Yes, Khan Academy is free. It's a nonprofit, and its stated mission is to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. Its learning platform has more than 840 free courses, the Khan Academy Kids app is free with no ads, and teachers get free classroom tools.
The one part that isn't always free is Khanmigo, Khan Academy's AI tutor. Teachers get Khanmigo's teacher tools for free in most countries, but Khanmigo for learners and parents is a separate plan, and Khan Academy says that plan is only offered in the United States for now. Here's exactly what's free, who it's for, and how to get started.
What's free on Khan Academy
| Product | Free? | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Khan Academy courses | Yes, more than 840 courses | Students, parents, adult learners |
| Khan Academy Kids app | Yes, no ads and no plans | Children aged 2 to 8 |
| Teacher accounts and assignments | Yes | Teachers |
| Khanmigo teacher tools | Yes, in nearly every country | Teachers |
| Writing Coach | Yes, for teachers in the US | Teachers |
| Khanmigo for learners and parents | No, a US-only plan | Students and families |
| Khan Academy Districts | A partnership for school districts | Schools and districts |
Khan Academy says its courses cover core academic subjects from kindergarten to early college, and it's available in more than 190 countries and in over 55 languages.
Khan Academy Kids is free for good
The kids app is the clearest case. Khan Academy calls it free forever, with no ads and nothing to upgrade to. It covers early reading, maths and social-emotional skills for preschool to second grade, through games, books and lessons.
Khan Academy also says there's no advertising business behind the app, it doesn't show ads, and doesn't let third parties track your child across other apps. It asks only for a name and age at setup and suggests using a nickname. For schools using it across several classrooms, it points to a separate Khan Academy Kids for Schools option.
The catch: Khanmigo isn't free for students everywhere
This is where people get confused. Khan Academy's Help Center says Khanmigo's free teacher tools are now open to educators in nearly every country, as long as the account has the teacher role and a supported language. They aren't available in a short list of regions because of trade restrictions: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.
Khanmigo for learners is different. Khan Academy says those plans are only available in the United States at the moment. So if you're a student outside the US, you can use every Khan Academy course for free, but not the Khanmigo tutor on your own account.
How to start for free
- Go to Khan Academy and choose Sign up.
- Pick Learner, Teacher or Parent.
- Choose a course, or search for the topic you're stuck on.
- For a child aged 2 to 8, download the Khan Academy Kids app instead.
- Teachers can switch on the free Khanmigo teacher tools from their teacher account.
How does Khan Academy stay free?
Donations. Khan Academy is a nonprofit and says it relies on supporters to keep the platform free. Its site puts it simply: free to use, not free to make. Donor support also keeps its classroom tools free for teachers.
Is Khan Academy enough on its own?
For maths, science and exam revision it covers a lot of ground, and the practice exercises are the part most learners lean on. If you want university-style courses or certificates, my guide to Coursera alternatives covers the platforms that offer those. And for help with writing and revision on top, see my pick of AI writing tools that help students study smarter.
What teachers get for free
Teachers can sign up for free to assign practice and track student progress, and Khan Academy says donor support keeps its classroom tools free for teachers. On top of that, Khanmigo's free teacher tools help with planning and personalising lessons, and Khan Academy says they're available in nearly every country.
The teacher tools work in a long list of languages. Khan Academy's Help Center names Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian and Urdu among them, and you can switch Khanmigo's language in its preferences or by asking it in a chat.
For writing classes, Khan Academy also offers a free Writing Coach. Its Help Center says this is only for teachers in the US for now, and you sign up through khanmigo.ai/writingcoach.
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Who gets the most from free Khan Academy
- Students catching up on maths, science or reading, or revising for exams.
- Parents who want structured practice at home, and Khan Academy Kids for younger children.
- Teachers who want free assignments, progress tracking and AI planning tools.
- Adult learners going back over school subjects or early college topics.
Because it's free and in so many languages, it's also a good first stop before you look at anything else.
If you're a parent, start with a Parent account so you can follow your child's progress, then move to Khan Academy Kids for anyone under nine.
My verdict: Khan Academy is free, and the courses, kids app and teacher tools are all free for good. The only thing to check is Khanmigo: teachers get it free in most countries, but the student version is a US-only plan for now.
Frequently asked questions
Is Khan Academy completely free?
Yes for its courses, the Khan Academy Kids app and its teacher tools. Khan Academy is a nonprofit, and its mission is a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.
Is Khan Academy Kids free?
Yes. Khan Academy says the mobile app is free forever, with no ads and nothing to upgrade to, for children aged 2 to 8.
Is Khanmigo free?
Khanmigo's teacher tools are free for educators in nearly every country. Khanmigo for learners and parents is a separate plan, and Khan Academy says it's only offered in the United States for now.
How many courses does Khan Academy have?
Khan Academy says its free learning platform has more than 840 free courses covering core subjects from kindergarten to early college.
Why is Khan Academy free?
It's a nonprofit funded by donations. Khan Academy says donor support keeps the platform and its classroom tools free.
Is Khanmigo available in other languages?
Yes. Khan Academy says Khanmigo and its free teacher tools work in many languages, including Arabic, Hindi, Spanish, Ukrainian and Urdu.
