Newsela Student vs ERSB Lite
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Newsela Student
This app offers engaging articles on diverse topics, each presented at five different reading levels. It includes activities and quizzes to deepen understanding, automatically adjusting difficulty to keep learners challenged and motivated. Students can track their progress and practice vocabulary.
- Leveled articles on any topic
- Adjustable reading levels
- Integrated activities and quizzes
- Offline annotation and submission
- Real-time progress tracking
- Vocabulary practice (Power Words)
- Curated and custom learning sets
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Connect what’s happening in class to what’s happening in the world around you. Newsela brings authentic, real-world content into the classroom with embedded scaffolds that build knowledge, reading comprehension, and confidence across subject areas. Explore high-interest non-fiction articles, Generation Genius videos, and interactive PhET Simulations. What students can do in this app: EXPLORE HIGH-INTEREST TOPICS Discover fresh content across current events, science, technology, animals, sports, arts, pop culture, engineering, space, and more. READ YOUR OWN WAY Customize the experience with adjustable reading supports like Language Translation and Listen mode. INTERACT WITH ARTICLES Annotate text, take Polls, complete Checks for Understanding, and use Guided Highlighting. STAY ON TRACK View assignments, check due dates, and set up reminders. TAKE ON READING CHALLENGES Pick from a library of interesting articles, build independent reading habits, and earn classroom rewards. Why educators love Newsela: PROVEN SKILL GROWTH Research shows regular Newsela use can lead to up to four (4) additional months of literacy growth. RELEVANT AND TRUSTED Developed by expert learning designers in partnership with trusted publishers to deliver standards-aligned, engaging content each week. What educators are saying: “We need tools that are ever-changing, just like the world.” - New Jersey educator “Gives [students] something they can practice independently.” - Ohio teacher “They are pushing themselves to read at more difficult levels.” - Virginia teacher “They were able to connect to the novel, thereby bringing it to life.” - Michigan educator Since 2013, Newsela has worked toward one mission: Meaningful classroom learning for every student, every day. To get started, download the app and sign in with your school account or learning management system (LMS). Terms of Service: https://newsela.com/legal/terms Privacy Policy: https://newsela.com/legal/newsela-privacy-policy Help Center: https://help.newsela.com/en/
ERSB Lite
This app builds early reading skills for students progressing from foundational literacy. It uses systematic instruction and assessments to help individuals read independently, proving effective for those with intellectual disabilities and autism.
- Early literacy skill development
- Systematic instruction
- Ongoing assessments
- Progress to 2nd-grade reading level
- Effective for intellectual disabilities
- Effective for autism
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Note: This is the Free version of ERSB. Level 1 with 5 lessons is Free! The rest of the levels are available through the in-app store. Early Reading Skills Builder™(ERSB) curriculum, based on a multi-year research project from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is a stepping stone for graduates of Attainment’s ELSB Curriculum. ERSB takes students who mastered these early literacy skills to a 2nd grade reading level. It incorporates systematic instruction and ongoing assessments to teach students to read independently. It’s been proven effective for students with moderate to severe intellectual disability and/or autism, including those with complex communication needs.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Newsela Student at 76% against ERSB Lite's 0%. Newsela Student also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). ERSB Lite's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, 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
Both are free to download. ERSB Lite sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Newsela Student asks for nothing beyond the download.
Newsela Student holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Newsela Student has 29K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Newsela Student's written reviews are positive against 0% of ERSB Lite's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Newsela Student | ERSB Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (29K ratings) — better | 4.0 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 75.6% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 29K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 253 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Newsela | Attainment Company |
Customer experience
Newsela Student
ERSB Lite
Bugs and requests
Newsela Student
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login issues on iOS 12
- Binder page frequently freezes or glitches
- Inability to see all available article sets
- Replying and submitting work takes too long
Requested features
5 requests- Add word definitions or translations
- Implement auto-save for writing assignments
- Introduce a teacher-specific version of the app
- Expand content to include more global news
- Improve multitasking and split-screen support
ERSB Lite
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Newsela Student
No in-app purchases
ERSB Lite
- Levels 12-16$29.99
- Levels 17-21$29.99
- Levels 22-26$29.99
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- Levels 2-6$29.99
- Levels 7-11$29.99
Questions
Is Newsela Student free?
Is ERSB Lite free?
Which has better reviews, Newsela Student or ERSB Lite?
Do Newsela Student or ERSB Lite have ads?
Which is updated more often, Newsela Student or ERSB Lite?
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