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• IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly: Which one is better? (2025)

IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly: Which one is better? (2025)

When considering a tutoring platform, you will likely be exploring a lot of platforms. IXL and Time4Learning and Brighterly are popular online learning platforms that are used by a lot of parents.

As a tutor with years of experience in supporting children with their learning, I am going to compare IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly in this article. I will cover each platform’s pros and cons, costs, features, and finally, IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly reviews.

Key points on Time4learning vs IXL vs Brighterly:

• IXL is a platform offering interactive online resources. Children can take activities and quizzes and receive real-time, automated feedback. They will also be scored on their progress.

• Time4learning offers a homeschooling curriculum across multiple subjects. It includes videos and both online and offline resources, allowing parents to teach children at home.

• Brighterly is a private one-to-one tutoring platform that offers fully personalized learning. Tutors will focus on children’s problem areas in math and reading to boost their learning only where needed.

IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly: Comparison

The main difference between IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly is down to the level of personalization offered, tutoring options and the subjects available.

Brighterly vs IXL vs Time4Learning: which is right for your child? We have included a handy comparison table so you can see the most important features at a glance and answer this question.

What is the difference between IXL and Time4Learning and Brighterly?

	IXL	Time4learning	Brighterly
Price	$9.95–$19.95 a month for a single child	$29.95–$39.95 per student per month	Starting from just $17.4 per lesson
Aligned to the Common Core	✅	❌	✅
Methods of learning	Online learning resources	Standardized teaching	Personalized online tutoring
Subjects	Math, languages, social studies and reading	Math, language arts, social studies and reading	Math and reading
Personalized learning	✅	❌	✅
Skills assessment	✅	❌	✅
Progress tracking	✅	✅	✅
Free trial	30-day free trial for teachers, limited free quizzes available per day for learners	No free trial, but a 14-day money-back guarantee	Free lesson available
TrustPilot score	1.8	4.2	4.6

 

IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly cost: Quick comparison

Here is a handy table that details the IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly cost at a quick glance:

Time 4 learning price	From $29.95 per student, per subject on a monthly subscription
IXL cost	From $9.95 per subject, per month on a monthly billing cycle
Brighterly cost	From $17.4 per lesson, with free resources including worksheets and practice tests and a first free lesson

The costs for each platform are interchangeable based on the number of subjects or lessons you choose to take for your child. IXL and Time4learning change the cost based on the number of subjects you select, while Brighterly’s affordable price is also based on the number of lessons your child will take and the length of your subscription.

What is Brighterly?

Brighterly is a private math and reading tutoring platform that offers fully personalized curricula for children in elementary, middle and high school. It helps children who are struggling with these subjects through online tutoring lessons, where reading and math tutors use games and puzzles to reinforce the learning.

IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly reviews: Why over thousands parents in US prefer Brighterly

Parents in the US opt for Brighterly thanks to its tutors’ dedication to not only improving kids’ math and reading grades but also raising their confidence. They praise tutors’ attitudes and their power to make children enjoy math. Parents also value the many features of the platform.

Brighterly reading & math tutoring platform: Features

• Outstanding tutors
• Common Core-aligned learning programs
• Range of free resources

Outstanding tutors

One of Brighterly’s strongest features is its math and reading tutors. Not only are they highly qualified and experienced, but parents continually praise tutors for their fantastic ability to engage children with the subjects, boost their self-esteem and improve their grades.

As well as their supportive and effective approach, they also continually provide feedback to parents on their children’s improvement, as well as detailed progress tracking. This helps you understand how they’re getting on, ensuring you get a good return on your investment.

See parents’ reviews on Brighterly tutors

Common Core-aligned learning programs

The Brighterly reading program and math program are aligned to the Common Core while ensuring personalized learning. The math program features a STEM-focused curriculum that helps children excel. The reading program, meanwhile, includes a customized reading plan designed to improve children’s reading grade.

Each program begins with a free diagnostic test. The free diagnostic math tests evaluate children’s mathematical skills, while the free diagnostic reading tests assess a child’s current reading grade to identify how to move them up.

Range of free resources

As well as private, personalized tutoring, Brighterly offers absolutely free resources to supplement children’s learning. This includes free math worksheets, which are aligned to the Common Core and contain a range of puzzles and games, plus an answer sheet. Free practice tests help children revise for exams and get used to testing conditions. Reading worksheets will support your child’s language skills and enhance reading comprehension (coming soon!).

Brighterly reviews: Parents’ feedback

Brighterly reviews highlight many elements of the platform, from the supportive nature of the tutors to their ability to make learning exciting for children.

Making learning fun

“We tried Brighterly tutoring platform online learning with interactive lessons and my daughter became interested. Probably due to patience and the appropriate approach to explaining the material, my daughter even began to understand something and this captivated my child.”

– Marcuskoren, Reddit 

Affordable and convenient

“Wow! I have tried a different math tutorial program for my daughter every year for the past few years and this is far and away the best one. I love that I don’t have to drive her and wait outside the center, it’s not draining my bank account, they work on exactly what she needs to work on, at her pace, and best of all she is having so much fun!”

– Rachel, Trustpilot

Tutors build kids’ confidence

“My son has been improving a lot. Alica has been so helpful and patience. She is not only helping my son with math skills, she is also focusing in his confidence and attention. I see how is little by little feeling more confident in math.”

– Johanna Orosa, Trustpilot

How much does Brighterly cost?

• Learning membership plan 1: From $21 a lesson for 1 month
• Learning membership plan 2: From $20.6 a lesson for 3 months
• Learning membership plan 3: From $19.8 a lesson for 6 months
• Learning membership plan 4: From $17.4 a lesson for 12 months

How does IXL work? Features

• Progress tracking: In-depth analytics on children’s progress available
• Multiple subjects available: Subjects include math, language and sciences for kids in kindergarten to grade 12
• Online resources: Wide range of online learning tools grouped by grade and topic

Best for: Parents who want their children to learn independently

IXL pros and cons 

Is IXL good for kids? We can see the answer to this question by looking at real customer reviews and IXL pros and cons. Parents have commented on how IXL is good because it provides actionable feedback to children. However, this is outweighed by the fact that many parents say it is detrimental to their children’s confidence because of a harsh scoring system. Here, reviews answer the question, “What are the weaknesses of IXL?”

Pros	Cons
✅ Useful tracking “It keeps track of time spent on a skill. I use that info to let me know if my children are struggling somewhere specific. I can see how long they spent on each question. If they spend more time than usual on a question, I know they struggled.” – Icnrspctht2, Reddit	❌ Discouraging for students “Talk about crushing a child’s love of learning. My daughter spent a lifetime chasing her own tail, getting pushed back so far each time she got a question wrong, the frustration and disappointment in her face was awful.” – Jenna-Karen Sargeant, Trustpilot
✅ Easy to use “It’s very straight forward and easy to understand and use. Been using it for around 7 months now and it’s improved their confidence in themselves and their abilities in English and math.” – Joanne O’Neill, Trustpilot	❌ Incorrect and harsh marking system “Even if I get a correct answer, it’s marked wrong. Besides, when you get one question right, you get 1-3 points (you must collect points until 100 to complete), but when you get one wrong, you can subtract 10 points! As I have learnt from others, this can get into you and discourage you from doing anything.” – LYMJ, Trustpilot
	❌ Repetitive content “I personally think it is a waste of money students get stressed and frustrated when doing it, also really does not teach anything new. asks the same questions over again.” – Anonymous, Trustpilot

 

While the feedback is praised by some users, the most common complaint both parents and students have about IXL is the scoring system, leading many to ask, “Are IXL levels accurate?”. Many highlight how harsh it is and that students are docked a larger amount of points for wrong answers than given points for right answers. This helps to answer the question, “Is IXL a good program?”.

How much IXL cost?

How much does IXL cost? It’s between $9.95 and $19.95 per month for one student, depending on how many subjects you take.

• Single subject: $9.95 per month
• 2 subjects (combo package): $15.95 per month
• 4 subjects (core subjects package): $19.95 per month

Additional children can also be added to the program for $4 per extra child. Some parents ask, “Is IXL free for homeschool?” and the answer is no.

While you receive online learning resources from IXL, how much is IXL per month reflects the fact that you don’t receive personal tutoring from a qualified teacher. This means if your child is struggling, they can’t get one-to-one support and direction, which is shown to help children more than fully self-directed learning. 

How does Time4learning work?

• Personalized online curriculum
• Learning from preschool to 12th grade
• Video and game-based courses with supplementary resources

Best for: Parents who are considering homeschooling their children instead of public school

Is Time4learning good for kids? Pros & cons

With planning tools and a full homeschooling curriculum, Time4learning offers specific features. Here, we look at customer reviews to determine if these features are good for kids.

Pros	Cons
✅ Familiar feel to school learning “My kids prefer pen and paper learning, so we opted for “Easy Peasy All-In-One” and Good and the Beautiful for their current studies. Time4Learning was structured very much like traditional public school curriculum, which is what most are looking for.” – Aana89, Reddit	❌ Higher prices for worse services “Used to really enjoy Time4Learning. But lately, they’ve increased their prices without providing better or more up to date curriculum. Their new planner, instituted last year is much harder to actually plan lessons.” – Rebecca, Trustpilot
✅ Engaging activities “Since our daughter has switched to Homeschooling with Time4Learning she has learned so much. She is required to spend about 15 min on each subject English, Math and Science. The activities grab her attention and she is a straight A student. Time4Learning keeps track of everything your child does with a date and time stamp.” – Pamela, Trustpilot	❌ Glitchy platform “Half of the lessons will not register as completed so unless you keep a tally on your own you will not know which ones your kids have completed and which ones they haven’t.” – Anthony Connell, Trustpilot
✅ Supports independence “The format of the platform works well for my son to develop independence in 4th grade. I like that I can track all his activities and LOVE reflex for math facts.” – Kat, Trustpilot	❌ Content is not engaging “As far as the curriculum is concerned, we used Time4Learning for my 5th and 3rd grades in the 2022-2023 school year. It was more of a supplement than core curriculum. The information was repetitive and my kids did not find the information interesting or engaging. It was hard for them to get through.” – Finley, Trustpilot

The ability to track children’s progress is praised by some parents, but a very common complaint is the increase in prices but a decrease in the quality of the platform.

How much does Time4learning cost?

Time4learning costs from $29.95 a month for students in kindergarten up to 5th grade. From 6th to 12th grade, the price increases to $39.95 per month. This is a flat fee per subject for the homeschooling curriculum.

The Time 4 learning cost reflects the fact that students are given access to videos and activities as part of the homeschooling curriculum. However, it does not include support from a real-life tutor, which could be detrimental to students who need additional support.

IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly: Which is right for your child?

In this article, I have provided an overview of the IXL vs Time4Learning vs Brighterly platforms. Each platform offers learning options for children, but all in different ways. It’s important to understand exactly what each platform offers in order to choose the right option for your child. I’ve covered IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly pros and cons, features and costs. Finally, I researched IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly Reddit and Trustpilot customer reviews to help you make an informed choice.

So, should you choose IXL or Time4learning or Brighterly?

• If you want interactive online resources that provide feedback for children as they go through them, then try out IXL.
• If you are considering homeschooling your child and want a customizable homeschooling curriculum, you may want to give the Time4learning app a go.
• If you want one-to-one support from real, qualified tutors who can help your child overcome learning challenges,  the best choice is the  Brighterly  reading  and math   tutoring platform. 

Ready to improve your child’s grades? Book free math or reading lesson and enjoy the benefits of personalized education.

Other platforms comparison

If you’re still comparing IXL or Time4learning or Brighterly with other platforms, there are many more comparison articles you can review to help you find the right solution for your child’s educational journey:

• Miacademy vs Time4learning vs Brighterly: A Comparison
• 10 Alternatives to Time4Learning You Should Consider
• The Best IXL Alternatives and Competitors in 2025
• IXL Reviews: Is It Worth It In 2025?