Comparison

Night Zookeeper vs Know Yourself Academy

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

Head to head
About

Night Zookeeper

This app makes reading and writing fun for children aged 6-12. It offers mini-games, video lessons, and skill challenges covering a full English language arts curriculum. Children receive personalized feedback from tutors and earn rewards, while parents can track progress.

Highlights
  • Interactive mini-games
  • Video lessons
  • Skill challenges
  • Tutor feedback on writing
  • Parent progress tracking
  • Motivating rewards
  • Collaborative writing opportunities
Features
Read full description

The multi-award winning Night Zookeeper makes reading & writing fantastically fun and easy for 6-12 year olds. It’s trusted by thousands of parents around the world to improve their children’s spelling, grammar, reading & writing skills and really boost their confidence. The app has exciting mini games, video lessons, and skill challenges, created by educational experts and covering an entire english language arts curriculum. Children can play independently, and at their own pace, earning exciting and motivating rewards along the way. Tips from characters and inspiring prompts then help your child to write pieces of writing which our qualified tutors then read and give encouraging feedback on. This feedback can be viewed in your parent dashboard, where you can also track your child’s progress and achievements, and receive monthly printable resources. Alongside the thousands of learning activities and tutor feedback, a Night Zookeeper subscription provides your child with monthly awards, weekly writing competitions, and opportunities for collaborative writing in a safe, moderated environment. Night Zookeeper is: FUN: There are thousands of exciting and engaging activities for Grades 1 to 6. TRUSTED: An award winning program, used by thousands of families. Rated 4.7 on Trustpilot from 500+ reviews. COMPREHENSIVE: The program covers a full language arts curriculum of reading, writing, spelling, grammar & punctuation, that rewards children as they progress. SELF-PACED: Children can play independently and work through the program at their own pace. PERSONALIZED: Children get written feedback from our team of tutors on their pieces of writing- so you don't need to be the bad guy! SAFE: No in-app ads or purchases. TRACKABLE: A parent dashboard helps you to easily track your child's progress. OFFLINE & ONLINE: Free monthly printable resources are sent straight to your inbox. Users must log in with their account details to access Night Zookeeper. "There is nothing quite like Night Zookeeper, and I wish I had started them on it sooner!" Tim & Jennifer, parents "My kids were always frustrated with writing and reading, now they are excited each day and have started writing full stories." Justin, parent “My kids are loving this program and writing more than they ever have before. The game format and reward system holds their attention, and their creative juices keep flowing" Paul, parent Technical details: * Internet connection required Recommended: Latest iPad, Latest iPad Pro, Latest iPad Air, Latest iPad mini, Latest iOS Subscription options: The first 7 days of a subscription are free. Subscriptions renew automatically; your App Store account will be charged unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.nightzookeeper.com/privacy-policy Terms & Conditions: https://www.nightzookeeper.com/terms-and-conditions Start a FREE trial of Night Zookeeper today!

About

Know Yourself Academy

This app offers bite-sized lessons, quizzes, and activities for kids and teens to learn about themselves. It covers topics like body function, emotions, health, and life skills, with an AI chat companion for health questions. Crisis support is always available.

Highlights
  • Bite-sized lessons and quizzes
  • 6 learning worlds on being human
  • AI chat companion for health questions
  • Progress tracking with rewards
  • Crisis detection and support
  • Available in English and Spanish
Features
Read full description

The most important subject your child will ever learn is themselves. Kids and teens spend years learning about the world around them, yet receive very little education about themselves. Know Yourself brings the science and art of being human into their hands through bite-sized lessons, quizzes, and real-world activities. From how their bodies work and why they feel certain emotions to healthy habits and life skills, they see how what they're learning connects directly to the life they're living. Instead of simply memorizing facts, they begin to recognize how everything works together — knowledge they can carry far beyond the lesson. EXPLORE 6 LEARNING WORLDS Every world opens the door to a different part of being human: • How Your Body Works • Health & Wellness • Emotions & Mental Health • Social & Life Skills • Sports • Sports Science WHAT'S INSIDE • 46 topics across 6 worlds, built into 200+ guided units — each one a 12 to 15 step flow ending in a short quiz • Written for ages 8-17, in a voice that never talks down • Memory tricks, fun facts, and Dr. B jokes designed for the way kids actually remember things • Every topic cites authoritative health and science sources, one tap away on any screen • Ask Dr. B — an AI chat companion built specifically for kids' health questions, with crisis detection and trusted-adult guidance built in • Streaks, XP, badges, and rewards that celebrate progress • Full English and Spanish, switchable anytime DESIGNED FOR KIDS • No ads, no in-app marketing, no third-party trackers • No account, no sign-up, no names or email addresses • Crisis flow that immediately surfaces 988, the Crisis Text Line, and the "talk to a trusted adult" path any time a kid's message sounds distressed • Dr. B stays on topic — if a child asks about something unrelated or unsafe, the conversation gently redirects WHAT'S FREE • Unit 1 free in the first three topics of every world — 18 units to explore before you decide • 5 messages with Dr. B per day • All progress tracking: streaks, XP, badges • Crisis support is never gated and never limited KNOW YOURSELF PREMIUM • Every unit, every topic • Unlimited chat with Dr. B • Family Sharing included • 7-day free trial, then $4.99/month or $39.99/year (saves 33%). Renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends; manage in your account settings. WHY KNOW YOURSELF Understanding yourself is a foundational life skill. When kids and teens understand how they think, feel, grow, move, and experience the world, they gain knowledge they carry far beyond a lesson. Because learning about yourself isn't just another subject. It's learning for life. FOR PARENTS AND EDUCATORS We're a small but mighty team, passionate about health literacy, building this with input from doctors, teachers, and child psychologists. Reach us at kyapp@knowyourself.com or learn more at knowyourself.com. Crisis support information is built into the app and never gated behind a subscription. If your child is in crisis: call or text 988, or chat online at 988lifeline.org. Important: Know Yourself is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions about a medical condition or before making any medical decisions. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately. Privacy Policy: https://knowyourself.com/pages/ky-app-privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://knowyourself.com/pages/ky-app-terms-of-service

Screenshots

Night Zookeeper4 screens
Know Yourself Academy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Know Yourself Academy at freemium against Night Zookeeper's subscription. Know Yourself Academy also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Night Zookeeper's advantage is ratings volume (613 vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. Night Zookeeper sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Know Yourself Academy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Know Yourself Academy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Night Zookeeper has 613 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Night Zookeeper's written reviews are positive against 100% of Know Yourself Academy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Night Zookeeper ships an update every 2 months, Know Yourself Academy fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Night Zookeeper versus Know Yourself Academy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNight ZookeeperKnow Yourself Academy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (613 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings613 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size378 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWonky StarKnow Yourself, Inc.

Customer experience

Night Zookeeper

All ratings592 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral2.2%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews94 reviews
Positive83.0%
Neutral2.1%
Negative14.9%

Know Yourself Academy

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Night Zookeeper

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezing and crashing issues
  • Upside-down screen when creating new characters
  • Audio not working consistently

Requested features

3 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Compatibility improvements for older devices
  • More content for older age groups

Know Yourself Academy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Night Zookeeper

Subscriptions12
  • NZK 1 Month - 1 License7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • 1 Month - 2 Licenses7 Days trial$17.991 Month
  • NZK 1 Month - 3 Licenses7 Days trial$17.991 Month
Show 9 more
  • 1 Month - 4 Licenses7 Days trial$21.991 Month
  • 3 Months - 1 License7 Days trial$36.993 Months
  • 3 Months - 2 Licenses7 Days trial$49.993 Months
  • 3 Months - 3 Licenses7 Days trial$49.993 Months
  • Yearly - 1 License7 Days trial$118.991 Year
  • Yearly - 2 Licenses7 Days trial$154.991 Year
  • Yearly - 3 Licenses7 Days trial$154.991 Year
  • Yearly - 4 Licenses7 Days trial$189.991 Year
  • Yearly - 5 Licenses7 Days trial$239.991 Year
2 purchases

Know Yourself Academy

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Know Yourself Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Night Zookeeper free?
Night Zookeeper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Know Yourself Academy free?
Know Yourself Academy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Night Zookeeper or Know Yourself Academy?
Know Yourself Academy is rated higher. Night Zookeeper averages 4.6 out of 5 from 613 ratings, while Know Yourself Academy averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Night Zookeeper or Know Yourself Academy have ads?
Neither Night Zookeeper nor Know Yourself Academy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Night Zookeeper or Know Yourself Academy?
Night Zookeeper ships an update every 2 months, and Know Yourself Academy fortnightly. Most recently, Night Zookeeper was updated on October 27, 2026 and Know Yourself Academy on October 25, 2026.

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