AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
What free tools can teachers get in 2026?
Teachers can get free AI assistants, design software, wellness apps and retail discounts. The biggest single catalogue value is $1,080 in Figma credits, and its card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
Most of these offers are not open to everyone. They are educator offers, so each one has its own rules, and the perk cards on AI Perks spell those rules out so you do not have to hunt through vendor pages. AI Perks also tracks more student offers if you teach older learners or study yourself.
Below is what each tool is best for in class, what the vendors say about limits and privacy, and what the educator perks add up to.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
Claude $200
Eligible for early-stage startups
Canva $144
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
Which free AI assistants are worth using in class?
Three assistants stand out for lesson planning, and each has a catalogue card. $200 in Claude credits covers Anthropic's teacher offer, which gives premium features such as teaching skills and a connection to evidence-based curricula aligned to state standards. Claude also connects to Learning Commons, which gives it access to academic standards across all 50 states.
Anthropic says models are never trained on teacher conversations, and training is off for verified teacher accounts. The offer is for adult educators only, not students. Anthropic launched a dedicated offering for schools and districts on August 28, 2026, and it also published a free AI Fluency course for PK-12 teachers, co-created with Teach For America.
$240 in ChatGPT credits covers OpenAI's teacher offer. It includes unlimited GPT-5.1 Auto messages, search, file uploads, connectors and image generation. OpenAI says anything you share is not used to train its models, and this is a distinct educator offer, not a personal ChatGPT Free account.
One caution: OpenAI's own pages give different end dates for the free period. Check the card before you plan a whole year around it. OpenAI also says it may adjust pricing after the free period and has promised advance notice.
Google adds a third route. As of July 15, 2026, finishing Google's Generative AI for Educators course unlocked three months of Google AI Pro at no charge.
Khanmigo needs a note too. Teacher access is different from giving students access to the Khanmigo tutor, so do not assume a free teacher account covers your class.
Which free design and presentation tools help teachers?
Design tools save the most prep time, because worksheets, slides and posters are weekly jobs.
- Canva: Canva says its education plan will remain 100% free for K-12 educators, their students and qualified districts, with no paywalls. It says it follows COPPA and FERPA for student data. Educator status has to be approved first.
- Genially: the free version lets you invite an unlimited number of students into your workspace. Use it for interactive presentations and class activities.
- NotebookLM: a free account allows 100 notebooks with 50 sources each. That is enough to give each unit or class its own notebook of readings.
- Figma, Notion and HeyGen: all three have educator perks in the catalogue, covered in the credits table below.
Limits on free tools vary by account and can change. Treat any number here as a snapshot, and confirm it inside the tool.
| Tool | Best for in class | Published limit |
|---|---|---|
| Canva | Worksheets, slides, posters | Free for eligible K-12 educators, no paywalls |
| Genially | Interactive lessons | Unlimited students on the free version |
| NotebookLM | Source-based study guides | 100 notebooks, 50 sources each |
| Claude | Lesson planning to state standards | Training off for verified teacher accounts |
| ChatGPT | Drafting, search, images | Unlimited GPT-5.1 Auto messages |
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
Claude $200
Eligible for early-stage startups
Canva $144
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
What other educator discounts are worth a look?
Not every useful offer is software. Headspace is free for eligible US K-12 educators and school staff, which makes it a practical pick for term-time stress. Michaels gives verified teachers 15% off eligible purchases, including sale items, which helps with classroom supplies.
If you want to go wider, TCEA's Teacher Discount Directory lists 156 teacher discount programs. Its CyberSmart Educator course costs $49 at full price and $34 at the discounted rate, a saving of $15. Wonder Tools offers educators with a .edu email address a 20% discount on its inner circle.
Be careful with lookalikes. Lernico, for example, is a paid tool with only a 7-day free trial, so it is not a free tool.
For deeper comparisons, see AI for Teachers 2026: Free Educator Offers Compared.
How much are educator perks in the catalogue worth?
The AI Perks catalogue has seven educator and training perks that matter most to teachers. Each row links to that perk's own card.
| Company | Free credits | How to get |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT (teachers) | $240 | Get this perk |
| Claude (teachers) | $200 | Get this perk |
| Canva (education) | $144 | Get this perk |
| Figma (education) | $1,080 | Get this perk |
| Notion (education) | $120 | Get this perk |
| HeyGen (educators) | about $250 | Get this perk |
| IBM Training | $500 | Get this perk |
Total: about $2,534 in educator credits ($240 + $200 + $144 + $1,080 + $120 + $250 + $500).
Most of that comes from two perks: Figma at $1,080 and IBM Training at $500. You do not need all seven. Pick the two or three that match what you teach.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
Claude $200
Eligible for early-stage startups
Canva $144
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
How do you claim free tools for teachers, step by step?
Step 1: Get credits via AI Perks. Open getaiperks.com, filter for student and education perks, and open the cards for the tools you want. Each card shows who qualifies and how to claim.
Step 2: Choose by workload. Match the tool to your week. Use an AI assistant for planning and feedback drafts, Canva or Genially for materials, and NotebookLM for source-based study guides.
Step 3: Check your account type. ChatGPT's teacher offer is separate from a personal free account, and Claude's offer is for adult educators only. Sign up through the right route so you do not end up on the wrong plan.
Step 4: Check the privacy terms. Both Anthropic and OpenAI say teacher content is not used to train their models. Canva says it follows COPPA and FERPA. Read your district's policy before putting student data into any tool.
Step 5: Set a review date. Free limits can change, and OpenAI says it may adjust pricing after the free period. Note the date and re-check the card before it arrives.
You can read more on the vendor routes in ChatGPT for Teachers 2026: Free for Verified Educators and Claude for Teachers 2026: Free Claude Pro for K-12 Staff.
FAQ
Are there really free tools for teachers, or just trials?
Both exist. Canva's education plan is described as 100% free with no paywalls, and Claude and ChatGPT both have free teacher offers. Others, like Lernico, are only a 7-day trial. The cards on getaiperks.com show which kind each perk is.
Can students use the same free teacher accounts?
Not always. Claude's teacher offer is for adult educators only. Khanmigo teacher access does not cover the student tutor. Canva says its education plan is free for K-12 educators and their students. Check each card before sharing an account with a class.
Is student data safe in these tools?
Vendors make specific promises. Anthropic says it never trains on teacher conversations, and OpenAI says shared content is not used to train its models. Canva says it follows COPPA and FERPA. Your district's own policy still comes first, so confirm it before uploading student work.
How much are the catalogue's educator perks worth?
The seven educator and training perks in the credits table add up to the total shown there, led by $1,080 in Figma credits. Each card on AI Perks shows who qualifies and how to claim, so you can pick only the ones that fit.
Does ChatGPT stay free for teachers?
OpenAI says it may adjust pricing after the free period but will give advance notice. Its pages disagree on the end date, so do not rely on one source. The $240 ChatGPT card is the place to check current terms.
Where can I find more teacher discounts?
TCEA's Teacher Discount Directory lists 156 programs, and Michaels gives verified teachers 15% off. For AI and software credits specifically, browse the education cards at getaiperks.com, or read Free AI Credits for Students 2026: Every Program Compared.
Top AI Credits for Startups
Apply directly through these verified programs.
ChatGPT $240
Eligible for early-stage startups
Claude $200
Eligible for early-stage startups
Canva $144
Eligible for early-stage startups
Notion $120
Eligible for early-stage startups
Figma $1,080
Eligible for early-stage startups
Perplexity $84
Eligible for early-stage startups
Ready to claim your free teacher tools?
Start with the perk that saves you the most hours, whether that is $200 in Claude credits for planning or $144 in Canva credits for materials. Then open the other cards and add what fits your classroom.
Get free AI credits at getaiperks.com →
Every educator perk, with who qualifies and how to claim, is in one catalogue at getaiperks.com.
