Comparison

Read with Ello vs Zubo

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • AI reading coach
  • Personalized 1:1 instruction
  • Library of 700+ decodable books
  • Speech recognition technology
  • Science of Reading principles
  • Adaptive learning system
Features
Read full description

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

About

Zubo

Features
Read full description

Zubo is an AI reading tutor for kids ages 4–12 — it listens as your child reads out loud and coaches them the moment they struggle. No frustration. No giving up. Just a child who reads more confidently every session. Most reading apps play at reading. Zubo actually listens. READING MODES FOR EVERY MOMENT - Active Word Mode (reads along word-by-word) - Active Sentence Mode (reads along sentence-by-sentence) - Listen-Only Mode (no coaching — just focus and flow) Coaching assistance (on/off) in active modes Tap any word to hear it read aloud (and see a definition) COMPREHENSION THAT FEELS LIKE CONVERSATION - Optional Q&A to check understanding - Turn it on/off anytime READ ANYWHERE (OFFLINE) - Download stories and keep reading fully offline - All reading modes and tools work offline for downloaded content CREATE STORIES THEY ACTUALLY WANT TO READ - Kids choose a topic, character, or setting - Zubo generates an illustrated story (story creation requires internet) - Saved stories work with the full reading toolkit, including offline reading once downloaded A PREMIUM LIBRARY, LIKE NETFLIX FOR READING - A growing collection of kid-safe stories included with subscription - Browse by age, interest, and reading level (adjust per child and update as they improve) - Save favorites and get suggestions for what to read next PARENT MODE (ADMIN+ANALYTICS) Parent mode is a dedicated profile where you can manage kids, content, and billing — plus see progress insights, including: - RGI (Reading Growth Index) - WPM, reading minutes, accuracy, fluency - Struggle words and patterns - Comprehension from Q&A - Read-aloud quality, pausing, pacing, and more BUILT FOR FAMILIES - Up to 4 child profiles per account - Assign specific stories to your child - Helpful guides for parents and kids SAFE, KID-FIRST, BY DESIGN - No ads. No social feeds. - Child-safe content in a parent-managed environment Free 14-day trial. Subscription unlocks full access to premium content and reading features. Cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Apple Standard EULA: [https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/) Privacy Policy: [https://www.myzubo.com/privacy](https://www.myzubo.com/privacy)

Screenshots

Read with Ello4 screens
Zubo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: Read with Ello at #195 against Zubo's unranked. Read with Ello also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Read with Ello sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Zubo sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Read with Ello ships an update every 2 weeks, Zubo every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Read with Ello versus Zubo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRead with ElloZubo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription
Best chart rank#195 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size639 MB114 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEllo Technology, Inc.Make It At Home - Specaro Retail Brands Inc.

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

Zubo

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Read with Ello

Subscriptions7
  • 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
Show 4 more
  • 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
6 purchases

Zubo

Subscriptions2
  • ZUBO Premium Monthly14 Days trial$17.991 Month
  • ZUBO Premium Annual14 Days trial$129.991 Year
One-time4
  • 1 Story Credit$1.99
  • 10 Story Credits$14.99
  • 30 Story Credits$43.49
Show 1 more
  • 60 Story Credits$83.90

Questions

Is Read with Ello free?
Read with Ello is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Zubo free?
Zubo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Read with Ello or Zubo have ads?
Neither Read with Ello nor Zubo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Read with Ello or Zubo?
Read with Ello ships an update every 2 weeks, and Zubo every 9 days. Most recently, Read with Ello was updated on September 23, 2026 and Zubo on September 8, 2026.

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