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💡 Short answer
- Start withKhan Academy Kids for ages 4 to 7. It is free, has no ads and covers reading, math and more.
- For mathMathHero for arithmetic facts you choose at ages 5 to 10; Prodigy Math for the wider K-8 curriculum.
- For readingDuolingo ABC while they learn to read, then Epic once they read on their own.
Open the kids section of Google Play and every listing calls itself award-winning and curriculum-aligned. Plenty of those apps are ad machines with a phonics lesson bolted on, tuned to get a 6-year-old tapping on a pack of gems. A handful are excellent. From the store page, you can’t tell which is which.
So we ignored the store pages and handed the apps to four kids, ages 4, 7, 9 and 11, for two months, on Android tablets, an iPad mini and a cheap Android phone. We cared about two things. Did the kid go back to an app without being told? And could a parent glancing over their shoulder see something actually being learned? Most apps failed one of those. Ten passed both.
Those ten cover ages 4 to 12 and every way an app can charge you: free with no ads, free with a shop, a subscription, or a single price you pay once. There’s reading, math, US geography, vocabulary and open-ended pretend play, and the end of the guide covers what to avoid even when a listing looks polished. If you want apps that go beyond games, our roundup of Android education apps goes broader.
Educational Apps at a Glance
Each app’s job, its age range, and what you get before paying anything. Prices are in US dollars from the app stores and change often, so treat them as a guide.
| App | Best for | Ages | Free tier | Paid tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khan Academy Kids | All-round early learning | 4-7 | Full library, no ads | None |
| MathHero | Arithmetic facts | 5-10 | Full game, 5 levels/day | Subscription, free trial |
| Prodigy Math | K-8 math practice | 6-13 | Full game playable | Membership from $9.95/mo |
| Duolingo ABC | Learning to read | 3-7 | Full library, no ads | None |
| PBS KIDS Games | Ad-free games with TV characters | 3-8 | Whole library free | None |
| Toca Boca World | Creative pretend play | 4-9 | Full base game | Location packs |
| Epic | Reading library | 4-12 | School hours only | Family plan about $12-$14/mo |
| Endless Alphabet | Vocabulary | 3-6 | First 7 words (Android) | One-time unlock; $8.99 on iOS |
| Stack the States | US geography | 8-12 | None (paid app) | $2.99 one-time |
| Khan Academy | Middle school and beyond | 10-14 | Full library, no ads | None |
Khan Academy Kids
Best free all-rounder, ages 4 to 7
Reading, phonics, early math and social-emotional learning in one nonprofit app, with no ads and nothing to buy.
- Best forParents of 4 to 7 year olds who want one trustworthy app for reading, math and creativity.
- Ages2 to 8best at 4 to 7261014+
- CostFree
- AdsNo adsNo in-app buys
- Sign-inOptional parent account
The good
- Thousands of activities across five subjects
- Works offline once lessons download
- Nonprofit, so no ad network sees your child’s data
The bad
- Kids past second grade outgrow it fast
- Little for a parent to tune beyond the profile age
Khan Academy Kids is the obvious place to start for ages 4 to 7, because the trade-offs that spoil most early-learning apps are simply missing. There are no ads, no in-app purchases and no subscription holding back the good content. The curriculum covers reading, phonics, early math, science basics and social-emotional learning, with thousands of activities arranged into a library of books, videos and creative tools that a child moves through at their own pace.
The same animated characters show up across activities, which keeps a 4-year-old oriented when they switch tasks. Offline mode means it works on flights and in the car without a fight. The Khan Academy nonprofit funds it through donors and grants, and you can feel that in the design: nothing nudges your child toward a shop. Have a younger toddler too? Our list of pre-K Android learning apps covers the under-4 set.
Key features
- Five subjects: reading, math, phonics, social-emotional learning and creativity in one curriculum.
- Offline mode: downloaded lessons work on flights, in the car and on weak hotel Wi-Fi.
- Awards: Common Sense Media Top Rated, Parents’ Choice Gold and an Apple App Store Editors’ Choice.
- No data resale: as a nonprofit app it carries no advertising network, so nobody is building an ad profile of your child.
MathHero
Story-driven math facts, 5 to 10
A math adventure where every correct sum, times-table fact or division is the move that fires the shot or opens the cage.
- Best forKids ages 5 to 10 building arithmetic fluency, especially a child who has already decided they dislike math.
- Ages5 to 10261014+
- Cost5 free levels a dayOptional plan
- AdsNo ads
- Sign-inNot needed
The good
- The parent picks the exact facts, range and speed
- Separate profiles for siblings on one install
- Plays offline, rated 4.7 on Google Play
The bad
- Focused on arithmetic; fractions and geometry come later
- Free play is capped at five levels a day
MathHero is the one to try with a kid who has already decided math isn’t for them. It’s a story-driven game for ages 5 to 10, and the math is the controller: your child rescues characters, races cars and battles slime monsters, and every correct answer (a sum, a difference, a times-table fact, a division) is what fires the shot, speeds up the car or opens the cage. A wrong answer costs a second, not a lecture, so kids push through the hard ones instead of quitting. Parent reviews keep making the same point: the child practices without noticing they’re practicing.
Its best idea is giving the difficulty dial to you. Before a session you pick the topic, switch each operation on or off, drill a single times table (just the 7s and 9s, say), set the number range and answer speed, and choose typed answers or multiple choice. So if your child’s class is on the 8 times table this week, that’s exactly what tonight’s rescue mission drills. Prodigy, the other math game here, adapts on its own; MathHero is the better fit when you already know which facts need work. Each child profile keeps its own settings, so a kindergartner on addition and an older sibling on division can share one tablet.
Where it shines is the K-4 arithmetic stretch, from first addition within 10 up through subtraction, the times tables and division, as a short daily habit after school or a few rounds in the car, since it plays offline. Pair it with Khan Academy Kids for the youngest players, and move to Prodigy once fractions and geometry show up. The developer says the whole game is free at five levels a day with no ads and nothing locked, which doubles as a built-in stopping point; a subscription with a 7-day free trial lifts the daily cap, and the price depends on your country and store. With a 4.7 rating from more than 49,000 Google Play reviews and Google’s Teacher Approved badge, it’s an easy one to try before you spend anything.
Key features
- Parent-set practice: you choose the topic, flip each operation on or off, pick individual times tables, and set the number range, difficulty and answer format. You hold the difficulty dial, so practice lines up with what school is teaching right now.
- Math is the gameplay: solving a fact is the action that moves the story. Rescue, race, build, battle; the correct answer is the move, which keeps reluctant kids playing.
- A generous free tier: the developer says the full K-4 arithmetic path is playable free at five levels a day, with no ads and no locked levels. A subscription with a 7-day trial lifts the daily cap.
- Built for siblings: each child profile keeps its own settings, progress and five free levels a day, so one install covers kids at different levels. The developer says there’s no account to create, and it works offline.
Prodigy Math
Fantasy battles on K-8 math
Kids cast spells and win battles by answering math questions that adapt to their grade and skill level.
- Best forKids ages 6 to 13 who groan at math practice but love a battle game with progression and pets.
- Ages6 to 13261014+
- CostFreePlan from $9.95/mo
- AdsNo adsUpsells
- Sign-inParent or teacher
The good
- The free version is the full math game
- Teachers can assign specific skills
- Free parent dashboard shows progress
The bad
- Membership prompts are visible to free players
- Some kids fixate on cosmetics over math
Prodigy Math wraps the K-8 math curriculum in a fantasy battle game. Kids cast spells and fight monsters by solving problems that adapt to their grade and skill level. The questions are aligned to the Common Core State Standards, so a fourth grader gets fourth-grade questions while playing the same battle system as a seventh grader. Where MathHero hands the difficulty dial to the parent, Prodigy turns it automatically.
Teachers can push specific skills into the game, which is why so many US elementary schools use it. The free version is playable end to end. A paid membership adds pets, gear and faster progression, but the math stays the same for free players. Prices start at $9.95 a month per child and drop on a yearly plan; Prodigy runs frequent discounts, so check the in-app price before you pay. Tell your child up front that the free version is the whole game, and the membership prompts lose most of their pull.
Key features
- Adaptive difficulty: questions scale by grade and by individual skill gaps, so each player gets math at their level.
- Teacher assignments: educators can push specific standards or topics to individual students.
- Parent dashboard: a free parent account shows time played, skills mastered and current grade placement.
- No ads: the only upsell is the membership; there is no outside advertising.
Duolingo ABC
Free phonics and first reading
Short lessons take a child from letter sounds to sight words and simple stories, with no ads and nothing to buy.
- Best forKids ages 3 to 7 working on letters, phonics, sight words and their first short stories.
- Ages3 to 7261014+
- CostFree
- AdsNo adsNo in-app buys
- Sign-inNot needed
The good
- Free and finished, with no upsell
- Tracing and tapping suit small hands
- Lessons work offline
The bad
- Stops around a first-grade reading level
- English only
Duolingo ABC is the early-literacy sibling of the main Duolingo app, built for children aged 3 to 7 who are learning to read English. Hundreds of bite-size lessons cover the alphabet, phonics, sight words, vocabulary and short interactive stories. The activities are hands-on: tracing letters, dragging tiles, tapping syllables and listening for sounds.
Unlike the main Duolingo app, it has no ads and no in-app purchases. Duolingo built it for the preschool to first-grade reading window and ships it free and complete, which is rare among children’s apps. Offline lessons cover car rides and waiting rooms. Once your child is reading on their own, move them to Epic further down this list.
Key features
- Step-by-step reading path: letter sounds first, then short words, sight words and connected stories.
- Hands-on activities: tracing, tapping and drag-and-drop keep early learners engaged.
- Offline mode: lessons download, so the app works without a connection.
- Kid-safe by design: no leaderboard, no public profile, no chat and no friends list.
PBS KIDS Games
Ad-free games, PBS characters
Daniel Tiger, Wild Kratts, Alma and the rest of the PBS lineup in one ad-free game library, in English or Spanish.
- Best forFamilies who already trust PBS shows and want an ad-free game library that extends them.
- Ages3 to 8261014+
- CostFree
- AdsNo adsNo in-app buys
- Sign-inNot needed
The good
- Large free library, refreshed often
- English and Spanish throughout
- Downloaded games play offline
The bad
- Most games are too young past second grade
- Quality varies from game to game
PBS KIDS Games is public broadcasting’s take on educational gaming, and it plays like it. The library holds hundreds of free games starring Daniel Tiger, Wild Kratts, Curious George, Alma’s Way and other PBS characters, with new ones added regularly. An English and Spanish switch covers bilingual households.
Viewer donations and public-broadcasting funding pay for it, so there is no outside advertising and nothing to buy. The same PBS educators who shape the shows shape the games, so each one is built around a stated learning goal. The Wild Kratts and Cyberchase games stretch to about age 10, but a confident reader past second grade will find most of the library too young.
Key features
- Big, growing library: new games arrive alongside current PBS programming.
- Bilingual: English and Spanish across the app.
- No ads or purchases: funded by public broadcasting and viewer support.
- Offline mode: downloaded games work on road trips and flights.
Toca Boca World
Pretend play with no scores
A digital dollhouse where kids design characters, build homes and make up their own stories.
- Best forKids ages 4 to 9 who would rather build a scene than answer questions.
- Ages4 to 9261014+
- CostFree base gamePaid packs
- AdsNo third-party ads
- Sign-inOptional
The good
- No goals or timers, just storytelling
- Deep character creator
- Single-player and COPPA compliant
The bad
- Many of the most wanted locations are paid packs
- Teaches imagination, not a school subject
Toca Boca World is open-ended creative play, not skill drilling, and that matters at this age. Kids design characters, build houses, run a vet clinic, throw a party, then knock it all down and start again. It is digital pretend play, the kind of play researchers link to language development and to understanding how other people think.
The app is single-player, COPPA compliant and free of third-party ads. The free base game is generous, but extra locations and characters are sold as packs in a clearly marked shop, usually a few dollars each, and a big bundle can run much higher. Agree on a budget before your child finds the shop, and Toca Boca is one of the calmer free games a young kid can play.
Key features
- Open-ended play: no goals, no scores and no levels; kids drive the story themselves.
- Character creator: skin tone, hair, outfits and accessories, so kids can make characters who look like them.
- Kid-safe: no third-party ads, no chat and no strangers.
- Sync: an optional Toca Boca account carries progress across phone and tablet.
Epic
A 40,000-book library for kids
Books, audiobooks and learning videos sorted by reading level, with read-to-me narration for pre-readers.
- Best forFamilies with kids ages 4 to 12 who want a reading library that grows with the child.
- Ages4 to 12261014+
- CostAbout $12 to $14/mo
- AdsNo ads
- Sign-inRequired
The good
- 40,000-plus books, audiobooks and videos
- Read-to-me narration for pre-readers
- Up to four child profiles
The bad
- Home use needs a paid plan
- Free school-day access feels like a funnel to it
Epic is the closest thing to a children’s library in an app. The catalog runs to more than 40,000 books, audiobooks and learning videos for ages 4 to 12, sorted by reading level, genre and theme. Read-to-me narration lets pre-readers enjoy picture books and gives early readers a model to follow.
Teachers get the library free during school hours through Epic for Educators, which is how many kids first meet it. At home, you need a paid family plan: expect roughly $12 to $14 a month, or around $80 a year, depending on your store and any running offer. One plan covers up to four child profiles, each with its own reading level and book queue.
Key features
- 40,000-plus titles: picture books through middle-grade chapter books, fiction and nonfiction.
- Read-to-me audio: narration supports pre-readers and kids still decoding.
- Four child profiles: siblings get separate reading levels, queues and reading streaks.
- Free in school hours: the educator version is free during the school day, and Epic says it is used in most US elementary schools.
Endless Alphabet
Big words, friendly monsters
Animated monsters act out the meaning of words like gargantuan and cooperate while kids rebuild them letter by letter.
- Best forPre-readers and early readers ages 3 to 6 whose vocabulary is ahead of their decoding.
- Ages3 to 6261014+
- Cost7 free words on AndroidOne-time unlockiOS $8.99
- AdsNo ads
- Sign-inNot needed
The good
- Pays once, no subscription
- Each letter is paired with its sound
- The art still pulls kids in
The bad
- The free version has only 7 of its 100 words
- Rarely updated these days
Endless Alphabet does one thing very well: it teaches young children what grown-up words mean. Pick “gargantuan” and the monsters show you giant; pick “cooperate” and they work together. A puzzle then has the child put the word back together letter by letter, with each letter saying its sound as it moves.
On Android the app is free with 7 of its 100 words, and a single in-app purchase unlocks the rest. On iPhone and iPad it is a paid download at $8.99. Either way you pay once and you are done, with no subscription. Originator, the studio behind it, makes a small family of similar apps (Endless Reader, Endless Numbers) with the same monster art. The app has not changed much in years, which here mostly means it still works the way it always did.
Key features
- Animated definitions: every word gets a short cartoon that shows what it means.
- Letters and sounds together: drag-and-drop puzzles pair each letter with its sound.
- One-time purchase: no recurring subscription.
- Friendly monster art: it has aged well and still wins over a 4-year-old in the first session.
Stack the States
Geography as a stacking puzzle
Answer a question about a state, then stack that state’s shape into a tower that has to reach the line without toppling.
- Best forKids ages 8 to 12 learning US geography, including homeschool and state-history units.
- Ages8 to 12261014+
- Cost$2.99 once
- AdsNo adsNo in-app buys
- Sign-inNot needed
The good
- Pay once, nothing else to buy
- Up to six player profiles
- Four extra mini games unlock as you play
The bad
- Costs money upfront
- US states only; international kids should try Stack the Countries
Stack the States is the rare educational game that delivers real subject knowledge without a subscription. Players answer questions about the 50 US states (capitals, shapes, abbreviations, bordering states and locations on the map) and earn the right to drop that state into a wobbly physics tower. Reach the checkered line and the level clears.
Indie developer Dan Russell-Pinson has kept the same one-time price for years: $2.99 on Google Play and the App Store, with no ads and no in-app purchases. Sister apps Stack the Countries and Stack the States 2 follow the same model. Plenty of copycats gate the same idea behind ads or subscriptions; the original stays clean.
Key features
- All 50 states: capitals, shapes, abbreviations, bordering states and map locations.
- Physics puzzle: a wrong answer loses the state, and a sloppy stack falls over.
- No ads or purchases: the one-time price is the whole business model.
- Six player profiles: each child gets their own progress map.
Khan Academy
The free next step at 10 and up
Short videos, practice exercises and mastery tracking from pre-K math through college calculus, science and test prep.
- Best forAges 10 to 14 working through middle-school math, science and humanities, plus older kids preparing for the SAT or AP exams.
- Ages10+261014+
- CostFree
- AdsNo ads
- Sign-inOptional, for progress
The good
- Every video and exercise is free
- Covers math from counting to calculus
- Syncs with school assignments
The bad
- Videos and exercises, not a game
- Younger kids may need help with the first sessions
The main Khan Academy app is where kids go after Khan Academy Kids. It covers math from pre-K through college calculus, plus science, history, economics, computing and test prep. The format is short videos, practice exercises and mastery tracking, the model that built the platform.
Khan Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so the whole library is free with no ads or paid tiers. The app uses the same mastery system as the website, and it shows assigned work if your child’s school uses Khan Academy Districts. For ages 10 to 12 it is the natural next step without opening your wallet. It is not gamified, which loses some kids who expected Prodigy-style rewards, so sit with them for the first few sessions. Pair it with our study and review apps roundup for kids heading into high school.
Key features
- Pre-K through college: math runs from counting to calculus, with broad K-12 coverage.
- Test prep included: SAT, AP and other prep tracks sit inside the same free app.
- Khanmigo: Khan Academy’s AI tutor adds hints and guidance where it is offered.
- No paywall: every video and exercise stays free under the nonprofit charter.
Picking Your Starter
For most households with kids under 8, the right starter is Khan Academy Kids as the everyday app, plus a second pick for a specific need: Epic if reading is the focus, MathHero or Prodigy Math if math facts are the wall your child keeps hitting, and Toca Boca World if school is crowding out imagination.
Match the app to the need
- Ages 4 to 7, one app only: Khan Academy Kids.
- Times tables and mental math: MathHero, with the facts set by you.
- Math across the whole curriculum: Prodigy Math.
- Learning to read: Duolingo ABC, then Epic.
- Ages 10 and up: the main Khan Academy app, with Stack the States when US geography comes up at school.
For kids aged 8 to 12, Prodigy and Epic together cover most supplemental math and reading, and the main Khan Academy app fills in the rest as your child moves into middle-school work, from sixth-grade math onward. For a second language, our list of English learning apps picks up where Duolingo ABC stops.
Skip any kids’ app whose business depends on third-party ads, that asks for personal data beyond a username, or that pushes purchases with cooldown timers and in-game currency. The nonprofit Common Sense Media publishes free, age-graded reviews of every app on this list and thousands more, and it is the right second opinion before you start any subscription.
FAQs
Are any of these apps actually free, or is it all freemium?
Four of the ten are completely free with no ads and no purchases: Khan Academy Kids, Duolingo ABC, PBS KIDS Games and the main Khan Academy app. Two are one-time purchases (Stack the States, and Endless Alphabet after its free demo on Android). The other four are freemium or subscription: MathHero and Prodigy Math are fully playable free, Toca Boca World sells extra locations, and Epic needs a paid plan at home.
How much daily screen time is reasonable for these apps?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting ages 2 to 5 to under an hour a day of high-quality programming, ideally watched together. School-age kids need consistent limits that protect sleep, physical activity and offline play. What they do matters more than the minutes: 20 minutes of Khan Academy Kids and 20 minutes of Toca Boca are not the same thing. MathHero’s five free levels a day work as a natural stopping point.
Can educational apps replace school or homeschool curriculum?
No. They work best as supplements for drilling skills, growing vocabulary and following curiosity. Even families who homeschool through games pair them with books, projects, hands-on activities and time outdoors. Khan Academy comes closest to standalone for math, and many districts use it as a main tool, but language arts, science labs and social studies still need a person teaching.
Which of these are safest for personal data?
Khan Academy Kids, Duolingo ABC, PBS KIDS Games and the main Khan Academy app collect the least, because nonprofit funding or their design as kids’ products keeps ad networks out. MathHero and Toca Boca World carry no third-party ads and need no account to play. Epic and Prodigy collect more for personalization but stay within COPPA. Skip any kids’ app whose privacy policy mentions advertising partners. Our guide to cyber-safety education resources for kids covers the privacy conversation in more depth.
Are tablet versions better than phone versions for kids?
For most of these picks, yes. Khan Academy Kids, Endless Alphabet and Toca Boca World all benefit from the bigger screen. A 7-inch tablet is the sweet spot between portability and readable text. Phones are fine for a quick MathHero round in the car, and Chromebooks work well for older-kid apps like Khan Academy and Prodigy.
What about ABCmouse, Reading Eggs and the other heavily advertised options?
ABCmouse, Reading Eggs, Lingokids and similar all-in-one platforms are competent but expensive, typically $12 to $15 a month, and the free apps on this list cover the same skills. We did not think they were worth the subscription for families who already have Khan Academy Kids plus one specialty pick, such as Epic for reading or MathHero for math facts.
How we put this guide together. We tested every app on this list over two months with kids aged 4, 7, 9 and 11 on a Pixel Tablet, a Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, an iPad mini and a basic Android phone. Each app got at least four sessions per child, plus a parent-only look at the in-app shop, the privacy policy and the parent dashboard. We cross-checked claims against Common Sense Media reviews, kidSAFE Seal Program certifications and each developer’s published privacy policy, and checked prices and store details again in November. Apps that pushed purchases, used dark patterns or carried third-party advertising were dropped.
