The best AI tutors that don't just give you the answer (2026)
Most AI will do your homework if you ask. These six are built, or have a mode, to make you do the thinking. Listed by who each is best for, not ranked by a score. (Disclosure: we make Ask Poppy, number 5. We've tried to be as hard on it as on the others.)
Ask Poppy, the AI tutor that asks instead of tells. Free, 30 messages a day · iPhone, iPad, Mac
Our criteria
To make the list, a tool had to:
- Hold back the answer by default or in a clearly labelled mode, according to its maker.
- Ask questions or give hints, rather than only showing worked solutions.
- Be available to individuals today, not only through schools.
- Publish its price and age rules (or have them on its App Store listing).
We then noted each tool's biggest catch. We did not score learning outcomes or safety, because nobody has published a fair head-to-head test, us included.
The list
1. Khanmigo Best for structured US learning
Khan Academy's tutor is designed never to give the answer, and lives inside free courses for maths, science, coding and humanities. Voice in and out. $4/month or $44/year; account holder must be 18+ in the US, with children added by a parent.
Watch out: US-only for learners and parents; no free tier. · Official page · vs Ask Poppy
2. ChatGPT study mode Best free option for studying your own materials
A "Study and learn" mode with Socratic questions, hints and quizzes, on every ChatGPT plan including Free. Upload notes and slides. 13+, with parental permission under 18.
Watch out: It's a toggle: the plain answer is one click away, and OpenAI warns of inconsistent behaviour. · Official page · vs Ask Poppy
3. Gemini Guided Learning Best free option for visual learners
A Gemini mode that breaks problems into steps and adds diagrams, videos and quizzes, plus flashcards from your own materials. Free. 13+ with a personal account.
Watch out: Also a mode; mobile rollout is gradual. · Official page · vs Ask Poppy
4. Claude learning mode Best for adults who already use Claude
Anthropic made a "Learning" style available to all Claude.ai users in August 2025: it guides with questions and hints rather than immediate answers.
Watch out: A style you can switch off. Anthropic's consumer terms require users to be 18+ (terms). · Official page
5. Ask Poppy (ours) Best for talking it through out loud
A voice-or-text tutor app built only around asking questions and giving hints, for any topic. iPhone, iPad and Mac. Free with 30 messages a day; $9.99/month or $99.99/year.
Watch out: New and small; no Android or web app; no built-in course library. · Official page
6. Brainly (Worksheets and AI tutor) Best for grades 7–12 homework with parents in the loop
Brainly's Worksheets keep the next step shut until the current one is right, and its AI picks between explaining, nudging and asking back. Parent plan with a learning advisor and optional human tutor.
Watch out: Also has a large answer library, and the app contains ads. · Official page · vs Ask Poppy
Honourable mention: great, but they lead with the answer
- Photomath (Google): the best camera maths solver, with multiple methods and animated steps. Use it to check work after you've tried. Photomath vs Ask Poppy.
- Google Lens: free photo-to-explanation for homework, the successor to Socratic by Google. Socratic alternatives.
How to choose in 10 minutes
- Check the age rules for the person who'll use it.
- Check it runs on your devices.
- Run the same stuck problem through two options using our five-question test.
- Finish with the Explain it back check. Pick the one that left you able to explain it.
Compare everything in one table on the comparison page.
Want a tutor you can talk things through with? Ask Poppy is an AI tutor you talk or type to. It asks questions and gives one hint at a time instead of handing you the answer, and it remembers where you left off so you can pick it up again tomorrow.
Free, 30 messages a day on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Optional subscription. (Disclosure: this site is made by the Ask Poppy team.)
Questions
What is the best AI tutor that doesn't give answers?
It depends on the learner. Khanmigo suits US families who want structured courses; ChatGPT study mode and Gemini Guided Learning are free and flexible; Ask Poppy suits people who want to talk ideas through out loud on Apple devices. Try two with the same problem and see which leaves you able to explain it the next day.
Are AI tutors that hold back the answer better for learning?
Research on retrieval practice (for example Roediger and Karpicke, 2006) and self-explanation suggests that producing and explaining an answer yourself makes it stick better than reading one. We haven't measured any specific tool's effect, including ours.
Why isn't Photomath on this list?
Photomath is excellent, but it is a solver: it leads with the solution and then explains the steps. It is ideal for checking work you've already tried.