# Read with Ello vs Cretapedia

The clearest difference is monetization model: Cretapedia at free with in-app purchases against Read with Ello's subscription. Read with Ello's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 44%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Read with Ello sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Cretapedia sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Read with Ello holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.8K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Read with Ello's written reviews are positive against 44% of Cretapedia's.

Read with Ello ships an update every 2 weeks, Cretapedia monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Read with Ello | Cretapedia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-with-ello/id1536720182/reviews)** | [4.6 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cretapedia-science-learning/id6446936735/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.8K** | 1.7K |
| Positive reviews | **78.0% of reviews** | 43.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#195** | — |
| Size | 639 MB | 227 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ello Technology, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467293710) | [AMAZING EDTECH PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1597060777) |

## What reviewers say

### Read with Ello

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-with-ello/id1536720182)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

This app uses advanced AI to act as a personalized reading coach for children. It listens, provides feedback, and guides young learners through a library of decodable books to build reading confidence and skills.

**Highlights:** AI reading coach, Personalized 1:1 instruction, Library of 700+ decodable books, Speech recognition technology, Science of Reading principles, Adaptive learning system

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read with Ello Subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| Read with Ello Monthly Plan | $14.99 | per month |
| Read with Ello Subscription | $25.00 | per month |
| Read with Ello Annual Plan | $99.00 | per year |
| Read with Ello Subscription | $139.00 | per year |
| Read with Ello Annual Plan | $139.00 | per year |
| Read with Ello Annual Plan | $139.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helps with reading progress
- 👍 Engaging and fun for kids
- 👍 Builds reading confidence
- 👍 Customized book selection
- 👍 Motivates kids to read

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Voice recognition issues
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 🔒 Concerns about subscription model and pricing

**Reported bugs**

- Books not loading properly
- App skipping pages during reading
- Incorrect word recognition

**Requested features**

- Ability to repeat words/sentences
- Larger font size options
- More book variety and levels
- Sibling profiles and shared books
- Progress tracking and reporting for parents


### Cretapedia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cretapedia-science-learning/id6446936735)

An ad-free educational app for children aged 5-12, offering engaging science lessons through interactive 3D animations and fun quizzes. It covers over 20 topics, fostering curiosity and developing critical thinking skills in a playful, story-driven environment.

**Highlights:** 20+ science topics, Bite-sized lessons, Fun quizzes, 3D animations, Interactive models, Develops critical thinking, Story-driven content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MONTHLY-30 DAYS FREE | $13.99 | per month |
| MONTHLY-7 DAYS FREE | $13.99 | per month |
| MONTHLY-BASIC | $13.99 | per month |
| YEARLY-PROMOTION | $119.99 | per year |
| YEARLY-PROMOTION | $119.99 | per year |
| YEARLY-BASIC | $119.99 | per year |
| YEARLY-7 DAYS FREE | $119.99 | per year |
| Ccoin | $10.00 | one-time |
| Ccoins | $20.00 | one-time |
| Ccoins | $50.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great learning app for kids
- 🚀 Amazing way to learn
- 💡 Engaging and interactive content
- 👍 Excellent for homeschooling
- 👍 Teaches advanced content in an easy-to-understand way

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and crashes
- 🔒 Misleading subscription practices
- 💡 Limited content and features
- 💡 Not available in other languages
- 🔒 Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription issues and inability to access paid content
- App closing during sign-up process
- Compatibility issues with older devices

**Requested features**

- Add more dinosaur content and battles
- Improve quiz and review features
- Offer a more affordable subscription model
- Provide a neutral perspective on religious topics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Read with Ello free?

Read with Ello is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cretapedia free?

Cretapedia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Read with Ello or Cretapedia?

Read with Ello is rated higher. Read with Ello averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Cretapedia averages 4.6 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Read with Ello or Cretapedia have ads?

Neither Read with Ello nor Cretapedia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Read with Ello or Cretapedia?

Read with Ello ships an update every 2 weeks, and Cretapedia monthly. Most recently, Read with Ello was updated on September 23, 2026 and Cretapedia on September 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*