The Socratic alternative that teaches, not just answers
Socratic is free, fast and genuinely helpful for finding an explanation. What it cannot do is teach against your child’s actual chapter or show its working the way a teacher would at a board. Edukali AI Tutor is chapter-aligned, works the problem step by step, and asks the student to take the next step rather than handing over the result.
What Socratic by Google does well
Socratic by Google is a free student app that answers homework questions from a photo or search.
- Free, with no barrier for any student.
- Fast photo-to-explanation lookup across many subjects.
- Backed by a large search index of quality explanations.
Why teachers pick Edukali
- Board and chapter alignment for CBSE, ICSE and State boards.
- Step-by-step teaching at a board rather than a retrieved explanation.
- Self-hosted per institution with per-user isolation, so a school controls its students’ sessions.
- One platform: the same account runs courses, question papers, online exams, live quizzes, OMR and AI grading — results land in one gradebook.
- India-first pricing in ₹ with a free tier for individual teachers; white-label available for institutions.
Side by side
| Feature | Edukali | Socratic by Google |
|---|---|---|
| Free to use | Partial | Yes |
| Photo-to-explanation lookup | Partial | Yes |
| Step-by-step board teaching | Yes | Partial |
| Board and chapter alignment | Yes | Partial |
| School-controlled deployment | Yes | — |
| Transparent usage metering | AI Unit meter | na |
| Price | ₹, per seat | Free |
Comparison reflects typical capabilities of each product category as of August 2026. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Frequently asked
Why pay when Socratic is free?
If a quick explanation is all you need, the free app is a fair answer. Edukali is for a student who needs to be taught the method on their own syllabus.
Is it aligned to CBSE?
Yes, down to chapter level, along with ICSE, State boards and the international boards.
Does it give the answer away?
No. It works the problem one step at a time and asks the student to continue.
Where do conversations live?
Inside the school’s own deployment, with per-user isolation.
How is usage measured?
Through a visible AI Unit meter.