Verdict up front: Keen IELTS is one of the most generous free IELTS platforms of 2026.
You get full-length tests, short drills by question type and AI band scores on Writing and Speaking without paying, and it is more candid about the limits of AI marking than most competitors. We rate it 7.5/10.
Our top pick is IELTSbiz, because it keeps generating new material after a fixed bank runs out and measures you on each reading question type.
The question people search most is "is Keen IELTS free?". Mostly yes, with one change worth knowing about, which we cover below.
What is Keen IELTS?
KeenIELTS (keenielts.com) describes itself as an independent IELTS preparation project, not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council, IDP or Cambridge. It runs on the web and as mobile apps; the iOS app is published by the developer Kevin Valani. Its about page cites 163,000+ registered students and 3,785,000+ scored practice attempts.
How does Keen IELTS work?
Listening and Reading answers are checked instantly against answer keys and converted to bands using the official conversion tables.
Writing and Speaking are scored by Google Gemini AI models against the public band descriptors, with a band for each of the four criteria.
Drills are short exercises that target one question type at a time: Matching Headings, True/False/Not Given, note completion, map labelling, Task 2 opinion essays, Part 2 cue cards and more. Writing drills use a section-by-section builder with AI coaching, and Speaking drills use a listen, plan, speak flow with live AI feedback.
Model answers are real student submissions, each with an AI band and criterion-by-criterion feedback, so you can see what separates the bands.
Is Keen IELTS free?
The core is. Its about page says taking tests and receiving AI scores and feedback requires no payment, and that the platform is supported by advertising.
As of October 2026 the iOS app's latest update adds two in-app purchases: Premium, which removes ads, and Certified IELTS Expert Reviews. Neither price was published on its website when we checked. Treat Keen IELTS as free with optional paid extras.
Keen IELTS pros and cons
Pros: a genuinely free core across all four skills; drills by question type, which most free sites lack; a real-student model-answer library; apps as well as a website; and an honest statement that AI scores are estimates that may differ from an examiner, especially at the highest bands. We wish every competitor said that.
Cons: the tests sit in a fixed bank, so they eventually repeat; drills let you practise a type, but nothing tracks your band on that type over time; results report a score rather than naming the trap that caught you; and the free experience carries ads.
Verdict: 7.5/10
Keen IELTS earns 7.5/10. For zero cost it covers more than almost anyone, and its honesty about AI marking deserves credit. It loses points where fixed banks always do: finite material, and measurement that stops at the test rather than following each question type over time.
Our top pick: IELTSbiz
Disclosure: IELTSbiz is ours. We still think it is the right first choice for a self-study candidate, for four specific reasons:
- It never runs out. A new Cambridge-style passage is generated every session, so you cannot meet a test you have already seen.
- It explains the miss. Every wrong reading answer names the trap (Partial Truth, Extreme Language, Opposite Meaning, Outside Text, Distractor Word or Temporal Confusion) and quotes the sentence that settles it.
- It measures by type, over time. Keen lets you drill a type; IELTSbiz tracks your estimated band on each of the 11 types across sessions, so you can see whether Matching Headings is actually catching up.
- The whole exam is there when you want it. Full 40-question Reading tests, Listening Parts 1–4 played once, a three-part Speaking test marked on four criteria, a four-skill mock, and the Writing Checker, which quotes your sentence behind every correction.
Every paper is free within an allowance, with no card. Pro removes the limits from $7.99/month or $50 lifetime.
Keen IELTS vs IELTSbiz at a glance
| Feature | Keen IELTS (Oct 2026) | IELTSbiz |
|---|---|---|
| Reading material | Fixed bank of full tests and drills | A fresh passage every session, plus full papers |
| Question-type practice | Drills by type | Drills by type, with a band tracked per type over time |
| Wrong-answer feedback | Instant scoring with answer keys | The named trap and the evidence line |
| Writing and Speaking | Gemini-scored on four criteria, free | Four criteria marked separately, every correction quoted, free monthly |
| Live practice | Expert reviews sold in-app | Live Speaking mock with a real person from our team |
| Price | Free, ad-supported; Premium in-app | Free to start; from $7.99/month or $50 lifetime |
The best routine using both
Use Keen IELTS for an occasional full mock on your phone and its model answers for calibration.
Use IELTSbiz for the daily loop in between: twenty minutes on your weakest question type, with every miss explained and the band for that type moving, or not, in front of you. That pairing costs nothing to try. The detailed comparison is on our Keen IELTS alternative page.