Comparison

SplashLearn vs Read with Ello

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

Head to head
About

SplashLearn

This app offers curriculum-aligned math and reading lessons for children aged 2-11 through interactive games, books, and activities. It adapts to each child's learning level, providing personalized support and challenges to build foundational skills and confidence.

Highlights
  • Curriculum-aligned math and reading lessons
  • Interactive learning games and activities
  • Personalized learning paths
  • Progress tracking for parents
  • 4000+ games, books, and challenges
  • Safe, ad-free environment
Read full description

Loved by over 60 million kids and used in 1 in 3 US schools, SplashLearn is a learning app for ages 2 to 11. It blends curriculum-aligned lessons with fun learning games, books, worksheets, and rewards that keep children curious, motivated, and confident. With SplashLearn, children build strong foundations in math, reading, and critical thinking through interactive, hands-on activities. The app adapts to each child’s level, offering support when they need it and challenge when they’re ready. Whether your child is tracing letters or solving complex word problems, SplashLearn meets them exactly where they are and guides them forward with confidence. WHY PARENTS TRUST SPLASHLEARN - Covers Preschool to Grade 5 curriculum for both Math and Reading - Perfect blend of educational games, stories, puzzles, activities, and flash cards - Free learning games for kids that build real skills, not just screen time - Designed for independent use- kids can learn on their own - Real-time progress tracking and insights for parents - Safe, ad-free, COPPA & GDPR compliant learning app for kids WHY KIDS LOVE IT - 4000+ fun learning games, decodable books, math challenges, and story books - Exciting learning worlds where they collect coins, rewards, and new characters - Engaging animation, and kid-friendly design - Play math games, reading games, phonics puzzles, spelling challenges- all in one place WHAT MATH SKILLS WILL MY CHILD LEARN? - Preschool & Kindergarten: Counting, shapes, tracing numbers, addition with visuals, patterns - Grade 1: Place value, subtraction, telling time, math facts, measurement, basic word problems - Grade 2: Multiplication, money, regrouping, critical thinking, understanding number relationships - Grade 3: Division, fractions, time, measurement, advanced math games - Grade 4 & 5: Multi-step word problems, decimals, geometry, fractions, data charts, reasoning Each grade has interactive learning games that make abstract concepts easy and memorable. Kids don’t just memorize, they understand by doing. WHAT READING SKILLS WILL MY CHILD LEARN? - Letter recognition (ABC), phonics, sight words, and tracing - Blending sounds to build words - Picture-based vocabulary learning - Fun decodable books and bedtime reading stories - Spelling games and reading fluency boosters - Comprehension through questions, animation, and narration Kids hear the word, see the word, say the word, and use it- making learning natural and playful. PERSONALIZED & SMART LEARNING PATH The app adjusts difficulty based on each child’s progress. If your child needs more help with subtraction or phonics, it slows down and gives extra practice. If they’re ready for more challenge, it moves ahead. It’s like a personal tutor, inside a game. PROVEN & AWARD-WINNING - Featured on Fox News - Editor’s Choice- Children’s Technology Review - Parent Choice Award winner - Trusted by teachers, used in 1 in 3 US schools - Best Educational Game for Kids (Multiple categories) SAFE FOR KIDS, PEACEFUL FOR PARENTS No ads, no pop-ups, no distractions. Just thoughtfully designed kids’ educational games in a clean, safe, and friendly environment. FREE TRIAL & EASY SUBSCRIPTION Try it free! Get full access during your free trial, then choose a flexible plan that fits your family. Enjoy unlimited learning games, lessons, and rewards with one subscription. SUPPORT We’re here for you → https://support.splashlearn.com/hc/en-us PRIVACY & TERMS - https://www.splashlearn.com/privacy - https://www.splashlearn.com/terms-of-use

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

Screenshots

SplashLearn4 screens
Read with Ello4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: SplashLearn at free with in-app purchases against Read with Ello's subscription. SplashLearn also leads on ratings volume (32K vs 2.8K). Read with Ello's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. SplashLearn sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Read with Ello holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SplashLearn has 32K ratings behind it against 2.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of SplashLearn's written reviews are positive against 78% of Read with Ello's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SplashLearn ships an update every 9 days, Read with Ello every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
SplashLearn versus Read with Ello: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSplashLearnRead with Ello
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (32K ratings)4.8 (2.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews74.6% of reviews78.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings32K — better2.8K
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#74 — better#195
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size493 MB639 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStudyPad, Inc.Ello Technology, Inc.

Customer experience

SplashLearn

All ratings32,109 ratings
Positive87.9%
Neutral3.7%
Negative8.5%
Written reviews861 reviews
Positive74.6%
Neutral4.4%
Negative21.0%

Read with Ello

All ratings2,766 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral1.5%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews205 reviews
Positive78.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative15.6%

User reviews

SplashLearn

From 32K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and engaging learning experience
  • 💡 Effective for reinforcing math and reading skills
  • 🚀 Constant updates and progress reports
  • 👍 Motivating reward system with coins and achievements
  • 💡 Personalized learning paths and curriculum

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Technical issues like crashes, freezing, and loading problems
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Difficulty canceling subscription
  • 🤔 Limited free access, forces paid subscription
  • 🤔 Repetitive content and lack of variety in some areas

Read with Ello

From 2.8K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

SplashLearn

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Progress not saving properly
  • Incorrect answers being marked as correct
  • Profiles not working or logging out unexpectedly

Requested features

4 requests
  • More advanced content for higher grade levels
  • Option to turn off answers and allow more time for students
  • Improved sync between app and web versions
  • Better customer support and responsiveness

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

In-app purchases

9 purchases

SplashLearn

Subscriptions9
  • SplashLearn Membership Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • SplashLearn Membership Monthly7 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • SplashLearn Membership Monthly7 Days trial2 variants$9.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • SplashLearn Membership Monthly7 Days trial2 variants$11.991 Month
  • SplashLearn Solo - Monthly7 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • SplashLearn Membership 3-Month7 Days trial$23.993 Months
  • SplashLearn Membership Yearly7 Days trial2 variants$69.991 Year
  • SplashLearn Solo - Yearly7 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • SplashLearn Membership Yearly7 Days trial$89.991 Year
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

Questions

Is SplashLearn free?
SplashLearn 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, SplashLearn or Read with Ello?
Read with Ello is rated higher. SplashLearn averages 4.5 out of 5 from 32K ratings, while Read with Ello averages 4.8 from 2.8K ratings.
Do SplashLearn or Read with Ello have ads?
Neither SplashLearn nor Read with Ello shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SplashLearn or Read with Ello?
SplashLearn ships an update every 9 days, and Read with Ello every 2 weeks. Most recently, SplashLearn was updated on September 24, 2026 and Read with Ello on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, SplashLearn or Read with Ello?
SplashLearn currently peaks at #74 in the App Store charts, and Read with Ello at #195. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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