Buyer's guide, updated July 2026
Most AI tutors work over a fixed catalogue. We compared the leaders honestly on price and method, then show where DILR Academy is different: it builds a new interactive, multilingual course on demand, then teaches it Socratically and tracks your mastery.
Best for courses built on demand: DILR Academy. Ask for a topic and it generates a new interactive course with live diagrams, animations and simulations, in your language, and teaches it Socratically. None of the others generate new courses.
Pick a rival when your need is narrower. Choose Khanmigo for free K-12 tutoring over a vast proven library, Duolingo Max for language practice, Synthesis for elementary math, and MagicSchool for teacher lesson prep.
The matrix
Pricing and features come from each vendor's own pages, verified in July 2026. Some prices vary across sources; those cells say so, and Khan's catalogue is genuinely larger than any challenger's.
| Tool | Pricing | Best for | Courses on demand | Multilingual | Method | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DILR Academy | From $1.50 a course, or top up credits across the catalogue | Learners who want a new interactive course built on demand, in their language | Yes, builds new interactive courses | Yes, including right-to-left scripts | Socratic questioning plus knowledge-tracing mastery | Newer catalogue (12 live courses) versus Khan's vast library |
| Khanmigo | Free for teachers. $4/mo or $44/yr for learners | K-12 all-subject tutoring over Khan Academy's existing library | No, tutors a fixed catalogue | Partial (availability varies; depth unverified) | Socratic questioning plus Khan mastery system | Weaker outside math; does not generate new courses |
| Duolingo Max | ~$29.99/mo or ~$168/yr (verify on Duolingo) | Language learners who want AI speaking practice | No, fixed language courses | Language pairs only | Gamified and adaptive, not Socratic | AI conversations short and scripted; language-only |
| Synthesis Tutor | ~$45/mo base, less annually (prices vary by source) | Elementary math for ages 5 to 11 | No, fixed adaptive math curriculum | Not yet (in progress per its site) | Adaptive mastery with guided checks | Single subject and narrow age band |
| MagicSchool AI | Free. Plus $12.99/mo (or ~$8.33/mo annual) | Teachers generating lessons, rubrics and materials | Partial (lesson materials, not student courses) | Unverified | Teacher productivity tools, not an adaptive tutor | Built for teachers, not a student-facing tutor |
Sources: khanmigo.ai/pricing, synthesis.com/tutor, magicschool.ai/pricing, Duolingo pricing, and dilracademy.com. Duolingo Max and Synthesis prices vary by source; verify before you buy.
The proof, visualised
These charts visualise the feature matrix above. They reflect stated capabilities, not learning-outcome benchmarks.
Courses on demand, multilingual, generated interactive media, Socratic method, mastery tracking, per-course pricing.
Maturity per axis: 100 is fully offered, 55 is partial, 12 is absent. DILR Academy against the two closest tutors.
The bar counts a capability when a product offers it fully or partially; the radar shows how mature each one is. Both derive from the sourced feature matrix, not from learning-outcome studies. Khanmigo matches DILR on Socratic method and mastery and has a far larger proven library, as noted below.
Book a call and we'll generate an interactive course, in the language you choose, live.
Best for X
Best for courses built on demand
DILR Academy
Ask for a topic and it builds a new interactive, multilingual course with live diagrams, animations and simulations, then teaches it Socratically and tracks your mastery. None of the others generate new courses.
Best free K-12 all-subject tutor
Khanmigo
Tutoring over Khan Academy's enormous, proven library, free for teachers and $44 a year for learners. Genuinely strong, and a much larger catalogue than any challenger.
Best for language learning
Duolingo Max
If your goal is practising a specific language with AI conversation, Duolingo Max is purpose-built for that, gamified and habit-forming.
Best elementary math tutor
Synthesis
A polished adaptive math curriculum for ages 5 to 11 with constant mastery checks. Narrow, but excellent at its one job.
Best for teachers
MagicSchool
Dozens of teacher tools for lessons, rubrics and materials. A productivity platform for educators rather than a student tutor.
When to pick a rival instead
Free K-12, vast proven library
Socratic tutoring over Khan Academy's enormous, battle-tested catalogue, free for teachers and only $44 a year for learners. Its library dwarfs any challenger.
You want affordable, trusted K-12 tutoring across many subjects and do not need courses generated on demand.
Language practice
The most habit-forming way to practise a language with AI conversation, backed by Duolingo's gamification.
Your goal is learning or maintaining a specific language, not studying academic subjects.
Elementary math
A polished adaptive math curriculum for ages 5 to 11 with constant mastery checks. Excellent within its narrow scope.
You want a focused elementary math tutor for a young child.
Teacher productivity
Dozens of tools that save teachers time on lessons, rubrics and materials, with a genuinely free tier.
You are a teacher preparing materials rather than a learner seeking a tutor.
What people actually ask
Read the live threads on Reddit and judge for yourself:
Go deeper
Book a call and we'll generate an interactive course on a topic you choose, in the language you choose, and walk through how it teaches.
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