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• IXL vs. Brighterly – Complete Comparison

IXL vs. Brighterly – Complete Comparison

Many parents struggle to choose a study venue for their kids, with IXL vs Brighterly being considered by many of them. As a tutor, I’ve analyzed both, and here’s my complete review discussing all of their pros and cons. Spoiler: they target completely different audiences, so read carefully!

Key Points

• IXL and Brighterly are two popular e-learning resources that, however, differ completely in terms of their schedules, specificities, and cost.
• Brighterly provides customized, tutor-guided lessons, commonly enhanced with games and visual representations. This e-platform also has an excellent collection of materials for homeschooling, which you can use for free.
• IXL vs other platforms proves to be a valuable resource for finding extra tasks to learn and practice. Is IXL free? Unfortunately, not, but it comes at a reasonable price.

IXL vs. Brighterly: Comparison Chart

In its core, the IXL vs Brighterly opposition comes down to whether you prefer a tutor-guided 1:1 learning approach as offered at Brighterly or seek a supplementary practice, which is the key priority of IXL. That’s the basic; however, to make a cautious choice, you should also account for other differences:

Programs	Brighterly reading and math tutoring platform	IXL
Instructional formats	Online classes with 1:1 tutor guidance	Self-paced online practice
Subject	Math & ELA	Language arts (including vocabulary practice), math, social studies, Spanish, and science
Educators qualifications	Holders of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees with 5 — 15 years of experience	IXL doesn’t offer lessons with a tutor. You can only have pre-recorded lessons and automated feedback
Free trial	✅	✅
Corresponding to Common Core	✅	✅
Personalization of Learning	✅	✅
Diagnostics Testing	✅	✅
Trustpilot Score	4.6	1.7

IXL vs Brighterly cost and services offered

The most important thing you should understand in terms of IXL vs Brighterly cost is that the two offer completely different learning schemes:

• The Brighterly reading and math tutoring platform provides personalized one-on-one lessons with a tutor, which is overall the most premium type of learning you can commit to.
• IXL, while also good, fits completely different purposes: it chooses the best materials for independent learning with no human element involved.

	Price	Free resources
Brighterly сost	From $17.3 to $20.7 per lesson (the prices are actual if you book a package with 3 weekly classes)	Theoretical sections, knowledge-check tests, math & reading worksheets
IXL price	From $9.95 to $19.95 per monthly package (no 1:1 tutoring)	Diverse templates, such as diagnostic trackers, bingo boards, and customizable certificates

IXL vs Brighterly: Key differences

While both sites are highly respected, the value they present is entirely different. Thus, you must account for these points:

• The learning resources are highly personalized at both. However, IXL will want you to cover them entirely on your own, without a backup, while Brighterly gives tutor guidance on all stages.
• One of the benefits of IXL is that it’s more diverse in terms of subjects. It covers five areas of knowledge, including language arts, math, social studies, Spanish, and science. At the same time, Brighterly focuses on math and reading, which means it’s less versatile yet more detailed.
• Finally, IXL vs Brighterly use different resources to keep kids motivated. The former focuses on gamification, with the integration of achievement badges and progress bars. At Brighterly, on the other hand, progress is strictly tracked by a tutor who works with your kid.

What is Brighterly math and reading platform?

The Brighterly reading and math tutoring platform specializes in individual, one-on-one lessons with an emphasis on a personalized curriculum. They use interactive teaching methods to make sessions engaging, fun, and accessible. This approach fits perfectly for kids in grades 1 to 9 and can also be used for exam preparation.

Brighterly reading and math tutoring platform: benefits

• Brighterly math and ELA tutors
• Guided, interactivity-based learning

Brighterly math and ELA tutors

Each Brighterly math or ELA tutor obtains a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in their field, which is topped by 5+ years of teaching experience on average. All of them have also successfully passed the testing for soft skills, such as patience, empathy, adaptability, and clear communication with kids.

Such a rigid approach allowed Brighterly to collect one of the strongest teaching teams. The platform also prioritizes hiring tutors trained to help children overcome study-related fears and insecurities, while providing inclusive learning opportunities for kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and other common learning challenges.

However,  the picture wouldn’t be complete without describing special personalization technique Brighterly uses for creating adaptive math & reading program. 

The process can be divided into three steps:

1. Initial diagnostics, which take place right after the registration. It’s meant to define the kid’s current competence and also find them a tutor to match their expectations.
2. The first demo lesson is where you and the chosen tutor meet each other. At this phase, they will ask specialized questions and also run additional tests, which will help to craft the best-fitting schedule.
3. Once you embark on the ongoing education here, the teacher will continue focusing on your style and progress. As they spot any changes in priorities, a kid lagging behind any topic or a heightened interest in a specific area, they make immediate changes to the curriculum.

From my experience, most children use e-learning platforms to excel academically, gain a lifelong understanding of subjects, and develop a deep passion for a specific knowledge area. While testing the Brighterly reading and math tutoring platform, I’ve clarified that it helps to achieve all of these.

And you, as a parent, will also stay on track with their progress. For this, Brighterly provides tailored reports, including the topics studied, achievements, and specific plans for a future month. Below, I attach one sample of such a report:

Guided, interactivity-based learning

The huge PRO factor about the Brighterly reading and math tutoring platform is that it teaches kids by providing real-world examples tailored to their interests. Additionally, all tasks here follow the gamified format, which brings better engagement, boosts focus, and also increases productivity.

 

All of Brighterly’s elements align perfectly to create a learning schedule that can match even the most ambitious objectives:

• Brighterly math curricula are based on STEM principles. Thus, they integrate contextualized learning to foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and an innovative approach.
• Its schedules accurately match the Common Core requirements — the ones also defining school curricula. This factor is indispensable for exam preparation, as it guarantees that all the relevant topics are covered.
• Lessons at the Brighterly reading and math tutoring platform are held exclusively in a one-to-one format, with no other options available. This way, learners can create more trusting relations with their tutors, revealing their innate thoughts, fears, and expectations.

So, is Brighterly legit? Indeed, over 200,000 parents have already entrusted their kids to this site and enjoy brilliant results. Are you ready to join their circle?

Brighterly math and reading program: Pros and Cons

Through its unique methodology, Brighterly has earned itself a 4.6 score on Trustpilot, which is HUGE compared to other e-learning resources (including IXL). Here are the most critical points I encountered most often in Brighterly reviews:

Brighterly math program: Pros	Brighterly math program: Cons
✅ Professional tutors who know how to find the correct approach	❌ Poor connection at times
✅ Engaging lessons which keep kids focused	❌ Lesson duration is 45 minutes
✅ Better performance at school
✅ Reasonable price-quality ratio

Is Brighterly free?

No, Brighterly isn’t free overall. However, it provides a free demo lesson. Plus, it obtains a strong collection of free resources you can use for your home-based learning:

• Math and reading tests allow you to verify a child’s progress based on their grade. All you need to do is go through a sequence of questions, each accompanied by visuals, and get your result after finishing them.
• Additionally, Brighterly has an excellent collection of math worksheets covering all the topics in grades 1 to 9. Reading worksheets are also there, so be sure to check them out, too. You can use those sheets on your device or print them out — choose your type to enjoy these fun tasks:

Plus, the site is known for its affordable price, so…

Brighterly pricing

Regarding Brighterly cost, it’s one of the best on the market. As shown by the research, the average tutoring fee in 2023-2025 can range between $30 and $50 per lesson. And what the Brighterly subscription offers is: 

• $17.3/lesson when booking a 12-month plan
• $19.4/lesson for a 6-month plan
• $20.2/lesson for a 3-month plan
• $20.7/lesson for a 1-month plan

But note that these prices are valid only if you plan to study 3+ times per week. In other cases, please address Brighterly support for information.

What is the IXL Learning system?

IXL follows an interactive, self-study, and self-paced learning system. Why is IXL so popular? It’s cheap and convenient as a supplementary learning resource. Its interface is also primarily UX oriented, with a good focus on delivering personalized tasks.

Features of IXL

• IXL vs other platforms: what’s the advantage? IXL covers everyone from pre-K to twelfth grade. Just like Brighterly, it aligns with the Common Core standards, so no problem using it for exam preparation or when you need to target specific topics in a school subject.
• IXL has gained a massive acceptance among parents and schools because it’s relatively cheap, user-friendly, and doesn’t require full-time commitment. As a result, many find it helpful as a supplementary resource during home and school classes.
• This e-platform has done a great job of providing an interactive experience. Here, a child can receive real-time diagnostics, personalized guidance, and tailored recommendations of the materials, which IXL chooses from its vast pool.

But is there anything better than IXL? Well, this site won’t suit all learning purposes. However, when you look for some inquisitive tasks to train your knowledge, it’s worth considering.

Pros and cons of IXL

To my disappointment, IXL has earned lots of criticism on Trustpilot. Its average score is as low as 1.7 with a total of 80% negative scores. Is IXL bad? Should you avoid IXL vs other sites? This information will help you clear it out:

Strengths	Weaknesses
✅ The platform adapts to each student’s level and needs	❌ No communication with a tutor
✅ It covers an extensive choice of subjects	❌ The scoring system can be unfair
✅ IXL provides insights on each skill, performance tracking, and improvement areas	❌ Some students may find the content boring
✅ It allows much space for self-paced learning	❌ IXL vs similar platforms — all these sites don’t suit as a single learning resource

How much does IXL cost?

IXL cost per student can fluctuate from $9.95 to $19.95/month if you commit to a monthly plan or $79 — $159 per year with an immediate yearly payment. In total, this platform has three plans, plus an option to book a Spanish course for an extra charge.

Still wondering, “How much is IXL per month?” and “How much does IXL cost per student?” As a bonus, you can address the article IXL Cost, which will cover your question extensively.

Another thought repeated oh-so-often is whether there’s a free IXL trial. And yes, you can use this site up to 30 days without charge.

Obviously, in IXL vs Brighterly, the former is much more budget-friendly. However, let’s not skip the fact that you won’t find any options for communication with a tutor, human interaction, or guided learning. So… the cost reflects the quality, in the end.

IXL vs Brighterly Reddit and Trustpilot reviews

• Brighterly reviews
• IXL reviews

Brighterly reviews

Back to the topic of IXL vs Brighterly reviews, the difference between their Trustpilot scores is swapping. This part will help you reveal what actual users say and define if you can tolerate the cons. So, let’s start with Brighterly.

“My daughter has an awesome Tutor Tonnie, did not feel well and still was unstoppable, they had a great lesson and he is very patient ❤️” — Trustpilot review

“Needs some tweeting in my opinion. I’d like to be able to communicate with the teacher more seamlessly.” — Trustpilot review

IXL reviews

It’s time to turn to the other competitor and analyze the IXL vs Brighterly Reddit and Trustpilot reviews from another angle:

“I was truly SHOCKED when I saw the low rating on IXL. Virtually all of these one stars are in reference to the scoring system. Yes, they make it a little harder, and it requires effort to excel, but what do these people want? To be fooled into being rewarded for poor learning abilities?” — Trustpilot review

“This program gives me too much score, but if I get the correct answer, I just have 30% of my wrong score wtf, IXL is very miserly.” — Trustpilot review

If interested, there’s a noteworthy article called IXL Reviews. I highly recommend checking it out if you want to learn more about how to compare IXL vs other platforms without having to read through hundreds of reviews.

IXL vs Brighterly: Which is right for your child?

Now you know the main differences between the two platforms. They come down to the audience covered, overall learning aims, and how much is IXL as opposed to Brighterly. But let’s give it all a final summary:

• Choose IXL when you’re looking for a supplementary resource that allows you to study autonomously, manage your time, and pick only those topics you need most.
• However, I can state that it’s better to turn to the Brighterly platform if you’re looking for complete guidance from a skilled tutor. All lessons here are interactive, student-oriented, and game-based, so your child will never get bored, and the top results are guaranteed.

And besides, at Brighterly, you can book free lesson right away, and test the curriculum flow yourself.

What is better than IXL?

Several platforms that cover all stages of learning, from material choosing to final evaluation, are usually more effective than IXL. One popular name is, of course, Brighterly.

But if you’re looking for other clues, please check out these trustworthy reviews:

• IXL vs Time4Learning vs Brighterly
• IXL vs Kumon vs Brighterly
• IXL vs iReady vs Brighterly
• IXL vs Khan Academy vs Brighterly
• Best 10 IXL Alternatives & Competitors in 2025