to start. This guide compares nine tools and explains who can get the free offers.
We used only each vendor’s official pricing pages, plans and announcements. We did not test these tools in a classroom. When we say a tool “lists” a feature, we mean the vendor says so. Prices checked on 1 November 2026. Prices are in US dollars, before tax, at the regular price. Offers and rules change, so check the official page before you sign up.
At a glance
| Tool | Free plan | Starting paid price (US$) | Best for | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MagicSchoolMagicSchool | Yes | $12.99/month (Plus, billed monthly)checked 1 Nov 2026 | Many ready-made teacher tools in one place | Official site for MagicSchool (opens in a new tab) |
| KhanmigoKhan Academy | Yes | $4/month (learners and parents)checked 1 Nov 2026 | Free teacher tools tied to Khan Academy content | Official site for Khanmigo (opens in a new tab) |
| DiffitDiffit | Yes | Not verifiedchecked 1 Nov 2026 | Leveled readings and resources for mixed classes | Official site for Diffit (opens in a new tab) |
| Brisk TeachingBrisk Labs | Yes | Not verifiedchecked 1 Nov 2026 | AI inside Google Docs, Slides and other tools via a browser extension | Official site for Brisk Teaching (opens in a new tab) |
| CuripodCuripod | Yes | Not verifiedchecked 1 Nov 2026 | Weekly writing practice with instant feedback | Official site for Curipod (opens in a new tab) |
| Canva for EducationCanva | Yes | No paid plan listedchecked 1 Nov 2026 | Free classroom design for verified K-12 teachers | Official site for Canva for Education (opens in a new tab) |
| ChatGPT for TeachersOpenAI | Yes | No paid plan listedchecked 1 Nov 2026 | Verified US K-12 teachers who want ChatGPT with school-grade privacy | Official site for ChatGPT for Teachers (opens in a new tab) |
| Gemini for EducationGoogle | Yes | $24/user/month (Google AI Pro for Education, billed monthly)checked 1 Nov 2026 | Schools that already use Google Workspace for Education | Official site for Gemini for Education (opens in a new tab) |
| Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)Google | Yes | Not verifiedchecked 1 Nov 2026 | Study guides and audio recaps from your own materials | Official site for Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) (opens in a new tab) |
Prices from each vendor's official pricing page on the date shown, before tax. No affiliate links. See all tools.
Two things before you start
1. Check your school’s rules on student data. Many schools and districts have a list of approved apps. Many also have rules about what student information can go into online tools. Ask your school or district before you use any AI tool with student names, work or grades. Several vendors say they support student privacy laws, such as FERPA in the US. That is the vendor’s own claim. Your school decides what is allowed. This is not legal advice.
2. Always check the AI’s work. AI can make up facts, get answers wrong or miss the point of a lesson. Read every worksheet, quiz and answer key before students see it. You are still the teacher.
How to pick in two minutes
- Does your school already pay for something? If your school uses Google Workspace for Education, Gemini may already be switched on for you. Ask IT.
- What job takes you the most time? Lesson plans, leveled readings, feedback or slides? Pick the tool that lists that job.
- Can you get a free teacher offer? Some offers need a school email or proof of employment, and some are only for certain countries. Check before you plan around one.
The nine tools
MagicSchool
MagicSchool offers many ready-made teacher tools in one place, such as lesson plans and rubrics. Its Free plan is “forever free” for individual teachers. MagicSchool Plus costs $12.99 a month billed monthly, or $8.33 a month billed yearly ($99.96 a year). Schools and districts can ask for a quote.
Good fit if: you want one dashboard with lots of small tools.
Khanmigo
Khanmigo is Khan Academy’s AI helper. Khan Academy says Khanmigo is free for teachers. The teacher tools list lesson planning tied to Khan Academy content, summaries of student work, learning objectives, rubrics and exit tickets. Learners and parents pay $4 a month or $44 a year, sales tax not included.
Good fit if: you already use Khan Academy with your classes.
Diffit
Diffit makes classroom resources at different reading levels. The free Basic plan lists classroom-ready content you can download, print and edit, with access to content made in the last 90 days. Diffit for Schools adds exports to Google, Canva and Microsoft, alignment to standards and full history. Schools get a quote.
Diffit says it has no student logins and no student AI. Good fit if: you teach mixed-ability classes, ELL or special education.
Brisk Teaching
Brisk is a browser extension for Chrome and Edge. It lists AI tools inside Google Docs, Slides, YouTube and learning platforms like Canvas and Google Classroom. Brisk lists 35+ tools, materials in 50+ languages and “Glow & grow” feedback. Brisk is free for teachers. Premium and Intelligence plans for schools have custom pricing.
Good fit if: you work in Google Docs and Slides all day.
Curipod
Curipod focuses on writing practice. Its Free plan is for “every teacher,” at $0 a month, and lists weekly writing practice with instant “Glow & Grow” feedback. School, district and curriculum-aligned plans have custom pricing.
Good fit if: you want regular writing practice with quick feedback for students.
Canva for Education
Canva says Canva for Education is “100% free” for K-12 (primary and secondary) teachers, their students and qualified schools and districts. You sign up with a school email or upload proof of employment, and Canva verifies you. Canva says it never uses student data to train AI models.
Good fit if: you make slides, posters and worksheets and want them to look good. Not a K-12 teacher? See Canva in our AI image tools guide.
ChatGPT for Teachers
OpenAI says ChatGPT for Teachers is free for verified US K-12 teachers through June 2028. A partner called SheerID checks that you are a teacher. OpenAI lists search, file uploads, image creation and connectors to Google Drive and Microsoft 365. It says what you share is not used to train its models by default.
OpenAI says it may change the price after June 2028, with advance notice. Good fit if: you teach K-12 in the US. Elsewhere, see ChatGPT’s regular plans.
Gemini for Education
Google says Gemini for Education is free for qualifying schools and universities, and included in all Google Workspace for Education editions. It lists lesson planning, re-leveling texts, quizzes with answer keys, Deep Research and Gems. Google says your data is not human-reviewed or used to train AI models. Google also says students under 18 get extra guardrails.
The paid add-on, Google AI Pro for Education, costs $24 a user a month billed monthly, or $20 with a one-year commitment. Schools buy it, not single teachers. Good fit if: your school uses Google Workspace for Education.
Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook in July 2026. It answers questions using only the sources you upload. It can turn your materials into Audio Overviews, flashcards, slides and reports. The free plan lists up to 50 sources per notebook. Higher limits come with Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra.
Schools can get it through Google Workspace for Education. Good fit if: you want study guides or audio recaps from your own class materials.
Free-for-teachers offers at a glance
| Offer | Who can get it (as listed) |
|---|---|
| Khanmigo for teachers | Teachers; sign up free |
| Brisk Free | Teachers |
| Curipod Free | “Every teacher” |
| MagicSchool Free | Individual teachers |
| Diffit Basic | Anyone, with limits |
| Canva for Education | Verified K-12 teachers, their students, qualified schools |
| ChatGPT for Teachers | Verified US K-12 teachers, through June 2028 |
| Gemini for Education | Qualifying schools (set up by the school) |
| Gemini Notebook | Anyone with a Google account (free plan) |
FAQ
Which AI tool is best for lesson plans?
MagicSchool, Khanmigo, Brisk and Gemini for Education all list lesson-planning help. Try two free plans with a real lesson and keep the one that saves you the most time.
Are these tools safe for students?
Some tools are only for teachers. Others have student features with guardrails. Diffit says it has no student logins. Google says students under 18 get extra guardrails. Your school decides what students may use, so ask first.
Can I use these tools outside the US?
Some offers are US only. ChatGPT for Teachers is free for verified US K-12 teachers. Canva for Education is for K-12 teachers and does not say it is US only. Check each vendor’s eligibility page for your country.
Will AI mark my students’ work?
Several tools list feedback features, such as Brisk and Curipod. Use them as a first draft. You should review every grade and comment yourself.
Did you test these tools?
No. We compared what each vendor lists on its official pages on 1 November 2026.
Which one should you pick?
- Busy K-12 teachers who want lots of tools: MagicSchool or Brisk, both free to start.
- Khan Academy users: Khanmigo, free for teachers.
- Mixed-ability, ELL and special education classes: Diffit for leveled readings.
- Writing teachers: Curipod for weekly practice and feedback.
- Teachers who make lots of slides and posters: Canva for Education, if you are K-12 and can get verified.
- US K-12 teachers who want a general AI assistant: ChatGPT for Teachers, free through June 2028.
- Schools on Google Workspace for Education: Gemini for Education. Ask IT to switch it on.
- Turning your own materials into study aids: Gemini Notebook.
Looking for a general chatbot instead? See the best AI chatbots for freelancers.
Writing reports and emails to parents? See our AI writing assistants guide. For planning, travel and cooking at home, see AI tools for everyday life.
This guide has no affiliate links. We have not tested these tools ourselves; all facts come from the official pages listed below. This is not legal advice.
Sources
Checked on 1 November 2026:
- MagicSchool pricing: https://www.magicschool.ai/pricing
- Khanmigo pricing: https://www.khanmigo.ai/pricing
- Diffit pricing: https://web.diffit.me/pricing
- Brisk Teaching plans: https://www.briskteaching.com/plans
- Curipod pricing: https://curipod.com/pricing
- Canva for Education: https://www.canva.com/education/
- OpenAI, “A free version of ChatGPT built for teachers”: https://openai.com/index/chatgpt-for-teachers/
- Google, Gemini for Education: https://edu.google.com/intl/ALL_us/ai/gemini-for-education/
- Gemini Notebook plans: https://notebooklm.google/plans
Spotted a wrong price or an old feature? Tell us on the Contact page and we will check it against the official page and fix it.