Zense AI vs ESSAi
Last updated Nov 3, 2026
Zense AI and ESSAi are both AI platforms for Hong Kong primary and secondary schools. Here's how they compare on AI marking, AI tutors, data protection, plans and the AI for ELTFP grant. Everything about ESSAi on this page comes from ESSAi's own website.
Quick comparison
| Zense AI | ESSAi | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Zense Technology Limited, Hong Kong | ESSAITECH SOLUTIONS LIMITED |
| What you get | One platform with six tools: Chat, Tutors, Classroom, Assignments, Live class, Tools & Apps | An all-in-one AI system covering Teach, Learn, Assess and Track, across 14 subjects from P1 to S6 |
| AI marking | AI marks the first round, handwriting included, and the teacher reviews it | AI drafts the marking, including photographed handwriting, and the teacher confirms or edits |
| AI tutors | Teachers build subject tutors from their own materials, available to students 24/7 | An AI Tutor that asks questions to guide thinking, in Chinese, English or Cantonese |
| Data protection | Follows the PDPO; school content is never used to train AI models | Follows the PDPO and EDB guidance; does not train its AI models on school or student data; data stored in the Microsoft Azure East Asia (Hong Kong) region |
| On-premises option | Private AI on the school's own servers | Essai Sovereign (on-premises) |
| Schools | 30+ secondary schools through the AI for Science Education Funding Programme with HKU | 100+ schools have used ESSAi (paid and trial) |
| Plans | Free, Pro and Max for individuals; school plans quoted per school | School plans by number of subjects, plus a customised solution |
| AI for ELTFP | Schools can use the grant for Zense AI | Describes its plans as fundable through the HK$500,000 grant |
About Zense AI
Zense AI is built in Hong Kong by Zense Technology Limited, founded in 2024. Teachers and students use one account for everything:
- Chat with GPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek and Qwen. Auto mode picks a model for each question.
- Tutors that teachers build from their own notes and worksheets.
- Assignments with AI first-round marking, including handwritten answers.
- Live class, where teachers see each student's AI chats during the lesson and risky messages are flagged in real time.
- Private AI on the school's own servers, for schools that need it.
- Face-to-face teacher training, plus AI and STEAM courses.
Schools that have worked with Zense AI include Fukien Secondary School, United Christian College (Kowloon East) and Sham Tseng Catholic Primary School. Partners and customers include The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, NVIDIA and Samsung. See pricing for current plans.
About ESSAi
ESSAi is made by ESSAITECH SOLUTIONS LIMITED and describes itself as "AI teaching tools built for Hong Kong schools":
- Essay marking for Chinese and English, built around DSE and TSA formats, with OCR for Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and English handwriting.
- Oral assessment with built-in TSA and DSE Paper 4 practice.
- Question generation from a YouTube video, photo or text, and class reports with a weakness heatmap.
- Mini-games, a live classroom quiz students join with a six-digit code, and school administration tools.
- Subjects include Chinese, English, Putonghua and Maths, extending to Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Science, ICT and Humanities.
ESSAi says it has marked over 200,000 essays and has been featured on TVB Money Magazine. Its AI Literacy Training Programme gives a certificate of completion co-signed by Dr Davy Ng of The Education University of Hong Kong. It offers free trial accounts with no contract. See the ESSAi homepage for current plans.
Which is right for your school?
Both offer a free way to start, so the simplest way to decide is to try each with a real class. It helps to check:
- which subjects and exam formats (DSE, TSA) you need covered
- how teachers review AI marks
- what training comes with a school plan
- how the plan fits your AI for ELTFP budget
Want to see Zense AI with your own materials? Email enquiry@zenseai.io or call +852 5328 1381.
ESSAi details are from essai.hk, ESSAi products, ESSAi privacy policy, ESSAi responsible AI, ESSAi Chinese essay marking and ESSAi workshops, checked on 3 November 2026. ESSAi is a name used by ESSAITECH SOLUTIONS LIMITED, and Zense AI is not affiliated with ESSAITECH SOLUTIONS LIMITED. If anything here is out of date, email enquiry@zenseai.io and we'll fix it.
