📝 Study and homework tools · ➗ Math apps and platforms · ✅ Assessment and grading
IXL
By IXL Learning. Visit IXL
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A large online practice site with more than 20,000 skills in math, English language arts, science, social studies and Spanish, from pre-K to grade 12. A child answers question after question on one skill while a SmartScore rises toward 100, with worked explanations after mistakes. A diagnostic suggests what to practice next, and there are videos and games for younger grades. Schools buy site licenses; families buy monthly memberships, often for homeschooling.
Our take: Good for families and schools that want lots of standards-aligned practice with clear reports; kids who get anxious about scores or need concept teaching may do better elsewhere.
| Ages it suits | about 4-18 (pre-K to grade 12) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | IXL sells only to adults. Under 18 may use it only with a parent's or guardian's involvement and consent, or through their school. Children under 13 cannot create their own account; they use a child profile under a parent account or a school account. (terms) |
| Price | Paid. Family memberships (USD, Oct 2026): $9.95 a month for one subject, $15.95 for math plus language arts, $19.95 for math, language arts, science and social studies. Schools pay site-license prices by quote. |
| Works on | Web, iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | A parent's account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No generative AI found on the maker's pages; the diagnostic and skill recommendations adapt to a child's answers. |
What's good
- Very wide coverage across subjects and grades
- Clear explanations after every wrong answer
- Diagnostic shows a parent where a child stands
- No ads or in-app purchases inside the practice
Watch for
- SmartScore drops after mistakes, which many kids find stressful
- Mostly drill; little open-ended problem solving
- Paid monthly, and the price grows with each subject
- Visitors to the public site are tracked by ad networks for IXL's own marketing
Data and privacy
For child profiles IXL collects answers, usage, device data and city-level location; it says it shows no targeted ads on the service and tries to switch off third-party ad trackers once a parent logs in, though it does use ad networks to market itself to site visitors. School data is handled under FERPA and COPPA through the school. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
IXL Math is rated Strong by Evidence for ESSA, based on a Johns Hopkins randomized trial of 545 students in Michigan that found a small positive effect after one semester (average effect +0.08). Many other studies on IXL's site are its own comparisons of schools that use it.
In the Big Index
- On the list 16 AI math helpers: the ones that teach and the ones that just answer
- IXL Research
- IXL
- The maker in the who's who: IXL Learning
Alternatives to IXL
Desk researchFree, with paid extrasNo ads
99math
99math (Estonia) · ages about 5-14 (grades K-8)
A low-effort, free way for teachers to make fact practice lively; parents of kids who dislike timed competition may want a calmer tool.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
ABCmouse
Age of Learning, Inc. · ages about 2-6 (preschool to kindergarten)
A full preschool program for families who want one paid app; cancel carefully and watch the reward loop.
Desk researchFree, with paid extras
ABCya
ABCya.com LLC (a division of IXL Learning) · ages about 4-12 (pre-K to grade 6+)
Handy for quick grade-level practice in class or at home; skip if you want an ad-free experience without paying.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
Adventure Academy
Age of Learning, Inc. · ages grades 3-8 (about 8-13)
Good for kids who love online games and need a nudge toward school subjects; families wanting no social contact should set chat to off or choose a solo app.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
ALEKS
McGraw Hill (ALEKS Corporation) · ages school-age students through college (K-12 and higher ed courses)
A rigorous, mastery-based option for motivated older students or homeschoolers; younger or easily bored kids may prefer something more playful.
Desk researchPaidNo ads
AoPS Online
Art of Problem Solving (AoPS Incorporated) · ages grades 5-12 (about 10-18)
A strong fit for a child who loves hard math and wants contest prep; a child who is behind in math needs something gentler.
Where these facts come from
- https://www.ixl.com/
- https://www.ixl.com/membership/family/pricing
- https://www.ixl.com/termsofservice
- https://www.ixl.com/privacypolicy
- https://www.ixl.com/privacypolicy/servicechildrenprivacypolicy
- https://www.ixl.com/membership/teachers/research
- https://www.evidenceforessa.org/program/ixl-math/
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.