Quick verdict - our top pick

After aggregating 2026 reporting from Toolradar's AI tutor ranking, the Khan Academy Khanmigo 2026 impact report, Airtable's 8-tutor editor review, and the AI Rankings June 2026 study-tools comparison, our top recommendation for an AI tutor app is Khanmigo. It is the most education-native AI tutor on the market in August 2026 - built by Khan Academy, uses Socratic questioning instead of handing over answers, covers K-12 and college subjects, and ships at $4/mo with a generous free tier for US teachers. The full rankings are below, but here is the short answer for anyone in a hurry.

Khanmigo is the best for most K-12 and early-college learners - the Socratic pedagogy is the strongest tested. ChatGPT Study Mode is the right choice for college students who already have a ChatGPT account - it is free and uses GPT-5-class reasoning. StudyFetch is the strongest study companion for converting class material into flashcards and quizzes. Photomath is the best math-only option with photo input and step-by-step solutions.

How we tested (methodology)

We aggregated 2026 reporting from Toolradar's AI tutor ranking (August 2026), the Khan Academy Khanmigo 2026 impact report, Airtable's 8-tutor editor review, the AI Rankings June 2026 study-tools comparison, and Notesmakr's AI study-app guide, then cross-referenced every plan tier, per-month price, free-tier quota, subject coverage, and Socratic vs answer-mode behavior against each vendor's live site. Where reviewers disagreed on subject coverage, language support, or onboarding we note both the consensus and the outlier.

This is an editorial roundup, not a hands-on benchmark - every tool listed has a free tier or trial so you can validate fit on your own subject area. Pricing was verified against each vendor's official site in August 2026.

Tools were scored on:

• Pedagogy - whether the tutor guides (Socratic) or hands over answers (answer-machine).
• Subject coverage - how wide the subject range is (math, science, humanities, writing, coding).
• Pricing fairness - whether the free tier is usable, and whether the paid tier is reasonable.
• Setup speed - how quickly a working tutor is live on a real subject.
• Grounded accuracy - whether answers cite sources or are pulled from a closed corpus.

The 2026 picks

1. Khanmigo

Price: $4/mo (Khan Academy) or free via Khan Academy for US teachers

Khan Academy's AI tutor. Uses Socratic questioning and step-by-step guidance instead of handing over answers. Covers math, science, coding, humanities, writing, and test prep. Free for US teachers and Khan Academy partner districts. Best for K-12 and early-college learners who want a real tutor.

2. ChatGPT Study Mode

Price: Free for ChatGPT accounts; Plus $20/mo for GPT-5-class model

OpenAI's study-mode layer turns ChatGPT into a guided tutor that quizzes instead of answering. Free for all ChatGPT logged-in users. Plus tier uses the strongest reasoning model for harder problems. Best for college students who already use ChatGPT and want a study layer without paying for a separate tutor.

3. StudyFetch

Price: Free tier; Pro from $6.99/mo; Teams from $14.99/mo

StudyFetch turns slides, PDFs, and notes into AI flashcards, quizzes, summaries, and chat. Strongest study-companion experience in 2026. Free tier covers one course; Pro adds unlimited courses and AI tutor mode. Best for students who want to convert class material into study material.

4. Photomath

Price: Free tier (step-by-step solutions); Photomath Plus $9.99/mo

Photomath solves math problems from a photo and walks through the steps. Free tier covers most algebra, geometry, and trigonometry problems. Plus adds interactive tutorials, word-problem breakdowns, and multistep explanations. Best for K-12 and early-college students who need step-by-step math help.

5. NotebookLM

Price: Free for Google accounts; Plus from $7.50/mo (added 2026)

Google's notebook-grounded AI. Upload your own notes, PDFs, and slides - NotebookLM answers only from those sources. Strongest grounded-AI tutor in 2026 for students who already have a corpus of material, but not a general-purpose tutor. Skip if you want a tutor that walks you through a subject; choose it if you want to chat with your own notes.

Side-by-side comparison

The full comparison below shows the top picks at a glance. For deeper detail, see the per-pick sections above.

ToolPricingBest ForScore

1Khanmigo$4/mo (free for teachers)K-12 Socratic tutor9.2/10
2ChatGPT Study ModeFree / $20 PlusCollege general-purpose8.8/10
3StudyFetchFree / $6.99 ProStudy companion8.5/10
4PhotomathFree / $9.99 PlusMath only8.3/10
5NotebookLMFree / $7.50 PlusChat with your notes8.0/10

Pricing and plan notes that matter

The free-tier landscape in 2026. ChatGPT Study Mode is free for every ChatGPT logged-in user, including the Study Mode toggle. Khanmigo is free for US teachers and Khan Academy partner districts; individual learners pay $4/mo. StudyFetch's free tier covers one course and 50 AI generations/mo - enough for a casual semester. Photomath's free tier covers most algebra and geometry problems with step-by-step solutions. NotebookLM is free for any Google account.

The Socratic vs answer-machine question. Khanmigo is the only tutor in this list that consistently refuses to hand over the answer and instead guides the student through the problem. ChatGPT Study Mode has a Socratic layer but it's lighter - you can toggle into answer mode when you need it. StudyFetch, Photomath, and NotebookLM all default to answer mode (which is fine for self-checking, less fine for learning). If you want a tutor that teaches, pick Khanmigo; if you want a tutor that answers and quizzes, ChatGPT Study Mode is the next best option.

Free vs paid: when to upgrade

The free tiers are actually usable in 2026. Khanmigo's free tier (for US teachers and Khan Academy districts) covers full K-12. ChatGPT Study Mode is free for every ChatGPT account. StudyFetch's free tier covers a single course. Photomath's free tier covers most high-school math. NotebookLM is free for every Google account.

Three thresholds that justify a paid tier: (a) you need unlimited AI generations across many courses (StudyFetch Pro at $6.99/mo is the right upgrade), (b) you need a stronger reasoning model for advanced college problems (ChatGPT Plus at $20/mo is the right upgrade), (c) you need full K-12 Socratic coverage as an individual learner (Khanmigo at $4/mo is the right upgrade). If you only need math help, Photomath Plus at $9.99/mo is the cleanest path.

Who should buy what

• K-12 students (US teachers / partner districts) - Khanmigo free. Socratic pedagogy + Khan Academy subject coverage.
• K-12 students (individual learners) - Khanmigo $4/mo. The most education-native tutor on the market.
• College students with a ChatGPT account - ChatGPT Study Mode free. Toggle Study Mode for Socratic prompts.
• Students converting slides and PDFs into study material - StudyFetch Pro $6.99/mo. Best study companion experience.
• Math-only learners - Photomath free or Plus $9.99/mo. Step-by-step photo solutions.
• Students who want to chat with their own notes - NotebookLM free. Strongest grounded AI.

Frequently asked questions

Is Khanmigo free for students?

Khanmigo is $4/mo for individual learners, but it is free for US teachers and for students at Khan Academy partner districts. Khan Academy has been expanding free access in 2026 - check the Khan Academy site for current eligibility in your school district. The $4/mo individual price is the lowest among the major AI tutors in 2026.

Does ChatGPT Study Mode replace a human tutor?

For college-level homework, ChatGPT Study Mode is a strong starting point - the Socratic layer nudges you toward the answer instead of handing it over. For K-12 students who need structured curriculum alignment, Khanmigo is the better fit because it ties directly to Khan Academy's lesson library. ChatGPT Study Mode is the right choice if you already pay for ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) and want a study layer at no extra cost.

What is the best AI tutor for math only?

Photomath is the strongest math-only tutor in 2026. The free tier solves algebra, geometry, and trigonometry problems from a photo with step-by-step explanations. Photomath Plus ($9.99/mo) adds interactive tutorials and word-problem breakdowns for harder problems. For math across a wider range of subjects, Khanmigo's Socratic math layer is a better fit than Photomath for grade-9+ material.

Can these tools help with essay writing?

Khanmigo and ChatGPT Study Mode both cover writing - Khanmigo uses Socratic prompts to help you build an outline, while ChatGPT Study Mode gives feedback on drafts. StudyFetch is the strongest option for converting source material into writing prompts. NotebookLM is the right pick for analyzing primary sources for research essays. None of these tools should be used to generate essays to submit as your own work - the right pattern in 2026 is tutor feedback on YOUR draft.

Are AI tutors safe for kids?

Khanmigo is the strongest choice for K-12 because it is built by Khan Academy, uses Socratic questioning, and complies with US student-privacy regulations (FERPA, COPPA). ChatGPT Study Mode has age-gated features for under-13 users. General-purpose AI tutors should always be paired with a parent or teacher reviewing output for younger learners. Always check the vendor's privacy policy before letting a child use an AI tutor unsupervised.

Sources

• Khanmigo - Khan Labs product page
• ChatGPT Study Mode - OpenAI product page
• StudyFetch - product page and pricing
• Photomath - product page and pricing
• NotebookLM - Google product page
• AI Tutor Courses - 2026 AI tutor picks by price, age, and subject
• AI Rankings - June 2026 study-tools comparison

About this guide: this is an editorial roundup, not a hands-on benchmark. Every tool listed has a free tier or trial so you can validate fit on your own subject area. Pricing verified August 2026.

Originally published at Indian Deals