IXL vs Khan Academy: Which Is Better for Your Child?

IXL vs Khan Academy: the short answer

Khan Academy teaches. IXL tests and drills. That one difference explains most of what parents and teachers say about them.

Khan Academy is a free nonprofit. Each unit has short videos and articles, then practice that rolls up to mastery levels. IXL is a paid subscription with thousands of skills, each a stream of questions scored by SmartScore, plus a diagnostic that estimates your child's level in each strand. If your child needs to learn something new, Khan Academy wins. If you need to know exactly where the gaps are and want lots of targeted reps, IXL is the stronger tool.

Teaching approach

Khan Academy follows a classic learn-then-practice model. Watch a lesson, try problems, get hints, and move skills from "familiar" to "proficient" to "mastered." Course and unit tests check retention. The optional Khanmigo AI tutor ($4 a month) adds step-by-step help without just giving answers.

IXL is practice-first. Kids jump into questions, and a worked explanation appears after a wrong answer. The Real-Time Diagnostic asks adaptive questions and suggests skills to work on. The design is efficient, but it assumes someone else did the teaching.

What a lesson looks like

Khan Academy, 5th-grade fractions: your child watches a 5-minute video on adding fractions with unlike denominators, reads a worked example, then does a practice set with hints. A unit test a week later checks whether it stuck.

IXL, the same skill: your child opens skill "Add fractions with unlike denominators" and answers questions until the SmartScore reaches 100. Correct answers add points; a miss near the top can knock off many. Most sessions last 15–30 minutes. Parent reports show time spent, questions answered and trouble spots.

Price and value

Khan Academy costs nothing: every course, practice set and parent tool is free, with no ads. As of October 2026, IXL charges per child: $9.95 a month for one subject, $15.95 for math and language arts, and $19.95 for all four core subjects. Independent trackers report annual plans of about $79, $129 and $159. IXL's free tier is about 10 questions a day.

The value question is simple: is IXL's diagnostic, reporting and pre-K-to-12 drill worth $80–$160 a year per child to you? For some families, yes. For most, Khan Academy covers the math core for free.

Who should choose IXL

• Parents who want precise, skill-by-skill data
• Kids who like quick rounds of questions and don't mind a score that can drop
• Families covering pre-K and early reading as well as math
• Teachers or homeschoolers assigning targeted review before state tests

Skip it for anxious perfectionists. Many find SmartScore stressful.

Who should choose Khan Academy

• Any family on a tight budget
• Kids who need to see a concept explained before practicing
• Middle and high schoolers working through algebra, geometry, calculus or AP courses
• Teens preparing for the SAT with official free practice

Skip it as a stand-alone for kids under 7. Try Khan Academy Kids instead.

Alternatives to both

• Beast Academy: comics-based math with deep problem solving.
• Prodigy: game-based practice that young kids enjoy.
• Math Academy: adaptive, fast-paced math for motivated students.
• Time4Learning: a full online curriculum. See IXL vs Time4Learning.
• For older students who want problem solving, see Brilliant vs Khan Academy.

Browse the best math apps for kids and the best educational websites for kids.

Can you use a scholarship for either?

Khan Academy is free, so there's nothing to fund unless you add Khanmigo. IXL is educational software, an expense category some education savings account and scholarship programs cover, such as instructional materials in Florida's PEP program. Each program decides whether a specific subscription qualifies. Read what ESA funds can buy, save IXL to your wishlist, and apply once to the scholarships for your state.