Lesson planning is the work that follows teachers home — the standards-aligned objectives, the differentiated materials, the worksheets and rubrics that eat evenings and weekends. AI planning tools genuinely give some of that time back, and the best news is how much is free. But these tools aren't interchangeable: one is a browser companion built around Google Classroom, one differentiates reading levels, one is a guided K-12 workflow, and one is a sprawling suite of 80+ tools. This guide compares MagicSchool, Eduaide, Diffit, and Brisk on real 2026 pricing and where each earns its place. Part of our wider guide to AI tools for teachers.
The math: Time to set up ~30 min · Tasks helped: lesson plans, worksheets, rubrics, differentiation, standards alignment · Median teachers report saving 5–7 hours/week. Pricing changes often — confirm current numbers on each tool's site, and check your district's data-privacy rules.
Here's the thing: these tools attack different parts of the planning workload. Suite tools like MagicSchool and Eduaide generate the whole spread — objectives, plans, worksheets, rubrics, discussion prompts — from a topic and grade level. Differentiation tools like Diffit take one text and adapt it to multiple reading levels, which is a specific, painful job the suites do less well. Workflow companions like Brisk live in your browser and Google Docs, generating and giving feedback right where you already work. Buying a broad suite when your real pain is differentiating a reading, or a browser tool when you need standards-aligned rubrics, leaves the actual bottleneck unsolved.
The genuinely good news for teachers: the free tiers are strong. MagicSchool, Eduaide, Diffit, and Brisk all offer free access that covers the majority of planning needs. You can build a complete free stack before spending a cent.
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Standout | The honest catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MagicSchool | All-round planning suite | Free / paid Plus | 80+ teacher tools | Breadth can overwhelm at first |
| Eduaide | Guided K-12 workflows | Free / ~$4.17/mo | Structured, not open prompting | Fewer tools than MagicSchool |
| Diffit | Differentiating readings | Free / ~$14.99/mo | One text, many reading levels | Narrow focus; not a full suite |
| Brisk | Google Docs/Classroom | Free forever (individual) | Works inside your browser | School pricing is quote-only |
Ordered by how most teachers should approach them — free-first, since a strong free stack is achievable here.
Brisk is a browser extension that works where teachers already do — Google Docs, Slides, and Classroom — generating lesson plans, feedback, rubrics, and leveled texts without leaving the page. The individual tier is "free forever" with 20+ tools, and it includes a useful writing-process replay that can flag likely AI-generated student work. Premium and school "Intelligence" tiers are quote-based for districts, with no public pricing.
Who it fits: teachers who live in the Google ecosystem and want tools layered onto their existing docs and Classroom. What it does well: meeting you where you work — no new platform to learn — plus the AI-writing detection replay is a genuinely useful extra. Where it falls short: its value drops if you're not a Google Workspace school, and the school-level premium features hide behind a sales quote. Pricing: free forever for individuals; premium quote-based.
Eduaide is built specifically for K-12 teachers, using guided workflows instead of open-ended prompting — so you're led through generating lesson plans, worksheets, graphic organizers, discussion activities, rubrics, and standards-aligned assessments (100+ resource types). It has a free plan; Premium is about $49.99/year (roughly $4.17/month) for unlimited generations. A co-planning feature added in early 2026 supports collaborative curriculum work.
Who it fits: K-12 teachers who prefer structured, guided tools over a blank prompt box. What it does well: turning a standard and grade level into aligned materials without needing to be good at prompting, plus one of the cheapest paid tiers here. Where it falls short: it has fewer tools than MagicSchool's sprawling suite, and the guided structure, while beginner-friendly, is less flexible for unusual requests. Pricing: free; Premium ~$49.99/year.
Diffit does one job better than the generalists: differentiation. Give it a URL, a topic, or an uploaded document and it generates the same content adapted to multiple reading levels, with vocabulary, questions, and summaries — the tedious work of making one lesson accessible to a mixed-ability class. There's a free tier; individual subscriptions run about $14.99/month or $149.99/year.
Who it fits: teachers with mixed-ability classes or English-language learners who need the same material at several reading levels. What it does well: instant, genuinely useful differentiation from any source text — a job that otherwise eats hours. Where it falls short: it's narrow by design, so it's not a full planning suite, and the free tier limits how much you can adapt before you hit the paywall. Pricing: free; individual ~$14.99/month.
MagicSchool is the widest toolkit here: 80+ teacher tools spanning lesson plans, materials, rubrics, feedback, IEP support, and communication, plus a student-facing side. It's designed explicitly to cut planning time and reduce burnout, with a generous free tier and paid Plus/Enterprise tiers for individuals and schools that add higher limits and admin features.
Who it fits: teachers who want one platform covering nearly every planning and admin task. What it does well: sheer breadth — whatever the planning chore, there's likely a purpose-built tool for it — with a free tier that covers a lot. Where it falls short: the breadth can overwhelm at first (80+ tools is a lot of doors), and getting the most from it takes time to learn which tools you'll actually reuse. Pricing: free tier; paid Plus for power users, Enterprise for schools.
For most teachers, a complete stack is free: MagicSchool, Eduaide, Diffit, and Brisk all have free tiers that together cover the majority of planning needs. If you plan constantly and want unlimited generations, Eduaide Premium at ~$4.17/month is the best-value upgrade. Teachers who differentiate heavily might add Diffit at ~$14.99/month. School- and district-wide rollouts (MagicSchool Enterprise, Brisk premium) are quote-based — and adoption there usually hinges on FERPA/COPPA compliance and data-residency commitments, so involve your admin early.
If your curriculum is tightly scripted by your district, an AI planner may duplicate what you're already handed — use it for materials and differentiation instead of whole plans. If you don't teach mixed-ability classes, you may not need Diffit. And never paste student names, grades, or identifying data into a tool your district hasn't approved. Start free, prove the time savings, then decide what's worth paying for — the same lean logic in our teachers guide.
MagicSchool for breadth (80+ tools, generous free tier) and Eduaide for guided, standards-aligned K-12 planning. Brisk is the best free option if your school runs on Google Docs and Classroom.
Yes — MagicSchool and Eduaide generate standards-aligned plans from a topic and grade level. Always review the alignment and accuracy yourself; the tool drafts, but you know your standards and students.
Diffit — it adapts one text to multiple reading levels in seconds, ideal for mixed-ability classes and English-language learners. The generalist suites do this less well.
That depends on your district. Adoption usually hinges on FERPA/COPPA compliance and data-residency terms, so check your approved-tools list and never enter identifying student data into an unapproved tool.
Teachers commonly report 5–7 hours a week after the first month, once they've learned which tools fit their workflow. The savings are real but come after a short setup and learning period, not on day one.