# Bedtime Stories vs Read with Ello

The clearest difference is monetization model: Bedtime Stories at freemium against Read with Ello's subscription. Bedtime Stories also leads on ratings volume (17K vs 2.8K). Read with Ello's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (78% vs 65%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bedtime Stories sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Read with Ello sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 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 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bedtime Stories has 17K ratings behind it against 2.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Bedtime Stories's written reviews are positive against 78% of Read with Ello's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bedtime Stories | Read with Ello |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bedtime-stories-learn-to-read/id467067115/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-with-ello/id1536720182/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **17K** | 2.8K |
| Positive reviews | 64.9% of reviews | **78.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | **#195** |
| Size | 461 MB | 639 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.3** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [KidloLand Kids & Toddler Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/352738525) | [Ello Technology, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467293710) |

## What reviewers say

### Bedtime Stories

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bedtime-stories-learn-to-read/id467067115)

This app offers a digital library of over 240 stories for children, including fables, fairy tales, and early reading books. It features interactive elements and two reading modes to enhance literacy and listening skills, making storytime an engaging learning experience for young children.

**Highlights:** 240+ stories including fables and fairy tales, 'Read By Myself' and 'Read For Me' modes, Interactive animations and characters, Word highlighting for easy reading, Achievements and rewards system, Recommended story suggestions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Access - All Stories | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access - All Stories | $6.99 | per month |
| KidloLand+ Subscription | $8.99 | per month |
| Stories for Kids - 6 months | $11.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Access - All Stories | $19.99 | per year |
| Bedtime Stories Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access - All Stories | $49.99 | per year |
| KidloLand+ Subscription | $79.99 | per year |
| Unlock All Popular Fables | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Popular Fables - 2 | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for kids
- 🤗 Wonderful for learning
- 🎉 Good customer service
- 🙌 Engaging stories
- 💤 Helps kids sleep

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription issues
- 💰 Too many paid features
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔊 Loud background music
- 🔒 Difficulty accessing content

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes
- Login issues
- Subscription not working
- Inability to access paid content
- Repeated prompts for parent mode

**Requested features**

- More free stories
- Ability to mute background music
- Improved subscription management
- Casting to TV
- More interactive features


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bedtime Stories free?

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

### Is Read with Ello free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bedtime Stories or Read with Ello?

Read with Ello is rated higher. Bedtime Stories averages 4.5 out of 5 from 17K ratings, while Read with Ello averages 4.8 from 2.8K ratings.

### Do Bedtime Stories or Read with Ello have ads?

Neither Bedtime Stories nor Read with Ello shows ads.

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

Bedtime Stories ships an update every 2 weeks, and Read with Ello every 2 weeks. Most recently, Bedtime Stories was updated on September 24, 2026 and Read with Ello on September 23, 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.*