Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Smartschool.
Want the closest match?
FrizzleMost similar to Smartschool in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Frizzle in a new tab)Need a free plan?
LucaHas a free plan, rated 4.1 out of 5.
Visit (opens Luca in a new tab)Want the lowest price?
EssayGraderFrom $19.99/mo, the lowest starting price here.
Visit (opens EssayGrader in a new tab)Want the best rated?
Magma MathRated 4.3 out of 5 in our review, against 4.0 for Smartschool.
Visit (opens Magma Math in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Smartschool, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 SmartschoolBaseline | 4.0 | Free | Yes | Maths tutor that reads handwritten working and guides students with questions, not answers. | |
| Frizzle | 4.1+0.1 | Free | Yes | Photographs handwritten math work and grades the thinking, not just the answer | vs Smartschool |
| EssayGrader | 3.6−0.4 | $19.99/mo | Yes | 94% of the time, EssayGrader's scores land within 1 point of a teacher's own - bulk-grade essays, catch AI-generated writing and plagiarism, synced to your LMS. | vs Smartschool |
 Imagine Learning | 3.6−0.4 | Not listed | No | Imagine ClassMate plans lessons, finds resources, and drafts communications for teachers - AI grounded in the actual curriculum, not a generic assistant. | vs Smartschool |
 Amira Learning | 4.2+0.2 | Not listed | No | Reading tutor that listens to students read aloud and ties assessment to instruction. | vs Smartschool |
 Education Copilot | 3.5−0.5 | Free | Yes | AI drafts a complete, standards-aligned lesson plan, worksheet or rubric instantly - classroom-ready the same day, including IEP differentiation for students who need it. | vs Smartschool |
 Quizalize | 3.6−0.4 | Free | Yes | Generate a quiz from a prompt, then auto-differentiation adjusts difficulty and assigns follow-up resources based on how each student actually scored. | vs Smartschool |
| Luca | 4.1+0.1 | Free | Yes | AI reading tutor built for dyslexic and struggling K-5 readers that listens at the phoneme level to spot exactly where a student gets stuck. | vs Smartschool |
| Magma Math | 4.3+0.3 | Not listed | No | K-12 math specifically, standards-aligned in more than 140 languages | vs Smartschool |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Smartschool.
Frizzle
4.1Free
vs Smartschool+0.1
Photographs handwritten math work and grades the thinking, not just the answer.
- Reads print, cursive, and messy handwriting at 97% accuracy
- Analyzes step-level reasoning and partial credit, not just final answers
- Tags 147 named mathematical misconceptions with prerequisite tracing
Free forever for individual teachers with a five-minute setup
Very new company, founded 2025, without an extensive track record yet
EssayGrader
3.6$19.99/mo
vs Smartschool−0.4
94% of the time, EssayGrader's scores land within 1 point of a teacher's own - bulk-grade essays, catch AI-generated writing and plagiarism, synced to your LMS.
- AI grading benchmarked within 1 point of teacher scores 94% of the time
- Built-in AI writing detection with sentence-level highlights
- Plagiarism checking against web sources and other student work
Benchmarked accuracy claim (94% within 1 point of teacher scores), not just a marketing claim
Free tier capped at 100 essays total, not a renewing monthly allowance
Imagine Learning
3.6Not listed
vs Smartschool−0.4
Imagine ClassMate plans lessons, finds resources, and drafts communications for teachers - AI grounded in the actual curriculum, not a generic assistant.
- Imagine ClassMate - AI lesson planning, resource-finding, and communication drafting
- Curriculum-Informed AI grounded in actual taught content
- K-12 curricula spanning ELA, math, science, and social studies
Curriculum-grounded suggestions need less fact-checking than a generic AI assistant's output
Sold to districts/schools, not accessible to individual teachers directly
Amira Learning
4.2Not listed
vs Smartschool+0.2
Reading tutor that listens to students read aloud and ties assessment to instruction.
- One-to-one tutoring as a student reads aloud
- Assessment produced by the same activity as instruction
- Bilingual in English and Spanish across the suite
Bilingual throughout rather than as a translation layer
Sold to schools and districts, not to individuals
Education Copilot
3.5Free
vs Smartschool−0.5
AI drafts a complete, standards-aligned lesson plan, worksheet or rubric instantly - classroom-ready the same day, including IEP differentiation for students who need it.
- AI standards-aligned lesson plan generation
- AI worksheet, rubric, quiz, and unit-plan generators
- AI IEP & Differentiation Helper for individualized resources
IEP differentiation generator addresses a genuinely time-consuming, high-value teacher task
Pro tier ($9/month) needed for unlimited generation volume
Quizalize
3.6Free
vs Smartschool−0.4
Generate a quiz from a prompt, then auto-differentiation adjusts difficulty and assigns follow-up resources based on how each student actually scored.
- AI Quiz Generation from a topic prompt
- AI-powered student performance reports
- Auto-differentiation - automatic difficulty adjustment and follow-up assignment
Auto-differentiation personalizes follow-up material automatically, right after assessment
Free Basic plan limited to 3 AI-generated quizzes per month
Luca
4.1Free
vs Smartschool+0.1
AI reading tutor built for dyslexic and struggling K-5 readers that listens at the phoneme level to spot exactly where a student gets stuck.
- SoundScout phoneme-level speech recognition that flags precisely which sounds a reader struggles with
- StoryGen personalized stories generated around each student's specific skill gaps
- ProfessorAI learning plans that adapt as a student's skills progress
Built around phoneme-level detection rather than whole-word scoring, catching errors generic reading apps miss
Full pricing isn't published, schools need a demo call to get a quote
Magma Math
4.3Not listed
vs Smartschool+0.3
K-12 math specifically, standards-aligned in more than 140 languages.
- K-12 math-specific platform, not a general classroom AI tool
- Standards-aligned content across 140+ languages
- ESSA Level II certified, a genuine-effectiveness evidence standard
Subject-specific focus goes deeper on math than general classroom tools
Pricing isn't published, requires a demo request
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Smartschool free?
Smartschool has a free plan.
What is the best free alternative to Smartschool?
Frizzle is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.1 out of 5). Other free options: Luca, EssayGrader, Quizalize.
What is the cheapest alternative to Smartschool?
Among paid plans, EssayGrader has the lowest starting price (from $19.99/mo). If you need it free, start with Frizzle.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.