ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude? Choosing an AI study tool for your child

Key takeaways

• →ChatGPT is for 13 and over, and under-18s need a parent’s or guardian’s permission. Claude is for adults only, 18 and over.
• →Gemini needs a Google account, which in the UK you can manage yourself from 13. Google says Gemini apps are not available for supervised accounts in the UK.
• →Each has a study mode that asks questions and gives hints instead of answers. Switch it on before your child starts.
• →Of the three, only ChatGPT has parental controls a UK parent can use, and they don’t let parents read their teen’s chats.

1. Who each tool is for

Over half of 8 to 17-year-olds (56%) use AI, rising to two-thirds (66%) of 16 and 17-year-olds, according to Ofcom’s research published in May 2026.^[1]

Before you choose a tool, check who it is for. The Department for Education tells schools to follow the age limits set by AI tools, and that is a sensible rule at home too.^[2]

ChatGPT’s terms say users must be at least 13, and under-18s need a parent’s or legal guardian’s permission.^[3]

Gemini needs a Google account. In the UK, you can manage your own Google account from 13.^[4]

Gemini’s own rules also say you must be 13 or over to use it with a personal Google account.^[5]

For children under 13, parents can set up a supervised Google account with Family Link, but Google says Gemini apps are not available for supervised accounts in the UK. Google also says children and teens signed in to Gemini get extra content filters, though the filters are not perfect.^[6]

Claude’s consumer terms say users must be at least 18, so Claude is for parents, not children.^[7]

2. At a glance

Checked on 4 November 2026. Menus change, so if a button has moved, look for the same name nearby.

3. Switch on the study mode

ChatGPT’s study mode launched in July 2025 and is on the free plan. Choose Study and learn from the tools menu, then ask a question. It uses questions, hints and quizzes instead of handing over answers. It can be switched off during a chat, so treat it as a family habit, not a lock.^[8]

Gemini’s Guided Learning walks through a topic step by step, making the student do the work and checking they understand along the way.^[9]

To turn it on, tap + (Add files) in Gemini’s prompt box, then Guided Learning. On a computer, it is under More tools. Google is still adding it to the mobile app, so if you can’t see it there, use gemini.google.com.^[10]

Claude’s Learning skill does the same for adults. Go to Customize, then Skills, tap + and Browse skills, search for Learning and add it. Then switch it on in any chat.^[11]

4. Parental controls

ChatGPT added parental controls in September 2025. A parent sends an invite to their teen, and once the teen accepts, the parent manages the teen’s settings from their own account. Linked teen accounts get extra protections automatically, such as less graphic content.^[12]

To set it up, go to Settings, then Parental controls, then Add family member. Parents can set quiet hours, turn off voice mode, memory and image generation, and choose whether the teen’s chats help train OpenAI’s models, which is off by default. Parents can’t read their teen’s conversations. Either side can unlink at any time, and the parent is told if the teen does.^[13]

If OpenAI’s systems and trained reviewers see signs that a teen may be at serious risk of harming themselves, parents can be alerted by email, text and phone notification.^[12]

Google’s Family Link lets parents turn Gemini on or off for a child’s supervised account, but Gemini apps are not available for supervised accounts in the UK. Claude has no parental controls, because it is for adults only.^[6]

Set it up together: Agree the settings with your teen and explain why. Controls work best alongside an open conversation about how they use AI.

5. Privacy settings worth checking

Whatever the tool, don’t enter anything that could identify your child: their full name, school, address or photos. The Department for Education gives schools the same advice.^[2]

In ChatGPT, the setting Improve the model for everyone, under Settings then Data Controls, decides whether chats are used to train OpenAI’s models. Temporary Chats are not used for training and are deleted within 30 days.^[14]

In Gemini, the Keep activity setting decides whether chats are saved and used to improve Google’s AI. Google says some chats are read by human reviewers, so don’t enter anything confidential. With the setting off, chats are still kept for 72 hours.^[15]

In Claude, the setting for model training is under Settings, then Privacy.^[16]

6. Free or paid?

For revision, the free versions are enough. ChatGPT’s study mode is on its free plan.^[8]

Claude’s skills, including Learning, are on its free plan too.^[17]

For Gemini’s Guided Learning, Google’s help page only asks that you are signed in.^[10]

Paying doesn’t change the habits that matter most: try first, ask for hints, and check the answer.

7. Family rules: a short checklist

Agree a few rules together and write them down. They work with any tool. Our guide Is using AI cheating? explains the school and exam rules, and AI revision prompts has prompts to copy for every subject.

8. How Brainhub can help

Brainhub tutors teach one-to-one, online across the UK or at our seven London hubs. Whichever tool your child uses, they can bring what it told them to a lesson, and their tutor will check what it got right and what it got wrong. Every family starts with a free assessment.

1. 1. What is the minimum age for ChatGPT?

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2. 2. Can a UK child use Gemini on a supervised Family Link account?

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3. 3. Can parents read their teen’s ChatGPT chats with parental controls?

   Show answer

Your next steps

1. 01

   Check which AI tools your child uses, and their age rules.

2. 02

   Switch on the study mode together in the one they use.

3. 03

   Agree three family rules and stick them on the fridge.