Comparison

Newsela Student vs ERSB Lite

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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/

About

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.

Highlights
  • Early literacy skill development
  • Systematic instruction
  • Ongoing assessments
  • Progress to 2nd-grade reading level
  • Effective for intellectual disabilities
  • Effective for autism
Read full description

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

Newsela Student4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ERSB Lite sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Newsela Student asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Newsela Student versus ERSB Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNewsela StudentERSB Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (29K ratings) — better4.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews75.6% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings29K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS15.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB253 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNewselaAttainment Company

Customer experience

Newsela Student

All ratings28,932 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews315 reviews
Positive75.6%
Neutral3.8%
Negative20.6%

ERSB Lite

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative50.0%

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

None

Newsela Student

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

ERSB Lite

One-time5
  • Levels 12-16$29.99
  • Levels 17-21$29.99
  • Levels 22-26$29.99
Show 2 more
  • Levels 2-6$29.99
  • Levels 7-11$29.99

Questions

Is Newsela Student free?
Newsela Student is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ERSB Lite free?
ERSB Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Newsela Student or ERSB Lite?
Newsela Student is rated higher. Newsela Student averages 4.7 out of 5 from 29K ratings, while ERSB Lite averages 4.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Newsela Student or ERSB Lite have ads?
Neither Newsela Student nor ERSB Lite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Newsela Student or ERSB Lite?
Newsela Student ships an update every 2 months, and ERSB Lite every 2 months. Most recently, Newsela Student was updated on October 27, 2026 and ERSB Lite on October 6, 2026.

Other comparisons