16 AI math helpers: the ones that teach and the ones that just answer

Teaches. Works through Khan Academy's math with hints that build up step by step, and will not just hand over the answer. Parents see the chats.

Watch for: The parent plan is only offered in the US.

Teaches. A voice-led tutor that uses on-screen blocks and number lines so young kids discover the idea before the rule. Covers K-5 and beyond. Lessons feel like play.

Teaches. Free videos and practice from counting to calculus, with mastery levels that show what your child really knows. No AI needed to be useful.

Teaches, if left on. Study mode asks your teen what they already know and walks them toward the answer. Good for word problems and checking reasoning.

Watch for: One tap turns it back into an answer machine.

Teaches. Breaks a problem into steps, checks each step with a question, and can draw diagrams. Similar to ChatGPT's study mode. Ask it to wait for your child's answer before moving on.

Teaches. Best known for reading, Ello now offers free daily math activities alongside reading for early learners. The math is short, playful daily practice for kindergarten to early grade school, in the same app many families already use for reading.

Teaches. A nonprofit K-8 math program built around short video lessons and practice. Not generative AI, but it adapts help when a child struggles. Many schools use it.

Teaches, wrapped in a game. Kids battle monsters by answering adaptive math questions. Strong pull for kids who resist worksheets. Teachers can link it to class work, and the math itself is solid.

Watch for: Constant membership upsells inside the game.

Teaches. Adaptive practice that adjusts difficulty and explains wrong answers. Thorough and plain; many schools already pay for it. It covers almost every skill by grade, so it is easy to target a weak spot.

Watch for: Its score can drop sharply after a mistake, which frustrates some kids.

Teaches by letting kids play. A free graphing calculator where sliders show how changing a number moves a line. No AI, just very good math.

Answers, with steps. Snap a problem and see the solution broken into steps. Useful to check work; too easy to copy from. Ask your child to explain each step back to you.

Watch for: Best used after your child has tried the problem.

Answers. A computation engine that solves equations, plots graphs and checks units. Step-by-step solutions need the paid Pro plan. Excellent for checking a final answer or a graph.

Answers. Solves algebra through calculus with steps and practice sets. Helpful for a parent who forgot how to factor. Keep it for checking, not for doing the assignment.

Answers. Type or photograph a problem and get the answer; the steps cost extra. Fine for checking, not for learning. Owned by Chegg, the homework-help company.

Mostly answers. Community answers plus an AI tutor that can explain. Quality varies a lot from question to question. Some answers come from other students, not teachers, so check them carefully.

Watch for: Ads on the free tier; answers can be wrong.

Answers. A very popular photo-solver owned by TikTok's parent company. It solves fast, which is exactly the problem for learning. Kids often find it through friends, so it helps to know the name.

Watch for: Owned by ByteDance; reviewers report wrong answers. We would skip it for kids.