edio.ai vs ESL Brains: lesson plans or interactive lessons?
ESL Brains is a much-loved library of lesson plans for adult English learners, built around real videos and articles. edio.ai is an AI-powered LMS where students work in interactive lessons that check themselves. Here is an honest comparison for tutors and language schools.
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The short answer
Pick ESL Brains if you teach adults, lead discussion lessons yourself and want excellent lesson plans to print or show in Google Slides for a low price. Pick edio if you want students to do the exercises themselves, with answers checked automatically, homework tracked and lessons built by AI from your own topics. Many tutors use both: ESL Brains for conversation topics, edio for interactive practice.
- ESL BrainsBest forTutors who lead discussion lessons for adults
- edioBest forInteractive practice, homework and progress in one place
Quick verdict
ESL Brains gives you well-written lesson plans to print or show in Google Slides. edio gives you lessons your students work in themselves, plus homework, progress and tools to run a school.
Choose ESL Brains
- You teach adults and love discussion lessons built on real videos and articles
- You want printable PDFs and Google Slides you can copy and edit
- You lead the lesson yourself and don't need students to log in
- You want a low monthly price for a lesson library
Choose edio
- You want students to do the exercises themselves, with answers checked automatically
- You want to see answers live and track homework after class
- You want AI to build a lesson from your own topic, PDF or image
- You run a school, or teach Polish or other languages as well as English
Feature comparison
An honest side-by-side breakdown. Where ESL Brains is stronger, we say so directly.
| Feature | edio | ESL Brains | Better fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Language teaching | |||
| Ready-made lessons | 621 interactive lessons: English A1–C1, Polish A1–B2 | A large library of lesson plans for adults, A1 to C2, many built on authentic videos | ESL Brains |
| Lesson format | An interactive lesson students open on their own device | A printable PDF and an e-lesson in Google Slides for every lesson | Tie |
| Exercises | 32 exercise types that check themselves: gap fill, drag-and-drop, matching, unjumble and more | Tasks on the worksheet or slide. The teacher checks the answers | edio |
| Live lesson space | Teacher and student work on the same lesson in real time. Video runs in Zoom or Meet alongside | You share your screen or the slides in your video call | edio |
| AI | Lesson generator builds a whole interactive lesson from a topic, PDF or image | Revision Tasks Generator makes revision worksheets for ESL Brains lessons, on Unlimited | edio |
| Languages | 18 languages supported | English only | edio |
| Students and homework | |||
| Homework | Assign homework in your classes. Exercises check themselves and you see every answer | Flipped lessons have tasks for before class. You send the PDF or links yourself | edio |
| Student accounts | Every student has an account with homework status and lesson history | No student accounts or progress tracking | edio |
| School management | |||
| Lesson balance | Tracks prepaid lessons per student, with change history | Not available | edio |
| Multiple teachers | Owners, admins and teachers in one school account | School plans, priced on request | Tie |
| General | |||
| Pricing | From €20/mo · 7-day free trial | A free plan with sample lessons, and low-cost monthly plans | ESL Brains |
| Printable materials | Lessons made for the screen, with exercises that check themselves | Every lesson as a printable PDF | ESL Brains |
See it in edio
What lesson prep, a live lesson and a school look like inside edio.
A whole lesson from one line
Type a topic, or upload a PDF or a picture, and get a complete interactive lesson in about a minute: reading, listening, grammar, vocabulary and speaking. Edit any exercise before you teach.
More about the AI lesson generator
One lesson, live, for everyone
Students work in the lesson on their own screen and you see their answers as they type. Exercises check themselves, so the lesson keeps moving.
More about virtual classesThe school in one place
One calendar for every teacher, lesson balances that update after each class, chat, homework and analytics, all under one login.
More about school management
When ESL Brains makes sense
We'll be straight with you: for some teachers ESL Brains is the better pick.
Strengths
- Thoughtful lesson plans for adults on current, real-world topics
- Lessons built on authentic videos and articles, with plenty of discussion
- Every lesson as a printable PDF and a Google Slides e-lesson you can copy and edit
- Lesson sets and flows that link lessons for long-term students
- A low price and a free plan with sample lessons
Weaknesses for online teaching
- Students see the lesson on your screen but don't work in it themselves
- You check every answer by hand
- No student accounts, homework tracking or progress history
- English only, and mostly for adults
- No lesson balances, scheduling or tools to run a school
Where edio wins for tutors and schools
An ESL Brains lesson is a great plan. An edio lesson is a plan your students work in.
Teaching advantages
- Students work in the lesson on their own screen, and you see their answers as they type
- 32 exercise types check themselves, so there are no answers to mark after class
- AI builds a whole interactive lesson from your topic, PDF or image in about a minute
- Homework lives next to the lesson, with results for every student
Business advantages
- Lesson balance per student: see who is running low and top up in one click
- Attendance, homework and lesson history logged for every student
- One login for lessons, materials, student profiles, chat and analytics
- Several teachers under one school account, with no separate subscriptions
Real scenarios: what should you choose?
Specific situations, specific answers.
Scenario 1
Tutor who loves discussion lessons
You teach adults one-to-one, mostly conversation on current topics, and you are happy to lead from a PDF or slides.
ESL Brains works here
Scenario 2
Online tutor with busy students
Your students want practice between lessons, and you want to see what they did without checking every answer.
Choose edio
Scenario 3
Language school with several teachers
Different teachers and many students, and you need homework, attendance and lesson balances in one place.
Choose edio
Scenario 4
Teacher who wants both
You like ESL Brains topics for speaking, and want self-checking exercises and homework for the same students.
Use both side by side
How to switch from ESL Brains to edio
Three steps. You can teach your first edio lesson on the day you sign up.
Start a free trial
Sign up in a minute, with no credit card. The 7-day trial has every feature, for up to 5 students.
Prepare your first lessons
Start from the ready-made lessons for adults, or generate one from a topic, your own PDF or a picture. Keep ESL Brains for discussion lessons if you like.
Add students and teach
Add students by email: each one gets an invitation with a login. Create a virtual class and teach your first lesson live.
Frequently asked questions
Is ESL Brains interactive?
Can I use edio and ESL Brains at the same time?
Does edio have lessons for adults?
Is ESL Brains free?
Can I teach other languages with edio?
Try edio for your language school
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