AI teaching tools have grown to saturate the education landscape, becoming nearly impossible to ignore. Some teachers have embraced them wholeheartedly, finding immense value in the time they save and the ways they enhance student engagement.
On the other hand, some teachers remain hesitant (or outright resistant) to adopting AI teaching tools. Fears of losing the human touch in teaching, or simply the steep learning curve that comes with integrating new tools can make AI seeming more like a threat than a benefit.
To navigate this divide, here are a few key considerations:
- Start by identifying your biggest pain points. Are you spending hours grading essays or struggling to create differentiated materials? Pinpointing where you need the most support will guide you toward the right tools.
- Look for tools that integrate seamlessly into your workflow. The last thing you want is another platform that disrupts your routine. Find options that meet you where you already work.
- Experiment with free versions before committing to paid plans. Many AI teaching tools offer robust free tiers, allowing you to test their effectiveness without financial risk.
That said, here are some AI teaching tools you should start using at a glance:
| AI Tool Category | AI Tool Name | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| Instructional Planning | Edcafe AI | All-in-one teaching assistant for lesson planning, assessments, grading, and content creation. |
| Brisk Teaching | Chrome extension for AI-powered lesson planning, differentiation, and writing feedback. | |
| Eduaide AI | AI-powered lesson planning and resource creation aligned with learning standards. | |
| Grading | Gradescope | AI-assisted grading for exams, coding projects, and online quizzes. |
| CoGrader | AI-powered evaluation of written assignments with instant feedback and scores. | |
| Assessments | ClassPoint AI Quiz Generator | Generates quiz questions from PowerPoint slides. |
| QuestionWell | Creates quizzes from text, YouTube videos, or articles. | |
| Yippity | Turns text, articles, or notes into quizzes and flashcards. | |
| Student Engagement | Curipod | Creates interactive slide decks with quizzes, polls, word clouds, and drawing prompts. |
| ThingLink + Skybox by Blockade Labs | Generates immersive 360° environments for virtual tours and interactive lessons. | |
| Tutoring and Personalized Learning | Khan Academy – Khanmigo | AI-powered tutor that guides students through problems step-by-step using Socratic questioning. |
| Duolingo | Personalized language learning app with gamified features and AI-driven practice. | |
| Quizlet with Q-Chat | AI chatbot that guides students through study sessions using Socratic questioning. | |
| Content Creation | ChatGPT | General AI chatbot for drafting lesson plans, brainstorming ideas, and creating educational content. |
| Canva | Graphic design platform with AI tools for creating visually appealing educational materials. | |
| Language and Literacy Support | Quill.org | AI-powered writing and grammar practice with real-time feedback. |
| Grammarly | AI writing assistant for grammar, spelling, and style improvements. | |
| Diffit | AI tool for differentiating reading materials by adjusting text complexity. |
AI Tools for Instructional Planning
1. Edcafe AI
What It Does: If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of tools out there promising to make your teaching life easier, you’re not alone. But what if there was one platform that could do it all? Edcafe AI, the ultimate all-in-one teaching assistant, is designed to lighten your workload without compromising quality.
Whether you’re drafting standards-aligned lesson plans, creating interactive quizzes, streamlining grading, or generating dynamic educational materials, Edcafe AI has you covered. And the best part? It’s intuitive, efficient, and built specifically with educators in mind.
Pricing: Edcafe AI offers a generous free plan with up to 100 content generations per month. For heavier use, Pro plans start at around $8/month (about $96/year).
Why It Stands Out: Edcafe AI prides in being a few steps ahead of being just another regular generative AI tool. With its powerful interactive AI capabilities, educators can directly send teaching materials straight to student devices with a simple scan of a QR code.
Check out this quick Edcafe AI review and walkthrough by Frank Bergdoll:
Check out more helpful videos on integrating tech into teaching from Frank: Learning and Technology with Frank.
2. Brisk Teaching
What It Does: If you’ve ever wished for an AI assistant that could meet you where you already work, Brisk Teaching might be exactly what you’re looking for. This Chrome browser extension integrates seamlessly with the websites and learning management systems you already use, like Google Docs, Gmail, or your school’s LMS.
Pricing: The Basic Plan is free but has limited access to core AI features. The Pro Plan costs $9.99 per month and bumps limitations to higher usage ceilings.
Why Educators Like It: Teachers who use Brisk appreciate its seamless integration into their workflow. Instead of going to a separate AI website or tool for help, Brisk comes to you on the pages you’re already using.
3. Eduaide AI
What It Does: If creating detailed lesson plans and resources from scratch feels like reinventing the wheel, Eduaide.AI is here to help. This AI-powered assistant specializes in lesson planning and resource creation, generating classroom-ready materials aligned with learning standards and evidence-based strategies.
Pricing: Eduaide provides a free trial of about 15 AI generations per month for teachers to experiment. For unlimited access, the Pro plan costs roughly $5.99/month (about $50 per year).
Why Educators Like It: Eduaide is particularly helpful in creating differentiated content (for different ability levels) and get suggestions for engaging activities without starting from scratch.
Other notable tools: TeacherBot, Education CoPilot, and Auto-Classmate are similar “AI teacher’s assistants”. These tools, like the three mentioned above, are built to give educators a starting point for high-quality plans and materials.
AI Tools for Grading
4. Gradescope
What It Does: If you’ve ever spent hours grading stacks of exams or assignments, one by one, Gradescope could be exactly what you need. This platform, now part of Turnitin, uses AI to group similar student answers together.
Pricing: The best part? Gradescope offers a free version for individual instructors, so you can try it out without any strings attached. For schools or districts, there are paid licenses available.
Why Educators Like It: The AI-assisted answer grouping means less repetitive grading as it allows teachers to grade an entire class’s responses in one go rather than student-by-student.
5. CoGrader
What It Does: Grading essays and open-ended responses can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling dozens (or even hundreds) of submissions. CoGrader is an AI-powered tool that evaluates written assignments quickly, providing instant feedback and scores based on your rubrics.
Pricing: The platform offers a free tier, supporting up to approximately 100 student submissions per month, so you can try it out risk-free. For larger workloads, the Standard plan costs about $15/month (billed annually).
Why Educators Like It: Many teachers find CoGrader “remarkable” for handling writing assessments. It lightens the grading load, especially in writing-heavy courses.
AI Tools for Assessments
6. ClassPoint AI Quiz Generator
What It Does: If you’ve ever wished you could turn your PowerPoint slides into quizzes without jumping through hoops, ClassPoint AI is worth checking out. This add-in works right inside PowerPoint and automatically generates quiz questions from the content on your slides.
Whether you’ve got full paragraphs or just a single keyword, ClassPoint can whip up smart questions aligned with Bloom’s taxonomy. The best part? You don’t have to leave PowerPoint to make it happen. It’s all done within the app.
Pricing: There’s a free Basic plan that gives you 20 AI-generated quiz credits per month, which is great if you’re just testing it out. For heavier use, the Pro plan costs about $8/month (billed annually).
Why Educators Like It: As a direct PowerPoint add-in, ClassPoint AI particularly shines in its ability to make quiz questions on the spot, perfect for busy teachers who want to make the most out of already-existing teaching content.
7. QuestionWell
What It Does: If you’ve ever spent hours writing quiz questions by hand, QuestionWell might feel like a lifesaver. This AI tool takes any source material, whether it’s text, a YouTube video link, or an article, and generates a variety of quiz questions for you.
Pricing: QuestionWell has a free plan that lets you test it out with basic features. If you want more, the premium plan is about $7/month.
Why Educators Like It: Teachers love how QuestionWell saves time by generating quality questions that are standards-aligned and fully editable. Instead of starting from scratch, you can instantly get a mix of factual recall and higher-order thinking questions with just a click.
8. Yippity
What It Does: Yippity is another AI-powered tool that makes quiz creation a breeze. You can paste in text, an article, or even notes, and Yippity will automatically generate a set of quiz questions. It even creates flashcards for review, which is a nice bonus.
Pricing: Yippity offers a free tier that lets you generate up to 3 AI-created quizzes per month. If you find yourself using it often, the Early Bird premium plan is around $4.99/month.
Why Educators Like It: Teachers appreciate how effortless Yippity makes quiz creation. If you’re short on time but need a quick comprehension check or study aid, Yippity has your back.
Other notable tools: Kahoot’s AI question generator is another notable tool that auto-creates quiz questions for games. Similarly, Quizlet (covered below under tutoring) uses AI to generate practice tests and flashcards, blurring the line between assessment and study tool.
AI Tools for Student Engagement
9. Curipod
What It Does: If running quizzes and sparking participation feels like pulling teeth, Curipod might be the tool you’ve been looking for. This AI-powered platform creates interactive slide decks designed to engage students from start to finish.
Just give it a simple prompt, and Curipod generates a presentation complete with quiz questions, polls, word clouds, and drawing prompts.
Pricing: Curipod offers a robust free plan for educators, which includes unlimited students, unlimited presentation plays, and a limited number of AI-generated slides or translations per month. If you need more, the Premium plan costs about $90/year.
Why Educators Like It: Teachers love how Curipod energizes even quiet classrooms. Its mix of polls, quizzes, and creative questions helps “build the confidence of even the most introverted students.”
10. ThingLink + Skybox by Blockade Labs
What It Does: Want to take your students on a virtual field trip without leaving the classroom? ThingLink paired with Skybox by Blockade Labs makes it surprisingly easy. ThingLink lets you create interactive images and virtual tours, while Skybox uses AI to generate 360° panoramic environments based on simple text descriptions.
Pricing: Skybox by Blockade Labs has been free to use for generating 360° images. ThingLink offers a free 60-day trial for educators, after which an individual teacher account costs around $60/year.
Why Educators Like It: Teachers rave about how these tools captivate students’ interest in ways textbooks and flat images simply can’t. It’s one thing to read about ancient Rome, but quite another to step into it virtually.
AI Tools for Tutoring and Personalized Learning
11. Khan Academy – Khanmigo
What It Does: A personal tutor available to every student in your classroom. Someone who asks thoughtful questions, provides hints, and guides them step-by-step through problems. That’s exactly what Khanmigo offers.
Built on advanced language models, Khanmigo acts as an AI-powered tutor and teaching assistant. It engages students in Socratic dialogue, and responds in a coaching style that feels human-like and supportive.
Pricing: Given their nonprofit model and ongoing grant support, some teachers enjoy free access. It’s not yet broadly free for all users, but Khan Academy aims to expand access.
Why Educators Like It: Khanmigo leverages Khan Academy’s trusted content with AI. It also handles individualized questions from students, effectively offering one-to-one tutoring on demand.
12. Duolingo
What It Does: If you’ve ever struggled to find a tool that keeps students engaged while learning a new language, Duolingo might be your answer. This popular app uses AI to personalize practice for each learner.
Duolingo keeps learning fun and game-like with points to earn, levels to pass, and instant feedback on answers.
Pricing: Duolingo’s core app is free. The Super Duolingo subscription costs around $7–$10/month. For those wanting advanced AI features, Duolingo Max is priced higher at about $30/month.
Why Educators Like It: Even though Duolingo is primarily a consumer app, many language teachers recommend it as a supplement because of its strong personalization and engagement.
13. Quizlet with Q-Chat
What It Does: Quizlet has long been a staple for study tools, but its Q-Chat AI tutor takes things even further. Q-Chat, built on OpenAI’s ChatGPT, acts as an adaptive chatbot that guides students through study sessions.
Pricing: Quizlet offers a free basic version where students can access and create study sets, though there are some limits and ads. The Quizlet Plus subscription costs around $36–$45 per year.
Why Educators Like It: Quizlet is already widely used in classrooms because it’s effective and familiar to students. With the addition of Q-Chat, it’s become even more powerful. Teachers love how Q-Chat can coach students in a dialogue, making studying more engaging and less passive.
AI Tools for Content Creation
14. ChatGPT
What It Does: ChatGPT is a general AI chatbot (developed by OpenAI) that many teachers have adopted as a multi-purpose tool. While not built exclusively for education, it can generate text on almost any topic, making it incredibly useful for creating teaching content.
Pricing: Access to ChatGPT is primarily free . For those who want more advanced capabilities, the ChatGPT Plus subscription costs $20/month.
Why Educators Like It: ChatGPT has been transformative in terms of time savings and idea generation. According to surveys, a large number of teachers now use ChatGPT to help do their jobs. Educators like that it’s always available and can provide instant inspiration or first drafts.
15. Canva
What It Does: Creating visually appealing materials can feel like a chore (I so relate,) but not when you have Canva. This graphic design platform has long been a favorite among educators for crafting slides, infographics, posters, worksheets, and more. Recently, Canva integrated generative AI features, branded as “Magic” tools, to make content creation even easier.
Pricing: Canva for Education is 100% free for all K-12 teachers and their students. Teachers can sign up with their school email and get access to Canva’s premium features (normally part of Canva Pro) at no cost.
Why Educators Like It: Canva is extremely popular among teachers because it makes creating engaging visuals quick and easy. Educators who aren’t professional designers can still produce eye-catching slides and handouts that grab students’ attention.
AI Tools for Language and Literacy Support
16. Quill.org
What It Does: If you’ve ever wished for a way to give students instant feedback on their writing without spending hours grading, Quill might be the answer. This nonprofit platform uses AI to provide real-time coaching for writing and grammar activities.
Pricing: Quill is free for teachers and students. All the core activities and feedback features are available at no cost (funded by grants and donations). There is an optional Quill Premium for around $80/year per teacher.
Why Educators Like It: Teachers are big fans of Quill because it lightens their grading load while improving student writing skills. Instead of collecting piles of worksheets to mark, teachers can have students practice on Quill and know that each student is receiving personalized feedback as they write.
17. Grammarly
What It Does: Grammarly is a widely-used AI writing assistant that helps improve grammar, spelling, and clarity in writing. In an educational context, both teachers and students use Grammarly to proofread and polish their writing.
Pricing: Grammarly offers a free version that includes basic spelling and grammar checks. The Premium version runs about $12 per month (billed annually) per user.
Why Educators Like It: Many teachers recommend Grammarly to their students because it’s like having an always-on writing coach that improves skills over time.
18. Diffit
What It Does: Differentiating reading materials for students at varying levels can feel overwhelming, but Diffit makes it surprisingly easy. This free AI tool takes any text, and generates versions of that text at different complexity levels.
Pricing: Diffit boasts a completely free version for teachers. They do offer a Premium plan for school-wide licenses, but pricing requires a custom quote.
Why Educators Like It: Rewriting texts for multiple levels can be extremely time-consuming. Diffit has been a game-changer for differentiated instruction because it does that work in seconds.
Navigating the World of AI Teaching Tools: Where Do You Start?
AI teaching tools are everywhere, and while they promise to make your life easier, the sheer number of options can feel overwhelming. How do you know which ones are worth your time?
To help you cut through the noise, here are some tips to guide you, and a few tool suggestions to get you started:
- Look for Tools That Integrate Seamlessly Into Your Workflow
The last thing you need is another platform that disrupts your routine. Seek out tools that meet you where you already work. Brisk Teaching, for instance, works directly in Google Docs and Gmail, making it easy to incorporate into your day-to-day tasks without adding extra steps. - Test Free Versions Before Committing
Many AI teaching tools offer free trials or basic versions, so take advantage of these to see if they truly fit your needs. Platforms like Edcafe AI and Quizlet with Q-Chat let you experiment with their features before upgrading to paid plans. - Prioritize Tools That Save You Time Without Sacrificing Personalization
Some tools automate tasks but risk losing the human touch. Look for ones that enhance personalization instead of replacing it. For example, Khanmigo acts as a virtual tutor, guiding students through problems step-by-step, while Diffit adapts reading materials to match each student’s level. - Ask Yourself: Does This Tool Empower Both Me and My Students?
The best AI tools should empower students to take ownership of their learning. For example, Duolingo keeps language practice engaging and adaptive, while Quill provides instant writing feedback that helps students improve in real time. - Trust Your Instincts and Be Willing to Experiment
Not every tool will be a perfect fit, and that’s okay. If something feels clunky or overly complicated, move on. On the flip side, don’t be afraid to try unconventional tools that spark curiosity. For example, ClassPoint AI Quiz Generator turns PowerPoint slides into interactive quizzes, blending familiarity with something new.