In our ever-evolving world, we’re continuously seeking new ways to improve and streamline our daily processes. In education, teachers are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to improve the learning experience for their students. This often translates to long hours spent crafting engaging lesson plans, ensuring they meet curriculum standards, and catering to diverse learning styles.
But what if there was a way to streamline this process, personalize learning for each student, and even make it more fun? AI-powered lesson planners are emerging as a game-changer for busy teachers, offering the potential to streamline lesson planning, personalize learning for each student, and create engaging classroom experiences.
We’ve curated 10 of the best free AI lesson planners, along with paid tools that offer advanced features to make lesson planning a breeze.
Table of Contents
What are AI Lesson Planners?
AI lesson planners are software tools that use artificial intelligence algorithms to help teachers design, organize, and manage lesson plans. These planners can analyze educational content, student data, and other factors to create customized and effective lesson plans. The goal is to streamline the planning process, saving teachers valuable time and effort.
Key features of AI lesson planners include:
- Content suggestions: AI can recommend relevant educational materials and activities based on the subject, grade level, and learning objectives.
- Personalization: AI lesson planners can tailor lessons to meet the needs of individual students, accounting for different learning styles and abilities.
- Automation: AI can automate repetitive tasks such as grading and assessments, giving teachers more time to focus on teaching.
How AI Lesson Planners Can Benefit Teachers
AI lesson planners offer several advantages to teachers and students alike:
- Time-Saving Efficiency: AI automates tedious tasks like searching for resources and formatting plans. This frees up valuable time for you to focus on what matters most, which is building relationships with students and delivering personalized instruction.
- Engaging Activities: With AI lesson planners, you can say goodbye to dull lectures! AI can generate creative and interactive activities that keep students hooked and actively participate in their learning journey.
- Alignment with Standards: AI ensures your lesson plans seamlessly align with curriculum standards and learning objectives, saving you from hours of meticulous checking.
- Resource Integration: AI acts as your digital teacher’s assistant, seamlessly integrating various educational resources like videos, articles, and interactive tools into your lesson plans
Top AI Lesson Planners You Might Be Missing Out On
Lesson Planner | Pros | Cons | Pricing |
---|---|---|---|
Edcafe AI | – Ready prompt ideas – Allows uploading of materials via document, text, or webpage – Aligns lesson plan content with standards – Save output in a Google Drive-like space for sharing – Uses an updated language model for faster results | – Limited content generation credits on basic plan tier | Forever free with restrictions. $8/month for Pro, billed annually. School subscription available for quote. |
HiLink | – Built-in AI lesson planner assistant to help edit lesson plans – Easily integrates with HiLink Virtual Classroom (limited to 45 minutes) – Generates activities and slides from lesson plans | – Unable to share generated lesson plans offline | Free to use |
LessonPlans.AI | – Includes directory of lesson plans created by other users – Supports a wide range of subjects | – No free plan or trial available – Pro plan limited to 100 plans a year | $49/year |
TeachMate AI | – Created by certified educators to save time – Contains a list of 112+ AI-powered tools for teachers | – Lesson Planner requires Pro subscription – Limited to US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland curriculums | Pro Monthly at $8.99/month. Pro Annual at $7.67/month (billed annually). |
Eduaide.AI | – Offers 100+ resource types and learning objects – Teacher Management feature for announcements, newsletters & more – AI Feedback Bot for grammar checks | – Free plan limited to 15 generations/month | Free plan available. Pro plan at $5.99/month. |
Teachology | – Follows standards (e.g., CCSS) for benchmark alignment – Provides lesson analytics for insights – Includes a range of adaptable teaching resources | – Requires time to adjust for AI beginners – Limited content recommendations | Starter at $6/month. Pro at $12/month. |
Education Copilot | – Quick lesson plan generation tailored to needs – Access to a variety of instructional resources and assessments – Supports various subjects and grade levels | – Full functionality requires paid subscription after 30-day trial – Limited lesson plan options compared to other platforms | 30-day free trial Plans at $9/month. |
Almanack.AI | – Customizable lesson plans and quizzes for curriculum alignment – Offers diverse educational content and resources | – Full access may require paid subscription – Learning curve for first-time users | Free trial available. Paid plans start at $11.99/month. |
WriteCream | – 100% free to use – User-friendly interface – Generates lesson plans in multiple languages | – Limited results compared to paid tools – No custom parameters beyond subject, grade level, and objectives | Free to use |
AutoClassmate | – Completely free – Aligns lesson plans to state standards – Easy to use for AI beginners | – Limited to American state standards – Unable to tailor and edit generated plans | Free to use |
Now, let’s dive into some fantastic free AI lesson planners along with paid tools to empower your teaching:
#1 Edcafe AI
For educators seeking a streamlined approach to lesson planning, Edcafe AI brings specialized support tailored just for the classroom. Unlike generalized AI tools, Edcafe AI is designed exclusively for teachers, providing a suite of generative tools to simplify and enrich lesson planning.
One of Edcafe AI’s standout features, its AI Lesson Plan Generator, transforms the process into a fast and efficient experience. Created with educators in mind, this tool allows teachers to generate structured, curriculum-aligned lesson plans effortlessly, focusing on specific instructional needs to save time and improve lesson quality.
Intuitive, Ready-to-Use Fields
Edcafe AI’s easy-to-use interface eliminates the need for prompt crafting. Teachers simply fill in fields like subject, grade level, standards, and language preferences, making the tool accessible even to AI beginners.
Create From Your Own Knowledge
With Edcafe AI, you can upload documents, web pages, or text to be used as references, allowing the AI to create lesson plans that draw on specific resources. This feature makes lesson plans more accurate and context-rich, aligning them with your unique classroom needs.
Smart State Standards Alignment
Edcafe AI’s lesson plan generator aligns plans with curriculum standards, ensuring that they meet educational requirements. The readily fillable standards field helps teachers maintain consistency with district or state guidelines, seamlessly integrating necessary standards.
Structured Lesson Plan Output
Leveraging an updated language model, Edcafe AI’s lesson plans are designed with a detailed, educator-centered structure, making it a go-to tool for creating complete instructional plans. Each lesson plan includes essential sections:
- Learning Objectives: Clear goals to guide student outcomes.
- Materials and Resources: A prepared list of everything needed for class.
- End-to-End Lesson Procedure: Step-by-step guidance, from hooks to differentiation and closing.
- Reflection Questions: Prompts for student reflection to deepen learning.
Organized Hub for Easy Access and Collaboration
Edcafe AI provides a central, Google Drive-like space to save, organize, and share lesson plans. With an organized hub, teachers can keep instructional materials at their fingertips, making collaboration simple and lesson planning efficient.
Pros:
- Has ready prompt ideas to help you get started
- Allows you to upload your own materials as reference either via document, text, or webpage
- Aligns lesson plan content with standards
- Lets you save output in a dedicated Google Drive-like space to share with colleagues
- Uses an updated language model for faster, smarter results
Cons:
- Limited content generation credits on basic plan tier.
Pricing: Forever free with restrictions. $8/month for Pro, billed annually. School subscription available for quote.
#2 HiLink
HiLink enables teachers to easily generate lessons, activities, and presentation slides with the help of AI. To use the AI lesson planner, you can simply feed the tool with the topic of your lesson, audience, lesson duration, and objectives and it will generate a thorough lesson plan containing opening assessments, structured lesson plans, exit tickets, and more. The built-in lesson assistant can suggest reading materials, assessment questions, and additional resources to help polish your lesson plan.
Suitable For: Busy teachers who need help generating complete lesson plans with activities, slides, and assessments.
Pros:
- Built-in AI lesson planner assistant to help edit and polish the lesson plans.
- Easily integrates with the HiLink Virtual Classroom (limited to 45 minutes).
- Able to generate activities and slides from lesson plans.
Cons:
- Unable to share generated lesson plans offline.
Pricing: Free to use.
#3 LessonPlans.AI
LessonPlans.AI cuts the time to plan your lessons in half as it streamlines the process with its intuitive tool. The lesson plans include a step-by-step guide for each lesson so teachers can easily follow and implement the plans in their classrooms. Although there are currently no free plans available, the Pro plan on LessonPlans.AI enables you to create 100 lesson plans a year, access their latest features, and a community of other users with access to a directory of existing lesson plans.
Suitable For: Teachers looking for a library of pre-made lesson plans and want to create their own with a step-by-step guide.
Pros:
- Includes a directory of lesson plans created by other users.
- Generate lessons from a wide range of subjects.
Cons:
- No free plan or free trial available.
- Pro plan is limited to 100 plans a year.
Pricing: $49/year.
#4 TeachMate AI
TeachMate is an AI platform designed by educators to promote work-life balance among teachers worldwide. TeachMate is supported by a community of 149,000 teachers and educators and they’ve saved teachers 46,299 days thanks to their +112 AI-powered tools, which include a lesson plan generator, report writer, assembly scriptwriter, and more.
While some of their tools are accessible with the free plan, accessing the lesson plan generator requires a Pro subscription.
Suitable For: Teachers overwhelmed by administrative tasks who want an all-in-one platform with lesson planning, report writing, and more.
Pros:
- Created by certified educators to help teachers save time with lesson planning.
- Contains a list of +112 AI-powered tools for teachers.
Cons:
- Lesson Planner requires Pro subscription.
- Limited to curriculums in USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.
Pricing: Pro Monthly at $8.99/month and Pro Annual at $7.67/month (billed annually).
#5 Eduaide.AI
Eduaide.AI goes beyond lesson planning, generating quizzes and assessments that seamlessly integrate with your lesson content. You can choose to generate different types of lesson plans, from 5 E’s Lesson Plans to plans based on Gagne’s Nine Events of Instructions. Not only can you create unit plans, but you can also generate gamified activities, independent practice worksheets, and cooperative learning activities.
Suitable For: Teachers who want to create lesson plans, quizzes, and assessments with a focus on gamification and various learning styles.
Pros:
- Features 100+ resource types and learning objects.
- Teacher Management feature that can create class announcements, newsletters & more.
- Users can use the AI Feedback Bot to check grammar errors for assessments.
Cons:
- Free plan has limited features with 15 generations/month.
Pricing: Free plan available with Pro plan priced at $5.99/month.
#6 Teachology
Teachology’s AI-powered lesson planning tool offers a seamless experience for educators looking to enhance their teaching process. With intelligent content recommendations and lesson analytics, Teachology helps teachers create engaging, standards-aligned lesson plans tailored to their students’ needs.
The platform follows outcome providers and standards bodies such as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) to ensure lessons align with established educational benchmarks.
Suitable For: Data-driven teachers who want lesson plans with analytics and content recommendations aligned to standards.
Pros:
- Follows outcome providers and standards bodies to ensure lesson plans meet established benchmarks.
- Offers a range of teaching resources that can be adapted to different subjects.
- Provides lesson analytics offering valuable insights into the effectiveness of lesson plans and student engagement.
Cons:
- Teachers unfamiliar with AI may require time to adjust to its functionalities.
- The tool’s content recommendations may be limited.
Pricing: Starter plan at $6/month while Pro plan costs $12/month.
#7 Education Copilot
Education Copilot provides AI-powered lesson planning tools that allow teachers to create effective and engaging lesson plans. The platform supports teachers with a variety of features, including a lesson plan generator, instructional resources, and assessments. It aims to help educators save time while maintaining high-quality teaching standards.
Suitable For: Teachers looking for a well-rounded lesson planning tool with assessments and resources.
Pros:
- Offers a lesson plan generator to quickly create lesson plans tailored to your needs.
- Provides access to a range of instructional resources and assessments.
- Supports different subjects and grade levels.
Cons:
- The full functionality requires a paid subscription after the 30-day free trial.
- Teachers may find the range of lesson plan options limited compared to other platforms.
Pricing: 30-day free trial available with plans for teachers at $9/month.
#8 Almanack.AI
Almanack.AI is an AI-powered tool that supports teachers in creating lesson plans, quizzes, and educational content. It aims to provide a seamless experience by offering teachers a range of resources, recommendations, and customization options. One of the highlights of this tool is the ability to set expectations based on 500 state standards and international curriculums.
Suitable For: Teachers who want a customizable lesson planning tool with a focus on standards alignment.
Pros:
- Allows teachers to generate lesson plans and quizzes tailored to their curriculum.
- Offers a variety of educational content and resources.
- Focuses on helping teachers save time and effort in lesson planning.
Cons:
- Full access to the tool’s features may require a paid subscription.
- Teachers may experience a learning curve when using the platform for the first time.
Pricing: Free trial available. Paid plans start from $11.99/month.
#9 WriteCream
WriteCream‘s lesson plan generator uses AI to help teachers create lesson plans quickly and efficiently. The free platform provides a variety of templates and resources to assist educators in developing high-quality lessons. To use WriteCream’s lesson planner, simply input the topic, grade level, and learning objectives of the lesson you’re planning.
Suitable For: Budget-conscious teachers who need a basic lesson plan generation tool.
Pros:
- 100% free to use.
- User-friendly & straightforward interface.
- Able to generate lesson plans in various languages.
Cons:
- Results are limited compared to paid tools.
- Users can’t set custom perimeters beyond subject, grade level, and objectives.
Pricing: Free to use.
#10 AutoClassmate
AutoClassmate‘s uses CharGPT AI to generate customized lesson plans efficiently. This free-to-use tool can streamline lesson planning, making it easier for educators to generate and implement lessons tailored to their curriculum. With AutoClassmate’s AI lesson planner, you can also align your plans based on state standards. However, the tool may only recognize American state standards.
Suitable For: New or time-limited teachers in the US who need a quick, free lesson plan generation tool with basic customization.
Pros:
- Completely free to use.
- Align lesson plans to state standards.
- User-friendly interface, easy to use even for those unfamiliar with AI technology.
Cons:
- Unable to tailor and edit generated lesson plans.
- Only recognized American state standards.
Pricing: Free to use.
Final Thoughts
AI lesson planners offer a glimpse into the future of education, and it’s a future ripe with possibilities. By leveraging AI, teachers can not only save time and reduce their workload, but they can also focus on delivering high-quality instruction and fostering meaningful connections with their students.
While each AI lesson planning tool offers its own unique set of features and benefits, educators need to explore different options and find the one that best suits their needs and teaching style.
As AI technology continues to advance, its potential to transform education and elevate teaching and learning experiences is limitless.
So why wait? Explore these AI lesson planners, and discover how AI can transform your classroom efficiency and empower you to be the best teacher you can be. After all, happy teachers lead to happy and thriving students!