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• Khan Academy Review: Is It the Right Choice?

Khan Academy Review: Is It the Right Choice?

Khan Academy is one of the most popular learning platforms on the market today, and naturally, you may wonder if it’s worth your time. Well, you’re in the right place – this all-encompassing Khan Academy review will help you decide by breaking down the pros, cons, and everything you need to know in between. 

Key Points

• Learning approach: 7/10. The program is effective for highly organized middle & high school students who can manage their learning. 
• User interface and experience: 10/10. Khan Academy is super user-friendly & intuitive.
• Effectiveness: 5/10. Though some students find it beneficial, the overall effectiveness is inconsistent.
• Customer support: 4/10. The request form is available. However, the response is not warranted. 
• Pricing model: 8/10. The platform is 100% free, which is quite convenient for most students. 

Based on my experience as a math teacher, Trustpilot, Reddit, and other types of reviews from students and parents, I can rate the Khan Academy platform 7/10. While some aspects of the platform are excellent, particularly the interface and free access, the inconsistency in learning outcomes and poor support lower the overall experience. Khan Academy may be worth considering as supplemental learning for some students, but it falls short as a comprehensive solution for structured, personalized education. 

Khan Academy reviews: All you need to know

Khan Academy is a free, nonprofit educational company offering a wide range of educational materials across various subjects.

For example, the platform provides pre-recorded video lessons, interactive quizzes, and practice exercises designed to support K–12 students, college-level learners, and even adult users. In short, this is a powerful tool for independent students who prefer to fully control their learning. 

According to various Khan Academy reviews, the platform is an accessible, high-quality learning resource that focuses on making education equitable and inclusive.

💡If you’re a parent looking for a supplemental learning program for your child, Khan Academy may be an optimal choice, especially since it’s completely free of charge. However, there are several downfalls to this platform, which I will explore in detail to help you determine whether it meets your criteria. Let’s review both the pros and cons of Khan Academy below. 

How does Khan Academy work? 

• Progress at your own pace
• No charge 
• The platform is easy to use
• Strong educational content

Khan Academy benefits: Details

Benefit #1: Progress at your own pace

One of the best Khan Academy benefits I noticed is self-progression. This is where learners aren’t forced to keep up with a specific schedule or learning structure – they can manage their learning themselves. Khan Academy allows students to review topics as many times as needed and move forward only when they feel confident. I must admit it can be really useful for some students. 

⭐️Personally, I find this feature great. However, it may not cater to many learners – some do need structure and control, and Khan Academy lacks it, so I’d rate this feature as 7/10.

If your kid is not someone who can manage their own learning, taking on 1:1 tutoring might be a better option. One of the best online learning platforms, for example, the Brighterly math tutoring platform is designed to deliver highly personalized math lessons with the help of an adaptive curriculum and a personal math tutor. This approach is better suited for kids who need an additional push in their academic journey. 

Benefit #2: No charge 

Pricing can be a tough topic, and many parents may wonder, “How much is Khan Academy?’. This is where the platform has an upper hand, as there’s nothing to discuss – like I said earlier, it’s 100% free! The company operates on donations and aims to provide top-notch education to anyone who needs it. Here’s a Khan Academy Reddit review to back this up.

⭐️Khan Academy is free as it can be, which is good! Still, it also comes with certain limitations, such as fewer advanced features and no progress reports. 8/10. 

Alternatively, with Brightlerly, you can easily access a comprehensive overview of a student’s learning. They offer regular learning reports in every package with the topics covered, progress made, areas for improvement, and more. 

Benefit #3: Easy to use

As you enter the Khan Academy front page, you can already notice how well-structured and easy to navigate the page is. I find it to be extremely important for an e-learning platform, as learners have to learn the subject and not waste time figuring out how to navigate the website. Clean UI counts.

Another thing  I’ve noticed is that most of the platforms I’ve tested wanted me to create a dedicated account, which can be uncomfortable for many users. The Khan Academy is different in this regard – no account needed, you can click on the course that you want to learn, and start learning the materials straight away.

⭐️Most Khan Academy reviews don’t talk about UI, but I haven’t found a single bad review saying the platform’s usability is frustrating. I’d rate this feature as 10/10.

Benefit #4: Strong educational content 

If you’re trying to figure out “How good is Khan Academy?’, you probably wonder whether their educational content is actually worth the time, especially with so many learning platforms promising the same results.

From my comprehensive analysis of the platform’s content and user reviews, I can confidently say that Khan Academy offers a variety of impactful learning materials that can potentially improve knowledge and sharpen skills. 

⭐️With Khan Academy courses being free, I’d rate the content as 7/10. According to some Khan Academy ratings, it may be repetitive and boring, but the availability of high-quality educational materials is definitely a big plus. 

If we’re talking about the competitors, not only does Brighterly offer free high-quality educational resources like printable practice worksheets, but its curriculum is fun, compelling, and never boring. The platform doesn’t rely on drilling exercises, but rather approaches math learning in a way that is related to real life and engaging. 

Although the platform gets great reviews and offers many benefits, I must say it has several drawbacks and may not be everybody’s cup of tea. All in all, to answer the notorious question, “Is Khan Academy good?”, we first have to review Khan Academy disadvantages listed below. 👇

What are the disadvantages of using Khan Academy? 

Why is Khan Academy bad? Con #1: No interactivity

One of the first things that I noticed, and why Khan Academy is bad, is that there is no real interactivity. Think quizzes, exercises, tests, and interactive elements – all absent on the platform. Naturally, some students may find the content repetitive or not engaging enough to hold their attention long-term. Kids get bored, and what happens when they are bored? They tune out and give up. 

Here’s a Khan Academy review highlighting this drawback.

This is where competitors of Khan Academy may stand out. For example, Brighterly, a math tutoring platform, focuses on play-based teaching methods, rather than repetitive drills. By leveraging the one-to-one learning method and incorporating gamified elements, the platform empowers students to improve their math skills and boost overall academic performance. 

Furthermore, the Brighterly math tutors don’t employ a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. They address kids’ learning gaps and styles, empowering students to ask questions, participate, and progress at their own pace, making learning as interactive as possible. 

Why is Khan Academy bad? Con #2: Only suitable for older children

One of the first things you should understand about Khan Academy is that it may not be suitable for elementary students. The vast majority of learning material on the site is geared towards middle school/high school grades. 

Which brings me to the next point: even if you manage to find elementary-level educational content, your child will probably not be able to enjoy (or even tolerate it) since it lacks those fun, interactive elements kids love so much.

Here’s a Khan Academy review that backs this up.

The good news is that there are awesome alternatives for elementary students. Brighterly math program, for instance, is perfect for younger students. Brighterly creates personalized curricula tailored to each student and utilizes interactive methods to boost children’s math skills. 

The core principle of Brighterly’s tailored approach is to diagnose kids’ learning needs, make a math class as engaging as possible, and show how math transfers to real-world scenarios. 

Why is Khan Academy bad? Con #3: Memorization vs mastery 

Objectively, Khan Academy’s worst feature is how easy it is to “memorize your way to mastery.” Khan Academy has mastery levels, divided into units. Essentially, students collect points by answering the questions in a unit test.

From my point of view, this system can make students less inclined to actually learn the content.  Some of the question formatting can make students memorize what the answers are instead of how to find the answers. 

Brighterly, on the other hand, uses logic and reasoning to teach math rather than relying on tricks, shortcuts, or plain memorization. Brighterly tutors use visual aids, real-world examples, and step-by-step reasoning to make abstract math concepts relatable and understandable. 

Moreover, Brighterly offers students math tests 1-9 to evaluate children’s math ability and build an adaptive curriculum focused on closing learning gaps.

Overall, based on my research and Khan Academy reviews, the platform is easy to use, free of charge, and offers to progress at the students’ pace.
However, users report several drawbacks that can get in the way of consistent learning, such as limited interactivity, suitability for specific niches, and focus on memorization. All of this makes Khan Academy ineffective for most students. 

Khan Academy parents’ & kids’ review: Is the platform effective?

The entirety of the content presented on the platform consists of pre-recorded YouTube videos. This basically means that no matter the location, students will be able to learn just by reviewing video lessons and other resources presented on the site. 

Naturally, you wonder, “Is  Khan Academy a reliable source?” regarding its effectiveness. Let’s review the overall Khan Academy rating and a Khan Academy kids review when we’re talking about the efficiency of the learning approaches. 

Khan Academy review Reddit: What does the learning experience look like?

Let me start with a little analytics. Khan Academy’s YouTube channel has about 8,9M subscribers with 8.6K videos published. However, one red flag is Khan Academy’s unusually low subscriber-to-view ratio – a sign that while people might visit, they’re not sticking around. 

As I’ve already mentioned, the learning experience of Khan Academy may be rigid and repetitive, and, well, that could explain why so many viewers don’t come back – the content just doesn’t deliver what it’s supposed to. 

Here’s a Khan Academy rating from a user highlighting the challenges with the platform. 👇

My own experience with Khan Academy backs this up. Reviewing videos without feedback or reinforcing the concepts right away is tiring, boring, and ineffective. Especially for the younger generation, whose attention span is only getting worse, and video-based content just won’t work for most of them.

⭐️Here’s my honest opinion on using Khan Academy as the main source of learning material for students – real skill building is not warranted. Overall, I’d rate the platform’s effectiveness as 5/10. Big stretch. 

Khan Academy reviews: User interface and experience

Let’s talk about UI – one of the best features of Khan Academy, to my liking. 

The platform’s design is simple, easy to navigate, and minimalistic. The layout reminds me of late 2000s websites – pretty intuitive but not overcomplicated. Just from the first glance, you can easily find your way around. 

To find a course, you can either type a desired keyword into the search bar or choose a topic from the drop-down menu on the main page. I’ve also noticed that, even though Khan Academy offers a wide selection of topics to choose from, its emphasis lies on math or related subjects. So, if you’re looking for something more profound in other subjects, the platform might be a pass for you. 

When you choose a specific course or topic, you will end up on that course’s landing page. It may be a bit confusing, since you have a course summary, an overview, and the “about” section all in one place – it could be improved. However, I haven’t seen any user Khan Academy reviews that would be upset with this.

Moreover, the technicality of this is good, with the page not lagging or crashing. The site looks good, and nothing can distract you. Great for SAT or any other exam prep.

⭐️Is there something better than Khan Academy in terms of design? Definitely! However, I’d still give it 8/10. 

Overall, the design is simple, user-friendly, and non-distracting. The course landing pages need improvement, though. 

Khan Academy reviews: Does it live up to expectations?

Let’s evaluate how Khan Academy helps students achieve their learning goals. 

As I’ve already talked about, what the platform’s learning experience looks like (which directly affects effectiveness), I’m going to provide an overview of Khan Academy’s ratings and answer the following question: Has anyone improved their math skills at Khan Academy?

Let’s start with a Khan Academy math review:

What I’ve noticed is that the platform does not provide real impact – some videos aren’t that “clean” in terms of precision and actual material. For example, a user reports that Khan Academy offers “the worst way to learn math” they could imagine. The videos aren’t helpful, and mistakes occur. 

Another reviewer describes feeling constant rage and claims that the experience has led to bad habits, nervousness, and overall mental problems. I’ve seen many complaints like this, and can confidently say that this is a massive red flag for an educational platform. 

However, I did stumble upon several success stories, with users reporting skills and grade improvement. 

To answer your question, “Is Khan Academy good or not?”, we have to keep in mind the abovementioned factors: the platform’s videos might not be accurate, and some users even find it harmful to their mental health. 

⭐️Thus, I’d rate the platform’s effectiveness as 5/10.

Khan Academy review: Connect support

Khan Academy offers basic customer support services. Users can submit requests through the Help Center. But again, the platform is free, so there is no dedicated account management or personalized onboarding. The support team uses automated triage to prioritize inquiries, so delays can be expected.

I haven’t found a single Khan Academy kids Reddit review on customer support, which likely means users don’t expect — or receive — much help when issues arise. This isn’t surprising for a free educational platform, but it’s worth noting if you’re a parent seeking quick, personalized help. 

Competitor platforms like Brighterly, for example, do provide better customer support, which is available via WhatsApp. Here’s a parent review highlighting this benefit. 👇

⭐️Overall, you can access the customer support via a request form on Khan Academy; however, don’t expect a quick issue resolution if one arises. That’s why it’s 4/10.

Is Khan Academy free?

Yes, Khan Academy is 100% free and operates on donations. 

These donations aren’t coming entirely from parents and students, and if that were true, Khan Academy wouldn’t be able to operate anyway. Some companies and corporations also fund Khan Academy and its ventures.

For example, back in 2021, Elon Musk donated $5 million to Khan Academy to further provide “ a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere”. However, despite these massive donations, a few drawbacks still prevail, especially for young learners.

Many parents and students report a lack of interactivity, personalization, and real educational feedback. The platform heavily relies on video content with zero feedback, which can cause frustration and stress in children. Here’s a Khan Academy rating to back this up.

That’s where Brighterly stands out as a strong alternative, offering live 1:1 interactive classes with instant feedback from tutors and research-based learning methods. Brighterly’s lessons are designed to keep kids engaged and interested, which leads to a stronger connection to math beyond the classroom. 

⭐️Despite Khan Academy technically being free, I can’t be sure it delivers enough value for younger students. I’d give it an 8/10. 

How does Khan Academy stack up against other platforms? 

	Khan Academy	Brighterly	Kumon
Trustpilot rating	3.8/5	4.7/5	3.3/5
Best for	K-12	K-9	K-12
Focus	Math, Science, etc.	Math, Reading	Math, Reading
Standout feature	Free	Math lessons, Award-winning curriculum, Free worksheets, Free math tests	Kumon method, Small-steps worksheets
Personalization	👎	👍	👍
Student pays	Free	From $17.4/lesson	From $150 to $200 per subject + enrollment and material fees

The biggest difference between these alternatives is the pricing. Although Khan Academy is technically free, it doesn’t offer the same perks as Brighterly, for example.
Brighterly offers affordable pricing from $17.40/lesson (including free math worksheets), which is quite cost-effective compared to competitors on the market. For instance, according to my research, the standard tutoring rate around the United States is between $20 and $80. 

Khan Academy review: What users really think 

Throughout this write-up, I’ve analyzed and gathered both good and bad Khan Academy reviews. But, the question remains: is Khan Academy a good way to learn math or any other subject? Let’s take a deep dive into what users really think about the platform.

TL;DR: Khan Academy’s learning approach involves learning via video-based content with no actual interaction. Kids can develop strong soft skills while trying to learn with Khan Academy, since strong self-organization is required. This can be a good source of learning for homeschool children, especially with parents by their sides.
However, I really don’t think that Khan Academy can be a full-fledged supplementary learning platform, since it requires additional resources, like workbooks, quizzes, educational materials, etc. 

What users love about Khan Academy:

• Khan Academy is 100% free
• The platform offers entire courses in almost every subject
• Khan Academy is user-friendly

“It’s also so user-friendly that my 6-year-old brother was able to learn and use all the features by himself with no assistance whatsoever!” – Commonsesnsemedia review.

“Khan Academy has everything for everyone, and it’s free to use.” – TrustPilot review.

“Khan Academy is brilliant, it is free and structured!” – TrustPilot review.

Common complaints about Khan Academy:

• Khan Academy’s videos can be poorly structureв and don’t offer interactivity
• Khan Academy’s courses are mostly designed for middle and high school students

“My experience with it has been terrible. The way they teach not only makes it boring, but also extremely confusing. The assignments are really frustrating as well.” – Commonsensemedia review.

“They don’t have courses for elementary science and history, and they need language courses. It isn’t very interactive, and I think there should be games.” – Trustpilot review.

Bottom line: Is Khan Academy worth it?

So, let’s go over the Khan Academy ratings one last time:

• Learning approach: 7/10
• User interface and experience: 8/10. 
• Effectiveness: 5/10. 
• Customer support: 4/10. 
• Pricing model: 9/10. 

⭐️Which gives Khan Academy an average rating of 6.5/10 from me.

To summarize:

Khan Academy is the ideal choice if:

✅ You look for a free educational platform

✅ Your child is super organized

✅ You need more subjects than math

Khan Academy isn’t the best option if you:

❌ Look for a math-specialized platform

❌ Need real results

❌ Prioritize interactivity and real connection

Looking for a Khan Academy alternative?

Like I’ve already mentioned, many users find Khan Academy to be helpful in theory but lacking in engagement, interactivity, and real impact. I also haven’t found any Khan Academy SAT review, which makes me think it’s not a go-to resource for serious test prep.
There are plenty of alternatives, and Brighterly may be the best among them. Here’s why:

✅Professional math tutors

✅Adapted curriculum and research-based teaching methods

✅Free math worksheets and resources 

Let’s look at some of the key features that make Brighterly the best Khan Academy alternative: 👇

Professional math tutors

Brighterly’s expert math tutors have the skill set to engage, motivate, and inspire kids to be proactive and connected, focusing on a gamified approach rather than repetitive drills. The platform also carefully selects each candidate and performs a rigorous background check to ensure every tutor is fully qualified.

Adapted curriculum and research-based teaching methods

The platform’s math curricula are constantly being updated with research-based study resources, data, and techniques to stay STEM-focused, highly effective, and student-friendly. Additionally, each child gets a fully adapted math program that aims to close learning gaps and boost math skills. 

Free math worksheets and resources 

Brighterly also offers free math worksheets and additional resources for independent learning. Designed by the platform’s best educators, they provide step-by-step practice problems and real-world examples to simplify tough concepts.

Next steps: Support your child’s learning journey with Brighterly 

To wrap up, Khan Academy is certainly worth a try – it’s free, has complete courses, and can be effective under certain conditions. However, I have found many unsatisfactory reviews, which have been confirmed by my own experience with the platform. 

That being said, if the above-mentioned drawbacks don’t align with your expectations, an alternative platform may be in order. Brighterly offers:

• Research-based math teaching techniques 
• 24/7 support 
• STEM-focused Common Core-aligned curriculum
• And free full-fledged study resources 

Sounds interesting? Try Brighterly for free! Book a trial lesson today and see your children become confident, curious, and ready to tackle any math challenge!