Top kids learning apps compared

About Top kids learning apps compared

Kids learning apps come in two shapes. Some are pure subscription apps a child opens on a tablet, while others mix app content with live tutor sessions booked by the hour. This ranking covers 37 brands across both shapes, from app-only reading and math programs to tutoring services that also sell app access. The main trade-off is what a plan costs when you start against what it costs when it renews, and what the subscription actually includes: a fixed set of subjects and a reading level, or tutors you can book as often as needed. A low monthly app price and an expensive tutoring hour can sit side by side on the same price list. Where a plan runs matters as well, because some are sold in a single market and prices are quoted in dollars, euros or pounds. Trials, refund windows and cancellation notice then decide how risky the opening term feels.

How we picked

Each member is scored on three fixed weights rather than a personal shortlist. Cost carries 40%, the offer and its terms carry 40%, and trust signals such as vetting, background checks and guarantees carry 20%. Because cost and offer outweigh trust, a cheaper service with strong trial and refund terms can outrank a pricier one with a thinner offer. Figures come from each brand's own published material: pricing and app store pages, terms and conditions, cancellation and refund policies, and support or FAQ pages. Ranges are recorded exactly as published, and nothing is averaged across currencies. Partners that serve your country are listed first in this ranking, then the rest by score. Order follows the score alone across 37 brands, and ties break toward the lower entry price.

Our top picks

1. 2. Readability: best for top-pick

   Readability opens this ranking because it does one thing through one channel: lessons run in the app only, and the subject list is English alone. That narrowness suits a young reader who needs a steady reading habit more than a broad curriculum. The Readability subscription is $19.99, the free trial lesson lets a child sample the content, and a 30 day free trial gives a family the full library before paying. Support runs on email, phone and help centre, and cancellation needs 24 hours notice. Starfall, the member below it, covers a wider subject range for less, so Readability earns its place for parents who want reading focus with a long trial.

   • Subscription price: $19.99
   • Trial lesson: Free
   • Free trial length: 30 days

   Pros

   • A free trial lesson alongside a 30 days trial window lets a family watch real reading progress before any money changes hands.
   • Access is unlimited and the library is made up of ebooks, so enthusiastic readers are not held to a set amount of reading.
   • Family profiles are supported, so siblings each get their own level under the same Readability plan.
   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, covering email, phone, a help centre and chat.
   • Cancellation needs 24 hours notice, a light commitment for a monthly plan.

   Cons

   • The Readability subscription is $19.99, above Starfall at $5.99, so cost first households have cheaper options.
   • The subject list is english, and Schülerhilfe spans math, english and science for families wanting more than reading.
   • The library holds ebooks, with no audio titles listed for children who prefer listening.
   • Lessons run in the app, so households wanting a live teacher in the plan are not served here.

2. S3. Starfall

   Starfall sits near the top of this ranking because it covers the two subjects a primary child actually needs, English and math, inside an app rather than a timetable of live sessions. The Starfall subscription is $5.99, the lowest recurring figure among the app plans here, and the free trial lesson lets a child try the content first. It also carries a full refund window on recent purchases, and support runs on email, phone and help centre. Schülerhilfe, ranked below, is the opposite shape: individual, group and app lessons at a per-lesson price rather than a flat subscription.

   • Subscription price: $5.99
   • Trial lesson: Free
   • Satisfaction guarantee: Full refund within 30 days of purchase

   Pros

   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so a parent can call, write or work through the help centre.
   • Monthly fees of $5.99 land below the site median of €18.59 and under Readability's $19.99.
   • The app format puts practice on a device a family already owns, with nothing to book and no tutor to coordinate.
   • A full refund within a set window after purchase takes the risk out of a first term.

   Cons

   • Coverage is english and math, narrower than Schülerhilfe, which adds science and languages to math, english and science.
   • Lessons run as app only, so a child who needs a live tutor has to look at a different kind of service.
   • Entry and renewal both come at $5.99, so a family that stays on pays what it was quoted.
   • Starfall is a US operation selling in US dollars, which matters for households budgeting in another currency.

3. 4. Schülerhilfe

   Schülerhilfe earns a place in this ranking by mixing live teaching with app work: lessons run individually, in groups, or in the app, and the starting Schülerhilfe lesson price is €8.76. The free trial lesson is bookable with no commitment, and tutor vetting is listed as certified. It trades across the markets named on AT, CH and DE, and subjects span math, English, science and languages. Duden Learnattack, the next member, works in a smaller set of those markets but is app-only, which narrows who can use it.

   • Lesson price from: €8.76
   • Trial lesson: Free
   • Tutor vetting: Certified

   Pros

   • The trial lesson is free and bookable with no commitment, so a family can judge the tutor at no cost before paying for ongoing lessons.
   • Lesson price from €8.76 comes in under the €25.43 median for comparable tutoring listings in the same category.
   • Tutors are certified, a stricter bar than the 73.7% level that most providers in the group rely on, which matters for parents who ask about tutor checks.
   • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so a parent can pick a phone call, an email, or the help centre depending on how quick the answer needs to be.
   • It operates across AT, CH and DE, so the same tutors and subjects carry across those markets instead of stopping at one home market.

   Cons

   • Subject coverage stops at math, english and science, so a family looking for coding or exam coaching has to look elsewhere.
   • It runs in AT, CH and DE only, which narrows the choice for families outside that region against a wider listing such as BUKI.
   • Cancellations need 48 hours notice, so a late change can still be charged even when a parent cannot attend.
   • Tutors are certified rather than screened, a level held by 73.7% of the providers in the group, which some parents read as a lighter check.

4. 6. Duden Learnattack

   Duden Learnattack is in this ranking for breadth of school coverage at a modest app price: the subscription runs €6.63 to €19.97, and the subjects on math, english and science span math, English, science, languages and school work. Cancellation needs 168 hours notice, longer than most apps here, and a 30 day free trial runs alongside a no-questions refund during its early withdrawal window. Support runs on email, phone and help centre. Tutorful, ranked after it, opens up to many more subjects and a large tutor pool, at a higher starting lesson price.

   • Subscription price: €6.63 to €19.97
   • Trial lesson: Free
   • Free trial length: 30 days

   Pros

   • Leads the free trial length ranking at 1 of 9, giving families more time to judge the app than most rivals allow.
   • A free tier means 40,000 courses can be browsed before a plan is chosen.
   • Subscription price ranks 4 of 28, so a renewal sits near the cheap end of the field.
   • School coverage spans math, english and science, a wider set than the math, english and science listed for Schülerhilfe.
   • Ending a membership takes 168 hours of notice, which gives a clear date for stopping the next payment.

   Cons

   • The catalogue is in German only, so a child studying another language at school gets nothing from it.
   • It serves a single market, DE, so the pricing and the curriculum are built for German schools rather than a wider market.
   • There is no live tutor in the package: the lesson format is app, so a family wanting spoken help has to look elsewhere.
   • Access comes in fixed terms of 6 to 24 months, so a family that stops early does not get a month to month option.

5. 7. Tutorful

   Tutorful is the most flexible option in this ranking on subject choice, with math, english and science covering math, English, science, languages, coding, music and school work, delivered as individual sessions with app support. The trial lesson is discounted, the starting Tutorful lesson price is £20, and the median math lesson runs £53. Tutors are screened, background checks apply, and the pool starts at from 11,000. Its terms set a minimum age, so it is built for adults and older students rather than young children. Alpha Omega Publications, next in line, costs less but covers only a few subjects.

   • Lesson price from: £20
   • Median lesson price: £53
   • Trial lesson: Discounted

   Pros

   • A pool of from 11,000 tutors across math, english and science makes a subject match likely, including coding and music.
   • Tutor background checks are a yes and tutors are screened, so families are not left to vet every tutor themselves.
   • Canceling with 24 hours notice makes a clash with school life cheap to fix.
   • The discounted trial lesson and a satisfaction guarantee make the opening booking a low risk test.
   • Entry at £20 sits well under the £53 median, so careful matching can land below the typical rate.

   Cons

   • The £53 median stands well above the £20 entry price, so regular lessons cost more than the headline suggests.
   • Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, with no phone line for families who would rather talk a scheduling clash through.
   • The vetting standard is screened, so a family wanting verified subject credentials has less detail to go on.
   • On the listed entry prices, Tutorful's £20 sits above the $10 at DojoTutor and the PLN 50 at BUKI, so price alone does not decide it.

6. 8. Alpha Omega Publications

   Alpha Omega Publications is in this ranking as the app-only humanities option: subjects on humanities, science and languages run from humanities and science to languages, all inside the app, with support on phone, email and help centre including phone and a community space. The subscription runs $10.95 to $43.95, which sits below the app plans above it, and a 30 day free trial gives families time to judge the content. It sells in the US market only, on US, so families elsewhere cannot buy it. E2Language, the next member, is also single-subject but priced for adult exam candidates.

   • Price from: $10.95
   • Price per month: $43.95
   • Price per year: $439.95

   Pros

   • The 30 day trial and the 30 day money-back window line up, so the opening period is covered on both sides of the first payment.
   • Assessments are built in, and the catalogue holds 100 courses across humanities, science and languages.
   • The $10.95 entry rate on the Monarch plan sits under £25 at Academy for Health and Fitness.
   • Support runs on phone, email and help centre, a wider set of routes than email alone.
   • The money-back period ranks 3 of 159 brands, and the trial ranks 1 of 63.

   Cons

   • The free tier is no, so the 30 day trial is the only free look at the catalogue.
   • Renewal is the price that matters: $43.95 a month on the Monarch plan against the $10.95 entry rate.
   • Access runs 12 months, so a longer study plan means renewing rather than holding the library.
   • Availability is US, so the $10.95 price applies to a single market.

7. 9. E2Language

   E2Language appears in this ranking as the English specialist, and it is the least child-focused member: the subjects on english cover English only, the terms set a minimum age, and packages run $69 to $359 for exam preparation with certified tutors. A 14 day free trial and a score guarantee that refunds the package or upgrade fee if results do not improve take some risk out, and the free trial lesson lets a learner start without paying. The Princeton Review, ranked below, also leans on individual sessions but covers math, science, coding and school subjects.

   • Price from: $69
   • Prices by exam: IELTS General: 69.00 USD (Express) to 359.00 USD (Gold); PTE Academic: 69.00 USD (Express) to 359.00 USD (Gold); CELPIP General: 69.00 USD (Express) to 324.90 USD (Premium)
   • Access period: 3 to 12 months

   Pros

   • The score guarantee is money-back, money back, with a window of 30 days, matching the top of the range in this comparison at 30 days.
   • A free tier and a free trial of 14 days let you look before you pay, and the trial lesson is free.
   • Tutors are listed as certified and live classes are included, so study is not self-serve only.
   • A team plan is available and a tutoring addon can be added to app study, which suits group bookings and one-to-one extra work.

   Cons

   • Practice questions are thin at 100 against a site median of 3,000, and E2Language ranks 38 of 38 on that measure.
   • Entry price of $69 sits above Testprep Training at $12.99 and above LSAT Lab at $65.
   • The refund under the score guarantee covers the package purchase price only, so the test fee itself is not returned.
   • Support runs on email, chat and help centre, with no phone line for urgent questions.

8. TP10. The Princeton Review

   The Princeton Review holds a place in this ranking as the exam and school tutoring option, with individual and app formats, subjects spanning math, english and science, and a pool of 3,000 screened tutors who have background checks. The starting lesson price is $29 and Princeton Review packages run $39.99 to $179.99, well above the app plans above it. Support runs on phone and help centre only, thinner than most members, while a 14 day free trial and a better grades promise for students who keep a regular single-subject schedule soften the commitment. The Securities Institute, next, teaches business subjects only.

   • Price from: $299
   • Prices by exam: sat: $299 (SAT Self-Paced); sat + act: $499 (SAT & ACT Self-Paced)
   • Access period: 12 months

   Pros

   • A money back guarantee on eligible test prep programs, with a 60 day window and a free repeat of the program for US and Canadian students.
   • Breadth under one roof: sat, act and gre all sit within the same provider, spanning school and professional exams.
   • Study depth of 3,700 practice questions and 9 full length tests, with live classes and 12 months of access.
   • Tutoring is available as an add on rather than a separate search, drawing on 3,000 screened tutors who are background checked, with a free trial lesson in math, english and science.
   • Support runs on phone and help centre for learners in US and CA.

   Cons

   • Entry price of $299 sits well above Testprep Training at $12.99 and Zebra Education at $49.
   • There is no free tier, so the 14 day free trial and the free trial lesson are the whole no-cost taste.
   • Offline download is not offered, so every practice session needs a live connection.
   • Tutoring lands as extra spend on top of $299, with $39.99 to $179.99 subscriptions and lessons priced at $29.

What to look for

Entry price and renewal price

The median monthly price in this ranking is €35.07, and the lowest sits at €6.63. Median subscription prices across the ranking are €43.84. Check the introductory price and the renewal price as two separate figures, because a low opening term rarely sets the ongoing cost.

What the subscription covers

Subject lists decide what a child can actually reach. Science appears in 52.8% of the ranking, languages in 44.4% and coding in 27.8%, so a single-subject app and a full curriculum can sit close together in price. Read the subject list before the price.

Live tutoring on top of the app

Live classes run alongside apps in 100% of this ranking, and individual tutor sessions appear in 59.5%. Median starting lesson prices are €23.24, which is a charge apart from any subscription and easy to overlook when budgeting.

Trials, refunds and cancellation notice

A median free trial of 15 days gives a family time to judge the content, and free trial lessons appear in 95.5% of the ranking. Refund windows matter just as much, with a median money-back period of 29 days here and a cancellation notice that differs by brand.

Tutors, vetting and guarantees

Median tutor numbers stand at 3,450 in this ranking, with screened tutors in 73.7% and certified tutors in 26.3%. Money-back guarantees are the most common promise at 66.7%, so the wording of the guarantee is worth reading closely.

Where the plan runs

Every member is delivered as an app, at 100%, yet availability is not global. Some plans are sold in a single market, and prices are quoted in dollars, euros or pounds rather than one shared currency. Check the markets listed for a brand and confirm that any live tutor sessions run in your area.

Frequently asked questions

Top kids learning apps compared by country

• Australia
• Canada
• Germany
• India
• Italy
• United Kingdom
• United States

Providers compared head to head

• Preply vs Schülerhilfe

The data behind this ranking

All data and the CSV