Starfall review
Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
Starfall suits families who want English and math practice on a device already at home, at $5.99 a month with a full refund inside a set window after purchase. It stays narrow on subjects and app-only on delivery, so it works as a daily foundation habit rather than a full curriculum.
Key facts
- Best for
- Parents wanting low-cost English and math app practice with a refund window.
- Subscription price
- $5.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Trial lesson
- Free (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Satisfaction guarantee
- Full refund within 30 days of purchase (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Starfall Education Foundation (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Founded
- 2002 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Subjects
- English, Math
- Lesson format
- Mobile app
- Official website
- starfall.com
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- Google Play
Pros and cons
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.
Ready to try Starfall?
Scored 9.5 / 10 by AcademyCue.
Who it suits
- Families with children just starting to read who want English and math practice at home on a screen.
- Parents who want a refund window before committing to a whole term.
- Households happy with one subscription and one app, and no live lessons.
Who should look elsewhere
- Schülerhilfe, if you want science and languages alongside english and math.
- Readability, if a tutor-led reading session matters more than a monthly app fee.
- Duden Learnattack, if you would rather pay in euros with fees of €6.63 to €19.97.
Who runs it
Starfall is run by Starfall Education Foundation, founded in 2002 and based in the US. That same organisation operates the family tutoring app, and parents reach its support desk through email, phone and help centre. A named legal entity behind the subscription is useful when a family is deciding whether to let a business hold recurring card payments for a child. Being founded in 2002 also puts the service well ahead of most apps in the kids' learning category, and the phone line is a practical difference, since a stuck login or a reading level question rarely waits for a form.
How Starfall compares
9.5 vs 9.0
9.5 vs 8.8
9.5 vs 8.6
9.5 vs 9.1
9.5 vs 8.7
Frequently asked questions
How much does Starfall cost?+
The Starfall subscription is $5.99. That single monthly figure is quoted at entry and again at renewal, so there is no separate introductory rate to weigh up. It sits below the site median of €18.59 for monthly plans, and below Readability's $19.99.
Can I try Starfall before paying?+
Yes, a free trial lesson lets a child open the lessons before a family subscribes, and most households start there. It is the quickest way to judge whether the app format suits a young learner, and no card details are needed to look around first.
What subjects does Starfall teach?+
Starfall covers english and math, which is the whole list. That makes it an early foundations companion, a reading and numbers habit, rather than a full school curriculum. Households wanting science or languages alongside those subjects need another provider, and Schülerhilfe is the wider option here.
What if we do not like it?+
Starfall offers a full refund within a set window after purchase, so a first subscription carries limited risk. If the app lessons turn out too easy or too hard for a child, a family can cancel inside that window and take the money back rather than carrying the cost of a full term.
How do I reach Starfall support?+
Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so a parent can email, call or work through the help centre. Having a phone number matters for the quick questions that come up around a young child's progress, which tend to arrive between one session and the next.
Where is Starfall based?+
Starfall is run by Starfall Education Foundation, founded in 2002 and based in the US. Membership is sold in US dollars, so families budgeting in another currency see a converted figure on their statement rather than a local price.
Is Starfall live tutoring or an app?+
It is an app. Lessons run as app, so the teaching sits inside the software rather than on a call with a tutor. Families who want a person on the other end of a session, or a tutor who can watch a child read aloud, should look at a tutor-led service instead.
How does Starfall compare with other kids' learning apps?+
On price Starfall has the lowest monthly fee of the three compared here: $5.99 against Readability's $19.99 and Duden Learnattack's fees of €6.63 to €19.97. On subjects it is the narrowest, covering english and math where Schülerhilfe lists math, english and science.
Sources
- help.starfall.com/help/i-want-to-cancel-my-starfall-membe... checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Satisfaction guarantee
“receive a full refund within 30 days of purchase”
- starfall.com checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Trial lesson
“Free for every child, forever”
- store.starfall.com/app-catalog checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Lesson format, Subscription price, Support channels
“Get the Starfall App for mobile devices”
- teach.starfall.com/about checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Founded, Headquarters, Legal entity, Subjects
“The Starfall website opened on August 27, 2002”
Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Lesson price from.
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