Price: a flat subscription or a rate per lesson
Two pricing models sit side by side in this group, and they reward different habits. Readability sells a flat subscription at $19.99, with a monthly price of $19.99 and the same figure as its entry point at $19.99. Starfall lists a subscription price of $5.99. Across the wider set of apps and tutoring providers the comparison covers, subscription prices run €5.11 to €1,401.39, and both figures above fall inside that span.
Per lesson pricing follows a different shape. Schülerhilfe charges from €8.76 for its tuition. Starting lesson prices in this set run €2 to €1,390, and the middle of that span sits at €26 to €83.31. The spread is wide because a group session and individual tutoring sit at opposite ends of it, so the lesson type matters as much as the rate.
A subscription is a fixed monthly cost whether the app is opened once a week or every day, while a lesson rate scales with the hours actually booked. Check the billing period shown on the plan you are looking at, and treat any term discount as a separate line in the comparison rather than a headline saving. The kids learning apps ranking groups all of these options by price so you can see the spread at a glance.
Access terms and cancellation notice
Limits matter more than the headline price once you are inside a term. Readability describes its access model as unlimited access, while Duden Learnattack sells access for a fixed term of 6 to 24 months. A fixed term suits a child working through a school year with a clear finish; unlimited access suits a child who dips in and out and does not want to be counting down weeks.
Cancellation notice is the part families most often skip. Readability asks for 24 hours of notice, Schülerhilfe asks for 48 hours, and Duden Learnattack asks for 168 hours. A notice measured in hours is short and easy to miss, so set a reminder the day you decide to leave. A longer notice gives you more time to change your mind, but it also keeps the plan running for that period after you decide to stop.
Subjects, languages and how much is on offer
Subject coverage is the fastest way to rule a product out. Readability covers english, Starfall covers english and math, and Schülerhilfe covers math, english and science. Duden Learnattack lists its course languages as German and offers a course count of 40,000, so depth comes from volume within one language rather than from a wide subject list.
Content type tells you how a child actually reads. Readability's library is ebooks, which suits a child who is moving from picture books to chapter books with text they can decode alone. A large course count is useful for a child who needs repetition across many topics, and less useful if the same material is repeated rather than progressing.
Format matters just as much. Readability and Starfall are both app products, so everything happens in the app. Schülerhilfe stands apart by pairing individual tuition and group sessions with an app, and its certified tutor standard is worth weighing if a child responds better to a live voice than to a screen.
Try before you pay
A trial is the cheapest way to test fit. Readability offers a free trial of 30 days, and trial length in this set runs 5 to 30 days, so Readability sits at the top of the spread. Starfall and Readability also let a child try the product at no cost through a free trial lesson and a free trial lesson respectively.
Schülerhilfe takes a different route: the first trial lesson is bookable at no cost with no commitment. That suits a family that wants to judge a tutor rather than a piece of software, and it removes the pressure of a subscription that runs while you decide.
Use trial time to check the practical things a feature list cannot show: whether the child can work unaided, how long a session really lasts, whether the pace holds their attention, and whether the app fits around school homework rather than competing with it. Long trial length helps only if the child will actually use it.
Support when a child gets stuck
Support channels decide how fast a parent gets an answer when a child is mid-lesson and frustrated. Readability offers email, phone and help centre, which is the broadest set here because it includes chat alongside the usual routes. Starfall offers email, phone and help centre, and Schülerhilfe offers email, phone and help centre.
For families with more than one child, account structure matters as much as response time. Readability supports family profiles, so separate logins and separate progress views are available under one subscription. Check that before you buy two individual subscriptions, and read the Readability review for how the account and library are organised in practice terms.
Refunds, guarantees and who is behind the app
Refund terms decide how much risk you carry. Starfall publishes a satisfaction guarantee of Full refund within 30 days of purchase, which is a clear commitment to put money back rather than a vague promise. Schülerhilfe offers a first trial lesson at no cost with no commitment, and reports that most of its students improve by a grade or more alongside high customer satisfaction. Readability leads with a free trial of 30 days instead of a refund window, so ask what happens after the trial ends.
Company age is a reasonable proxy for reliability in a market where new apps appear often. Schülerhilfe has operated since 1974, Starfall since 2002, and Duden Learnattack since 2015. Registration tells you where support obligations sit: Readability and Starfall are both registered in the US, while Schülerhilfe is registered in the DE and sells into AT, CH and DE.
How to weigh the list
Work down the same order for every candidate. Price first, including the billing period and whether the plan is a subscription, a term or a per lesson rate. Access and notice terms second, because they decide what a mid term change costs. Subjects and format third, since a wrong subject list ends the comparison. Trials, support channels and refund terms last, as the tie breakers.
On that order, Starfall suits a family that wants a low subscription price, more than one subject and a published refund commitment. Schülerhilfe suits a family that wants a live tutor, a free first lesson and a wider subject list. Duden Learnattack suits a family that wants depth in German within a defined access term. Readability suits a family that wants a long free trial, unlimited access and family profiles for several children.