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Review · Learning

Khan Academy review

A nonprofit learning platform with 840+ free courses in core academic subjects.

By the HearSmart research desk · Updated November 9, 2026

Performance (40%)
6.8
Ease of use (25%)
9.0
Value (35%)
9.8

Khan Academy is the free option on this list, and for some adults it is all they need. The nonprofit's mission is to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere, and its platform offers 840+ free courses in core academic subjects for K-12 and early college. That makes it a good place to rebuild math before a statistics or programming course, review economics or science, or prepare for a placement test, without paying or signing up for a trial. Lessons are short and paired with practice, and the site is available in 190+ countries. Parents can also use the free Khan Academy Kids app for children aged 2 to 8. The limits are clear. Khan Academy does not teach job tools such as Excel, design software or cloud platforms, and it does not issue career certificates. Treat it as a foundation and pair it with Coursera, edX or Codecademy for career skills.

Who it is for

Adults who want to refresh math, science, economics or other school subjects for free.

Price

Free.

our free learning platform with 840+ free courses
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

  • 840+ free courses in core academic subjects
  • Content for K-12 and early college
  • Available in 190+ countries
  • Run by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
  • Khan Academy Kids, a free app for ages 2 to 8

Strengths and weaknesses

  • Strength: Completely free with no subscription
  • Strength: Strong for math and science fundamentals
  • Strength: Clear, short lessons with practice
  • Weakness: Focused on school and early college subjects, not job skills
  • Weakness: No career certificates
  • Weakness: Little on creative, business or software tools

Key facts

  • Price: Free
  • Courses: 840+ free courses
  • Reach: 190+ countries
  • Organization: 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Where it ranks

Khan Academy is No. 5 in our Best Online Course Platforms for Learners verdict.

Alternatives we scored

Visit khanacademy.org · Questions or corrections: editorial@hearsmart.org