- Khan Academy is free and nonprofit, with clear video lessons and exercises; Khan Academy Kids (ages 2 to 8) has no ads.
- It follows a US curriculum, with no 11+ papers or UK verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
- The Khanmigo AI tutor is reported to be unavailable to UK families.
- Our rating: 4 out of 5. A great free extra, but for the 11+ or KS2 SATs in Years 3 to 6, a dedicated app such as Pip fits better.
Is Khan Academy any good?
Yes, and it is free. It's a nonprofit with good video explanations and exercises, and its Kids app has no ads.
It follows a US curriculum, so if your child is in Years 3 to 6 and heading for the 11+ or KS2 SATs, a dedicated app such as Pip gives the UK exam practice Khan Academy doesn't.
- Our rating: 4 out of 5 (editorial)
- Price: free
- Best for: free explanations and extra practice, plus ages 2 to 8 with Kids
- Consider instead: 7 Khan Academy alternatives
Our connection: Pip publishes this review and competes with Khan Academy for some families. We have tried to be fair: Khan Academy's strengths are real, and it costs nothing.
This review is based on Khan Academy's Kids page and secondary sources checked on 6 October 2026. Khan Academy and its logo belong to Khan Academy.
What is Khan Academy and what does it cover?
Khan Academy is a nonprofit learning site with free videos, exercises and mastery progression in maths, science, computing, economics and humanities.
Its content is reported to run from Kindergarten to college level (unverified, from a secondary source). Khan Academy Kids is a separate free app for ages 2 to 8 with reading, writing, maths and social-emotional learning, and it runs on iOS, Android and Amazon Appstore.
Is Khan Academy free in the UK?
Yes. Khan Academy is a nonprofit and its learning content is free, including for UK users.
Khan Academy's own Kids page says it's 100% free, with no ads and no subscriptions. We couldn't load the main-site pricing page on 6 October 2026, so those details come from a secondary source.
The Khanmigo AI tutor is reported to cost about $4 a month and to need an account holder aged 18 or over with a US billing address. That's unverified, so check Khan Academy's site if the tutor matters to you.
What does Khan Academy do well?
- Free, with no ads. A nonprofit offers the content free, and the Kids app carries no ads.
- Clear video explanations. A child can watch a concept explained before trying questions.
- Mastery progression. Exercises build up topic by topic, with progress shown.
- Good for under-8s. Khan Academy Kids covers early reading, writing and maths with hundreds of books, videos and activities.
What should UK parents know before relying on Khan Academy?
- US curriculum. It is not mapped to UK year groups or exam boards, though some maths is reported to align with GCSE.
- No 11+ or SATs focus. We found no exam-style 11+ papers or UK verbal and non-verbal reasoning, which is a reviewer view.
- Khanmigo is reported as unavailable to UK families. Treat that as unverified until Khan Academy confirms it.
- Khan Academy Kids is too young for KS2. Its age range is 2 to 8.
Who is Khan Academy best for?
Khan Academy suits under-8s through Kids, children who want a free explanation of a topic, and families on a zero budget. For a short daily UK maths routine try DoodleMaths, and for the 11+ or KS2 SATs try Pip or Atom Learning.
The full list is in our 7 best Khan Academy alternatives.
How does Khan Academy compare with Pip?
They solve different problems: Khan Academy is a free library of explanations, and Pip is a focused adaptive app for Years 3 to 6 preparing for the 11+ and KS2 SATs.
| Khan Academy | Pip 11+ Practice | |
|---|---|---|
| Age range | Kindergarten to college level (unverified); Kids is ages 2 to 8 | Years 3 to 6 |
| Subjects | Maths, science, computing, economics, humanities | 11+ Maths, English, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning; KS2 SATs track |
| Curriculum | US-oriented; not mapped to UK exam boards | Built for the 11+ and KS2 SATs |
| Teaching | Free video explanations and exercises | Pip Teaches interactive lessons (Pro), coach hints, Ask Pip |
| Motivation | Mastery progress; characters in Kids | Pip Score, boss battles, coins, Pip's Den, Learning Grove |
| Price | Free | Free; Pro £9.99 a month or £69.99 a year, 7-day free trial |
| Works on | Web, plus apps (unverified); Kids on iOS, Android, Amazon | iOS, Android, Amazon (no desktop or web yet) |
Pip adapts the question level inside each skill, chooses the next skill from gaps, brings skills back for review, and offers to go back a step to a building block when a child is stuck. Its coach hints teach the method without giving the answer, and it has no ads.
Pip's one downside is that it only runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and Amazon Fire tablets, with no desktop or web version yet. If your child uses a phone or tablet, that won't matter.
Is Khan Academy worth it? Our verdict
Khan Academy is worth using, and we give it 4 out of 5 as a free library of explanations. It's a good pick for under-8s through Kids.
For the 11+ or KS2 SATs in Years 3 to 6, choose Pip instead or alongside it, as long as your child uses a phone or tablet.
Khan Academy review: questions parents ask
Is Khan Academy worth it for UK families?
Yes, as a free supplement. Khan Academy offers free video explanations and exercises with no subscription, which is hard to beat on price.
It follows a US curriculum, so it is not a complete plan for UK year groups, KS2 SATs or the 11+.
Is Khan Academy free in the UK?
Yes. Khan Academy is a nonprofit and its learning content is free, and Khan Academy Kids is described as 100% free with no ads and no subscriptions.
We could not load Khan Academy's main-site pricing page on 6 October 2026, so for the main site we rely on secondary sources.
Is Khan Academy good for the 11+?
Khan Academy is not built for the 11+. We found no exam-style 11+ papers or UK verbal and non-verbal reasoning, which is a reviewer view rather than a statement from Khan Academy.
Pip, Atom Learning, CENTURY and EdPlace all offer 11+ practice.
Is Khan Academy good for KS2 SATs?
Its maths progression overlaps loosely with KS2 topics, but it is not mapped to SATs papers. Pip has a separate KS2 SATs route, with the full track in Pip Pro.
What ages is Khan Academy Kids for?
Khan Academy Kids is a free early-learning app for ages 2 to 8, covering reading, writing, maths and social-emotional learning. It is too young for KS2 SATs or 11+ preparation.
Is Khanmigo available in the UK?
Reports say the Khanmigo AI tutor, about $4 a month, needs an account holder aged 18 or over with a US billing address, so UK families cannot buy it. Check Khan Academy's site before you rely on it.
What is the best alternative to Khan Academy?
Pip is the best for KS2 SATs and the 11+ in Years 3 to 6. See our 7 best Khan Academy alternatives.
The Pip team builds Pip, the 11+ and KS2 practice app for children in years three to six. We write these guides from real exam formats and past papers.
