50 Best EdTech Tools for Teachers in 2026 (Free and Paid)
These are the 50 EdTech tools we would recommend to a teacher in 2026, grouped by the job each one does. Start with our top 10, or use the table to see what is free in each category.
Our top 10 EdTech tools for 2026
- 1Google Classroom
Class management
Set, collect and grade work in one free hub.
Free - 2Chalkie
AI lesson planning
Lesson decks and worksheets from one prompt.
Free planOurs - 3Kahoot!
Quizzes and games
The quiz game every class already knows.
Free plan
- 4
Canva for EducationInteractive lessonsSlides, posters and worksheets, free for K-12.
- 5
Khan AcademyPracticeFree practice and an AI assistant for teachers.
- 6
NearpodInteractive lessonsLive lessons students answer on their devices.
- 7
PadletCollaborationA shared wall for every student's ideas.
- 8
EdpuzzleVideoQuestions inside any video, with who watched.
- 9
BlooketQuizzes and gamesReview games students beg to play.
- 10
FormativePolls and quick checksEvery student's answer, live, as they work.
- ChalkieOurs
Free plan · From $8.99/mo · K‑12
MagicSchoolFree plan · From $8.33/mo · K‑12
Brisk TeachingFree for teachers · School plans · K‑12
Eduaide.aiLimited free plan · From $4.17/mo · K‑12
DiffitFree plan · Pro plans · K‑12
- Google Classroom
Free · Always free · K‑12
CanvasLimited free plan · School plans · K‑12
SchoologyLimited free plan · School plans · K‑12
SeesawFree for 1 class · School plans · K‑5
ClassDojoFree · Always free · K‑8
- Nearpod
Free plan · From $159/yr · K‑12
Pear DeckFree plan · From $149/yr · K‑12
- Canva for Education
Free · Always free · K‑12
GeniallyFree plan · From $5/mo · K‑12
Adobe ExpressFree · Always free · K‑12
- Formative
Free trial · From $20.75/mo · K‑12
SocrativeFree plan · From $10/mo · K‑12
MentimeterLimited free plan · From $8.99/mo · 6‑12
PlickersLimited free plan · From $5.99/mo · K‑12
Poll EverywhereFree up to 40 · From $9/mo · 6‑12
- Edpuzzle
Free plan · Pro plans · K‑12
ScreencastifyLimited free plan · From $7/mo · K‑12
WeVideoLimited free plan · From $7.42/mo · K‑12
LoomLimited free plan · 75% off for educators · K‑12
- Padlet
Free for 3 boards · From $10/mo · K‑12
MiroFree for educators · Always free · 6‑12
WakeletLimited free plan · From $11.99/mo · K‑12
Book CreatorFree for 40 books · From $14/mo · K‑12
Microsoft WhiteboardFree with Microsoft 365 · Always free · K‑12
- Khan Academy
Free · Always free · K‑12
IXL30-day trial · From $369/yr · PreK‑12
DeltaMathFree plan · From $95/yr · 6‑12
Prodigy MathFree for teachers · Always free · 1‑8
FreckleLimited free plan · School plans · K‑12
KamiFree plan · From $14.99/mo · K‑12
CoGraderFree for 150 a month · From $15/mo · K‑12
- Snorkl
Free plan · School plans · K‑12
RemindFree for teachers · Always free · K‑12
ParentSquareNo · School plans · K‑12
Prices are the cheapest individual teacher plan in USD. "School plans" means the paid version is sold to schools or districts.
AI tools for lesson planning and resources
Use these when you need a lesson, worksheet or reading pack made fast. You still edit; they do the first draft.
- ChalkieOurs
Full lesson slide decks and printable worksheets from one prompt
Free planFrom $8.99/moK‑12Chalkie builds the whole lesson, not just the plan. Give it a topic, grade and standard and you get a slide deck with images, or a printable activity sheet, ready to edit and export to Google Slides or PowerPoint.
Pros
- Full slide decks, not just text
- Aligns to every US state's standards
Cons
- Alignment needs Pro ($8.99/mo)
- Free plan is 5 resources a week
MagicSchool is a big toolbox of small AI helpers: rubric makers, email writers, quiz builders and more. Open it when you have ten little jobs rather than one big lesson to build.
Pros
- 80+ tools in one place
- Generous free plan
Cons
- Outputs are mostly text
- Lots of tools to wade through
AI that works inside Google Docs, Slides and Classroom
Free for teachersSchool plansK‑12Brisk sits in your browser as a Chrome or Edge extension, so the AI appears inside Google Docs, Slides and your LMS. Teachers who give feedback in Docs tend to love it.
Pros
- Works where you already work
- Free for individual teachers
Cons
- Needs Chrome or Edge
- Premium features are for schools
Eduaide focuses on the materials around a lesson: question sets, graphic organizers, games and assessments. At $49.99 a year, its Pro plan is one of the cheapest here.
Pros
- Wide range of resource types
- Pro is $49.99 a year
Cons
- Free plan limits generations
- Plainer visual output
Paste an article or type a topic and Diffit rewrites it at the reading level you pick, with vocabulary and questions. It is the quickest way we know to level one text for a mixed class.
Pros
- Levels any text quickly
- Adds questions and vocabulary
Cons
- Free plan keeps 90 days of work
- Paid price is not published
Chalkie: type a topic and get a full lesson deck or activity sheet.
Class management and LMS tools
Your class's home base: where work is set, handed in and returned, and where families can see it.
If your school runs Google Workspace, Classroom is already there and costs nothing. Set work, collect it, grade it and post updates in one stream that students and guardians can follow.
Pros
- Free with Google Workspace
- Connects to almost every tool here
Cons
- Gradebook is basic
- Best AI features are paid add-ons
Canvas is the full learning platform many districts standardize on, with modules, SpeedGrader and a proper gradebook. Teachers can try it on their own through the free Canvas Lite.
Pros
- Strong gradebook and SpeedGrader
- Scales across a district
Cons
- Heavy for a single class
- Full version needs a district contract
Schoology, now part of PowerSchool, is a district platform that ties assignments and grades to the student information system. If your district has it, its course templates are worth learning.
Pros
- Links to PowerSchool's SIS
- Good course and assessment tools
Cons
- Chosen by districts, not teachers
- Free access is very limited
Seesaw is built for younger students. Kids snap a photo, record their voice or draw, and families see the work as it happens. It is a lovely way to show learning in K-2.
Pros
- Easy for pre-readers
- Families see work in real time
Cons
- Free plan covers 1 class
- Full version is school-licensed
ClassDojo is the elementary classic for behavior points, class stories and parent messages. It is free for teachers, and families get messages translated into their language.
Pros
- Free for teachers
- Parents actually open it
Cons
- Points systems don't suit every class
- Built mainly for K-8
Google Classroom, part of Google Workspace for Education.
Quiz and game tools
Low-stakes retrieval practice that students ask for. Best in the first or last ten minutes of a lesson.
Most students have played Kahoot! before they reach your class. Project a question, they answer on any device, and the leaderboard does the rest. Perfect for five minutes of review at the end of a unit.
Pros
- Students already know it
- Huge library of ready-made quizzes
Cons
- Free games cap at 10 players
- Rewards speed over thinking
Blooket wraps the same set of questions in a dozen game modes, from tower defense to running a café, which keeps review fresh across a long unit.
Pros
- Free for up to 60 players
- Lots of game modes
Cons
- Can get loud and chaotic
- Best modes are in Plus
Gimkit turns review into a game show where students earn in-game cash and spend it on power-ups. Middle and high schoolers often prefer it to Kahoot.
Pros
- Strategy keeps older students hooked
- Pro is $59.88 a year
Cons
- Free plan rotates about 3 modes
- Assignments need Pro
Wayground is the new name for Quizizz. It runs self-paced quizzes, lessons and homework, with read-aloud and other accommodations built in.
Pros
- Free for up to 100 students
- Accommodations built in
Cons
- Paid teacher price not published
- Busier than it used to be
Quizlet is still the default for flashcards. Make a set once and students get matching games, practice tests and spaced review from it.
Pros
- Millions of ready-made sets
- Core flashcards are free
Cons
- Ads and upsells on the free plan
- Teacher tools cost $35.99 a year
Kahoot! plans for teachers and schools.
Interactive lesson and design tools
Turn a deck into something students answer, draw on or build while you teach.
Nearpod turns a lesson into something every student does on their own device: polls, drawing, open questions and quizzes, paced by you. Its ready-made lesson library saves real time.
Pros
- Big library of ready-made lessons
- Teacher-paced or self-paced
Cons
- Free plan: 40 students per lesson
- Gold is $159 a year
Pear Deck adds questions to the Google Slides or PowerPoint deck you already have, so students answer on their devices while you present. It takes minutes to learn.
Pros
- Works with your existing slides
- Quick to learn
Cons
- Premium is $149 a year
- Best question types need Premium
We're big fans of Canva here at Chalkie. It is free for K-12 teachers, with Pro features included, and it is the fastest way to make a poster, a classroom display or a good-looking slide.
Pros
- Free Pro features for K-12
- Thousands of education templates
Cons
- Verification can take a few days
- Design-first, not lesson-first
Genially is for interactive content students explore on their own: clickable images, escape rooms and branching presentations. Brilliant for review stations and homework.
Pros
- Escape rooms and games
- EduPro is about $5 a month
Cons
- Slow to build from scratch
- Prices are set in euros
Adobe Express gives K-12 schools free access to premium design and video templates. It shines for student projects: posters, short videos and presentations.
Pros
- Free premium for K-12
- Great for student projects
Cons
- Eligibility checks can be fiddly
- Overlaps a lot with Canva
Canva for Education is free for K-12 teachers.
Polls and formative assessment tools
A two-minute read on what the whole class understands, before you move on.
Formative shows you every student's answer as they work, so you catch a misconception mid-task rather than after marking. Students can draw their working, which math teachers appreciate.
Pros
- Live view of every response
- Students can draw answers
Cons
- Classroom plan is $249 a year
- Free access is a trial
Socrative is simple: fire off a quick question, an exit ticket or a team race, and see results straight away. No frills, which is the point.
Pros
- Very quick to set up
- Free plan available
Cons
- Essentials is $10 a month
- Looks dated
Mentimeter makes live polls and word clouds look good on the board. It is a nice way to start a discussion: everyone answers, and nobody has to put a hand up.
Pros
- Polished live results
- Answers are anonymous
Cons
- Free plan limits participants
- Built for adults first
Plickers needs no student devices. Each student holds up a printed card, you scan the room with your phone, and every answer is in.
Pros
- No student devices needed
- Great for younger classes
Cons
- Free sets are 5 questions
- You need to print the cards
Poll Everywhere handles polls and Q&A from phones or browsers, and its Educator plan adds attendance and grading. It is most at home in middle and high school.
Pros
- Works on any phone
- Free for classes up to 40
Cons
- Grading features are $16 a month
- Better for older students
Video tools for teachers
Record an explanation once, or make any video do part of the teaching.
Edpuzzle lets you take any video, trim it, add your voice and drop questions in at the moments that matter. You see who watched, and how they answered.
Pros
- Works with YouTube videos
- Shows who actually watched
Cons
- Free plan stores 20 videos
- Pro price is not published
Screencastify records your screen, camera and voice from Chrome, so a quick how-to or a lesson for an absent student takes a few minutes.
Pros
- Fast to record and share
- Students can submit videos
Cons
- Free plan: 10 videos
- Starter is $7 a month
WeVideo is a proper video editor in the browser, sized for student projects. The Single Teacher plan is $89 a year.
Pros
- Real editing in a browser
- Good for student projects
Cons
- Free plan: 5 minutes a month
- Free exports are 480p
Loom is made for short video feedback: record your screen and face, send the link, and students can reply. Educators get 75% off.
Pros
- Very quick feedback videos
- Viewers can comment
Cons
- Free plan: 25 videos
- No longer free for educators
Collaboration and whiteboard tools
Shared spaces where every student's thinking is visible at once.
Padlet is a shared wall where the whole class can post text, images and links at once. It works well for brainstorms, exit questions and gallery walks.
Pros
- Every student's idea in one view
- Lots of layouts
Cons
- Free plan: 3 boards
- Turn moderation on first
Miro is an endless whiteboard for mind maps, group planning and project boards. Educators can apply for a free plan with up to 100 members.
Pros
- Free Educator plan
- Great for group projects
Cons
- Too much for young students
- You have to apply for the free plan
Wakelet collects links, videos, files and notes into tidy collections you share with a class, like a playlist for a topic.
Pros
- Easy to organize resources
- Students can add to collections
Cons
- Free plan: 3 collections
- Pro is $11.99 a month
Students write, illustrate and record their own books in Book Creator, then publish them to a class library. Younger students love seeing their work as a real book.
Pros
- Text, audio and video in one book
- Free plan: 40 books
Cons
- Premium is $14 a month
- Projects take several lessons
A live whiteboard inside school Microsoft 365
Free with Microsoft 365Always freeK‑12If your school uses Microsoft 365, Whiteboard is already included. It is a simple live canvas for pens, sticky notes and shared problem-solving.
Pros
- Free with Microsoft 365
- Works well with pens and touch
Cons
- Best inside Teams
- Fewer templates than Miro
Practice and adaptive learning tools
Independent practice that adjusts to each student. Good for homework, stations and catch-up.
Khan Academy's practice and videos are free and always will be, and teachers now get Khanmigo, its AI assistant, free too. A strong choice for math homework.
Pros
- Completely free
- Khanmigo is free for teachers
Cons
- Practice can feel repetitive
- Videos suit independent learners
IXL breaks each subject into thousands of small skills, with a diagnostic that shows where every student is. Powerful, but you pay for it.
Pros
- Detailed skill reports
- Covers PreK-12
Cons
- Classroom licence from $369 a year
- Students can find it a grind
DeltaMath is a math teacher favorite for homework: problems are randomized for each student, graded automatically and come with worked solutions.
Pros
- Free teacher licence
- Worked solutions for students
Cons
- Plain interface
- Plus is $95 a year
Prodigy hides math practice inside a fantasy game that adapts to each student. It is free for teachers; families can buy memberships.
Pros
- Students play willingly
- Free for teachers
Cons
- Upsells to parents
- Sometimes more game than math
Freckle, from Renaissance, gives each student math and ELA practice at their own level, with simple assignment tools for you.
Pros
- Adapts to each student
- Math and ELA in one place
Cons
- Free version: 1 task a week
- Price is not published
Reading and writing tools
Texts at the right level for every reader, and writing practice with feedback built in.
CommonLit is a free library of strong reading passages with questions for grades 3-12. For ELA teachers it is one of the best free resources online.
Pros
- Free for teachers
- Excellent text selection
Cons
- Full curriculum covers 6-12 only
- School plans start at $4,200
Newsela rewrites news and nonfiction at five reading levels, so a whole class can read the same article at their own level.
Pros
- Same text, five levels
- Current, real-world articles
Cons
- Mostly sold to schools
- Free access is limited
Read&Write is a literacy toolbar that reads text aloud, predicts words and builds vocabulary lists. K-12 teachers get the premium version free.
Pros
- Free premium for teachers
- Strong accessibility support
Cons
- Students need a school licence
- Toolbar takes some setup
Epic is a digital library of more than 20,000 children's books and videos, free during the school day for K-6 classes.
Pros
- Free on weekdays, 7am to 4pm
- Huge choice for young readers
Cons
- No home access on the free plan
- Mostly for under-12s
NoRedInk teaches grammar with sentences built around each student's interests, from sports to favorite shows, then gives feedback on their writing.
Pros
- Personalized grammar practice
- Writing feedback built in
Cons
- Premium is for schools only
- Free version is limited
Curipod has moved from lesson slides to writing practice. Students write during a session you lead and get instant AI feedback on their draft.
Pros
- Fast feedback on writing
- Free plan available
Cons
- Free plan limits sessions
- No individual paid plan
Feedback, grading and family communication tools
Mark faster, comment where students work, and keep families in the loop.
Kami turns any PDF or worksheet into something students can write, type and draw on, and you can comment straight onto their work.
Pros
- Works with any PDF
- Great for digital worksheets
Cons
- Teacher plan is $149 a year
- Free plan has fewer tools
CoGrader does a first pass on essays against your rubric and drafts feedback for you to edit. On a stack of 30 essays, that is a big head start.
Pros
- 150 free essays a month
- Uses your own rubric
Cons
- You still check every grade
- Individual plan is $15 a month
In Snorkl, students explain their thinking out loud and on a whiteboard, and the AI gives feedback on their reasoning, not just the answer.
Pros
- Feedback on reasoning
- Free for teachers
Cons
- Free plan limits activities
- Premium is for schools only
Remind sends text-style messages to students and families, translated, from a free teacher account. It is now part of ParentSquare.
Pros
- Free for teachers
- Messages are translated
Cons
- School features moving to ParentSquare
- Fewer features than it had
ParentSquare is the school-wide version: announcements, alerts, forms and payments for families in one app. Your school buys it, not you.
Pros
- One app for all school messages
- Includes forms and payments
Cons
- Sold to schools only
- No published price
Frequently asked questions
What are the best EdTech tools for teachers?
Google Classroom for managing work, Chalkie for creating lessons and worksheets, Kahoot! for quizzes, Canva for Education for design and Khan Academy for practice. All five have a free plan.
What EdTech tools are free for teachers?
Google Classroom, Canva for Education, Khan Academy, ClassDojo, Adobe Express, Miro for educators, Prodigy and CommonLit are free for teachers. Most others in this list have a free plan with limits.
What is the best AI tool for teachers?
For full lessons and worksheets, Chalkie. For lots of small tasks like emails and rubrics, MagicSchool. For feedback inside Google Docs, Brisk.
How many EdTech tools should a teacher use?
Fewer than you think. One place to set work, one tool to create resources and one way to check understanding covers most lessons. Add others when a real problem needs them.