Best Study Apps for Kids in 2026: 8 Apps Compared

Khan Academy Kids is the first app we would hand to a young child. Khan Academy describes it as made for ages 2 to 8, covering early literacy, writing, language and math, along with social-emotional skills and creative play. Lessons come through games, books and videos, and the app runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and Amazon devices.

The pricing is the standout. Khan Academy says there are no ads and no subscriptions, and it points to its nonprofit status. It also says the app does not sell personal information, asks only for a name and age at setup, and recommends using a nickname. Schools can buy a version with teacher dashboards for $5 per student.

The honest limit is the age range. Once a child reads fluently and needs school-aligned practice, you will want a second app from further down this list.

Starfall is an old name in early reading, and its site calls the Learn-to-Read program free for every child, forever. It runs in four steps, from the ABCs through phonics with simple words, early stories, and then fluent reading with fiction and nonfiction books. Starfall describes itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on memberships to keep reading free.

The paid side is optional and inexpensive. A home membership costs $35 per year and includes more than 700 activities, games and books on the website and the mobile app, and Starfall says that is about half the annual price of an app store subscription. Educator plans start at $70 per year.

Pick Starfall for a child who is just starting to read. The catch is that the experience is structured and calm rather than flashy, so a child used to character-driven games may find it plain at first.

Duolingo ABC is the learn-to-read app from the language company, and its site says it is 100% free. It teaches phonics through short lessons, practices lowercase and capital handwriting, introduces tricky sight words, and builds vocabulary through character-driven stories. Duolingo says the curriculum follows recommendations from the National Reading Panel.

The company also points to research from Education Development Center, which it says found that kids who used the app for nine weeks improved their literacy scores by 28%. That figure comes from Duolingo's own site, so treat it as a company claim rather than independent proof.

One thing to check before you rely on it: the App Store listing we saw showed a last update in 2023, which is old for a children's app. It still lists as available and rated 4+, but it is worth installing and trying before you build a routine around it.

PBS KIDS Games lets children play with characters they already know, including Daniel Tiger, Wild Kratts, Donkey Hodie and Alma's Way. The App Store listing says the app has more than 280 educational games and works in English and Spanish, and that it is free. PBS describes the app as making learning fun and safe.

It works best as a supervised treat for preschool and early elementary kids. The games are playful and varied, but they are not a lesson plan. There is no sequence that moves a child from letters to sentences, so use it alongside something more structured.

If your child already loves a PBS KIDS show, this is an easy yes, since a familiar character tends to get a reluctant learner to sit down and try a math or science game.

Prodigy turns math practice into a role-playing game, where answering questions correctly powers your character through battles. The company says its in-game educational questions are free, and it covers math standards for grades 1 to 8 in the United States and several other countries.

Membership is where the cost comes in. On the monthly plan, Core is $9.95 for one subject, Plus is $14.95 for two subjects, and Ultra is $19.95 for three. Billed annually, the page shows $4.91, $7.41 and $9.91 per month, with totals of $88.95 for Plus and $118.95 for Ultra. Memberships add pets, gear and other in-game extras, and the parent tools let you set goals and print practice sheets.

Our advice is simple: start on the free version and see whether your child plays for the math or for the pets. The catch is that a game this engaging also creates pressure to buy extras, so decide on a limit first.

IXL is the closest thing here to a full practice program. Its family page lists more than 20,000 K-12 skills across math, English language arts, science, social studies and Spanish, plus a diagnostic that identifies the skills a child is ready for next. There are also 1,300+ video tutorials and lessons and 120+ educational games.

Pricing on the family page starts at $6 per month for a single subject (math or language arts). A combo of math and language arts is listed at $8 per month, and four core subjects are $9 per month. The page does not spell out billing terms, so confirm whether those figures assume annual billing before you pay.

IXL fits a school-age child who needs steady practice, catch-up help or enrichment, especially in homeschool settings. The catch is the feel: it is questions and feedback, so a younger or easily bored child may need a parent sitting close.

Epic is a digital library rather than a study app in the strict sense, but reading daily is the habit that helps most with school. The company says it offers more than 40,000 books, audiobooks and learning videos from over 250 publishers for kids 12 and under, and describes itself as a leading digital reading platform for children.

Its site offers a free trial for families and says Epic is free for educators. The plan prices were not available on the pages we could read, and the App Store lists several subscription tiers with different prices, so check the current monthly and yearly rates inside the sign-up flow before committing.

Epic is a good fit for a child who reads for pleasure or one you want reading more. The honest catch is the paywall after the trial, and the fact that a big library on a tablet still needs a parent to guide what gets picked.

Kahoot is best known for classroom quiz games, and its kids app bundles learning games for children aged 3 to 12. The App Store listing says it contains 10 award-winning learning apps covering math, phonics, reading and more, and it states the app is ad-free. The app is free to download with in-app purchases.

On its kids page, Kahoot promoted its Kahoot+ subscription from $3 per month during a Halloween offer that ends October 31, which is a short-term promotion, not a standard price. The regular price was not listed there, so treat the cost as unknown until you see it in the app.

Kahoot Kids suits a family that wants a mix of games in one place. The tradeoff is that it feels more like an app collection than a single curriculum, and the paid tier is the main way to get everything.