Read with Ello vs Early Learning Library
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Read with Ello
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.
- AI reading coach
- Personalized 1:1 instruction
- Library of 700+ decodable books
- Speech recognition technology
- Science of Reading principles
- Adaptive learning system
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Build confident, independent reading with Ello. Learn to read with the most advanced AI reading coach, Ello. Your child’s read-along companion who listens, teaches, and transforms them into a confident reader. Ello is a transformative reading companion that goes beyond just teaching – Ello listens, corrects, and guides your child as they learn to read. Recognized as one of Time Magazine's top inventions of 2024, and featured on Good Morning America, Ello stands out as an award-winning reading program. More than just an app, Ello acts as a personal reading coach, using speech recognition technology and evidence-based reading instruction to provide immediate assistance when your child gets stuck. Key Features: 1:1 reading companion personalized to your child's needs Library of more than 700 decodable books Crafted by literary experts Uses principles backed by the Science of Reading Trusted by more than 30,000 parents Powered by our AI Adaptive Learn system Built for Pre-K through 3rd Grade What the experts say: "AI reading tutor shines as a responsible AI application" – Common Sense Media "Ello aims to eradicate childhood illiteracy by leveraging artificial intelligence and child speech recognition technology." – TechCrunch Parents love us: "I love this app so much. My granddaughter is struggling with reading. I heard about this app, gave it a try. We both love it so much. When my granddaughter gets stuck on a word, she just taps the screen and the elephant helps her. For those who don’t have patience with helping kids read, this app will help and be patient. I highly recommend this app. The books are also very interesting. She’s eager to read them all." – Kathy J. "She is 6 and has struggled with reading, but Ello makes reading fun. Coupled with us encouraging and making reading fun, it becomes a great partnership and now she comes to me and asks if she can read one of her Ello books. This is a great thing after only one month. Definitely recommend. Give them a try. Our daughter has really flourished this month and made some real progress in her reading." – Jamie M. "My daughter struggles with reading but since we downloaded Ello she enjoys reading, and it has helped her build confidence in her reading!" – Brandie D. How it works: To subscribe to the service, parents sign up for a free trial and then pay $14.99/month for a digital subscription. The subscription includes full app access to Ello’s 1:1 instruction, an exclusive library of digital books, and digital prizes weekly. Ello is recommended for children in preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade and third grade. Privacy Policy http://ello.com/privacy Terms of Service http://ello.com/terms
Early Learning Library
This teacher-directed digital library enhances early English language literacy and school readiness through read-aloud stories and interactive games. It offers a distraction-free reading experience with expressive narration and word highlighting, fostering parent-child engagement and language development.
- Teacher-directed read-aloud digital library
- Enhances early English language literacy
- Age-appropriate texts with read-aloud features
- Distraction-free reading experience
- Interactive learning games
- Progress tracking for teachers and parents
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Introducing our teacher-directed read-aloud digital library, designed to boost parent-child reading hours, enhance early English language literacy, and improve school readiness. Our app employs age-appropriate texts, read-aloud features, and evidence-based strategies to nurture early language and literacy development. Within our library, you'll find "just right" narrated and illustrated ebooks—featuring audio narration and static pictures, free from distractions like ads or animations. We prioritize an authentic, distraction-free reading experience. Each book includes a "Read To Me" mode, with human expressive narration and word highlighting, fostering engaging learning moments. Dialogic prompts encourage parent-child conversations, bolstering language skills. Plus, interactive learning games after each book enhance phonological awareness, academic vocabulary, and STEM concepts. Our platform connects teachers and parents to a vast array of read-aloud stories. Teachers can access lesson plans, assign home readings, and monitor progress effortlessly, while kids enjoy the freedom to choose their reads. The app simplifies home-based reading with a one-click 'Assign/Suggest' feature, empowering teachers to guide parents and children seamlessly. Track consistency, continuity, and increased reading time with ease—both teachers and parents can monitor progress. Regular assessments in the classroom gauge literacy skills, phonological awareness, and vocabulary growth with enhanced usage at home. Our app is designed with children in mind, ensuring a user-friendly experience that fosters a love for reading and learning.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Early Learning Library at none against Read with Ello's 10. Read with Ello's advantage is ratings volume (2.8K vs 27) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Read with Ello sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Early Learning Library asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Read with Ello against 4.8 for Early Learning Library. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Read with Ello has 2.8K ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Read with Ello ships an update every 2 weeks, Early Learning Library every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Read with Ello | Early Learning Library |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (2.8K ratings) | 4.8 (27 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 78.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2.8K — better | 27 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #195 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 639 MB | 124 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ello Technology, Inc. | Smart Kidz Club Inc. |
Customer experience
Read with Ello
Early Learning Library
Bugs and requests
Read with Ello
Reported bugs
3 issues- Books not loading properly
- App skipping pages during reading
- Incorrect word recognition
Requested features
5 requests- 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
Early Learning Library
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Read with Ello
- Read with Ello Subscription14 Days trial$14.991 Month
- Read with Ello Monthly Plan7 Days trial3 variants$14.991 Month
- Read with Ello Subscription14 Days trial$25.001 Month
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- Read with Ello Annual Plan7 Days trial$99.001 Year
- Read with Ello Subscription14 Days trial2 variants$139.001 Year
- Read with Ello Annual Plan7 Days trial$139.001 Year
- Read with Ello Annual Plan14 Days trial$139.001 Year
Early Learning Library
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Read with Ello free?
Is Early Learning Library free?
Which has better reviews, Read with Ello or Early Learning Library?
Do Read with Ello or Early Learning Library have ads?
Which is updated more often, Read with Ello or Early Learning Library?
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