Tutors on a screen for kids in 2026: which one fits your child's age?
For ages 4–6, look at Read with Ello for early reading and Askie for voice questions; for grades 1–6, Maya Tutor teaches what your child learned at school that day across five subjects; for older children and teenagers, Khanmigo (US families only), CereBRO and Photomath cover more subjects and higher levels. No single option is best at every age, and Maya is not the right pick for teenagers, exam preparation or spoken conversation practice.
How did we check each one?
On 24 September 2026 we opened each option's own website or store page and wrote down only what it says. Two names from common lists could not be checked: socratic.org now redirects to Google Lens's homework page, so we describe that page instead, and Homework Pilot's website did not load and its App Store page returned not found, so it is left out. Maya Tutor is our product, so we also say where she is not the right choice.
Ages 4–6: what suits a child who is just starting to read?
Read with Ello says it is for ages 4–9 and teaches reading and math: it listens to your child read aloud and adapts in real time. It is free, with an optional paid upgrade whose price is not on its home page.
Askie is a voice companion. Its site says ages 4–15, and the App Store lists it under Made for Ages 6–8. The child talks instead of typing and can ask questions, hear stories, make pictures and get school help, with a PIN-protected parent dashboard. Maya starts at grade 1, so she is not the pick for a four- or five-year-old.
Ages 6–9 (grades 1–3): what works in the first school years?
Maya Tutor is built for this stage. Your child tells her what they learned today and answers by tapping, so slow typing does not get in the way. When a grade 2 child reads 34 as a 3 and a 4, Maya explains why that is tempting and shows the three tens. Ello still fits for reading up to age 9. Askie is broader: stories, pictures and school help in one voice chat, rather than a lesson built around a school topic.
Ages 9–12 (grades 4–6): what changes when homework gets harder?
Maya covers fractions, decimals, English grammar and science through grade 6. Khanmigo, for US families, is a chat tutor that guides instead of giving answers, with a writing coach. Photomath is useful for checking a math answer. CereBRO, from UnlockGenius, teaches by voice or text from first grade through graduate school.
Ages 12 and up: which options suit teenagers?
Maya is not the right choice here: she was built for grades 1–6, her material stops at grade 10, and she does not prepare for exams. Khanmigo and CereBRO cover secondary school and beyond, CereBRO lists test preparation, Photomath goes up to calculus, and Google Lens offers quick explainers and videos for a photographed problem.
How do they compare side by side?
Prices are as published on each site or US store page on 24 September 2026.
| Option | Ages | Subjects | Languages | How it teaches | Price | Where it is better |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read with Ello | 4–9 | Reading and math | Not stated | Listens to the child read aloud and adapts | Free; paid upgrade price not published | Early reading |
| Askie | 4–15 (site); App Store: made for 6–8 | Questions, stories, pictures, homework help | English plus eight more, including Hebrew | Voice conversation, no typing | Free trial; App Store: Premium $14.99 or $89.99 a year, Max $39.99 a month or $249.99 a year | Curious young children who talk more than they type |
| Maya Tutor | Grades 1–6; material to grade 10 | Math, English, science, Hebrew, world studies | English, Hebrew and nine more | Teaches today's school topic; tap-to-answer; explains why the wrong answer was tempting | First lesson free, no card needed | Grades 1–6, following the school day |
| Khanmigo | Elementary school to college | Almost any academic subject, coding, writing | Not stated | Chat tutor that guides instead of answering | $4 a month or $44 a year; US families only | Older children, writing, coding |
| Photomath | Elementary school to college | Math only | Not stated | Scan a problem, see step-by-step solutions | Basic free; Plus $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year | Checking math answers |
| CereBRO (UnlockGenius) | First grade to graduate school | 58+ subjects, test prep | Multilingual chat and voice, per its site | Adaptive voice or text tutoring | Free 1 hour a month; K-12 $29.99 a month | Teenagers, test preparation |
| Google Lens homework help (formerly Socratic) | Not stated | Math, history, chemistry, biology, physics | Not stated | Photo of a problem, then explainers, videos, web results | Not published | A quick explainer for an older student |
Where is Maya not the best choice?
Choose something else when:
- Your child is under six: Ello or Askie.
- Your child is a teenager or preparing for exams: Khanmigo or CereBRO.
- You want spoken conversation practice: Askie and CereBRO offer voice chat; Maya's questions are tap-to-answer.
- You need writing or coding feedback: Khanmigo.
- You only need to check a math answer: Photomath.
Questions parents ask
- What is the best tutor on a screen for a five-year-old?
- From what their own sites say, Read with Ello (ages 4–9, reading and math) and Askie (voice chat, ages 4–15) are built for this age. Maya starts at grade 1.
- Which options work without typing?
- Ello listens to your child read aloud, Askie and CereBRO offer voice conversation, and Maya's questions are answered by tapping. Khanmigo is a chat tutor with speech-to-text.
- What happened to Socratic?
- socratic.org now redirects to Google Lens's homework help page, which offers explainers, videos and web results for a photographed problem in math, history, chemistry, biology, physics and more.
Sources
- Read with Ello
- Askie, AI for kids
- AI for Kids: Askie on the App Store
- Khanmigo for parents
- Photomath
- UnlockGenius (CereBRO)
- UnlockGenius pricing
- Google Lens, homework help
- Maya AI Tutor on the App Store
Related lessons
- Count to 20Math · Grade 1
- Tens and onesMath · Grade 2
- Patach tsere segolHebrew · Grade 1
- Unlike denominatorsMath · Grade 5
- There is a chairEnglish · Grade 4
No card needed. The first lesson is free.
Download on the App Store