# Newsela Student vs ERSB Lite

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Newsela Student | ERSB Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsela-student/id966371321/reviews)** | [4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ersb-lite/id976322567/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **29K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **75.6% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 253 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Newsela](https://appshunter.io/developer/966370935) | [Attainment Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/403989333) |

## What reviewers say

### Newsela Student

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsela-student/id966371321)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good app for different reading levels
- 📚 Variety of informative articles
- 🎓 Useful for education and learning
- 🤓 Helps improve reading and vocabulary
- 🙌 Great resource for teachers and students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🔍 Lack of specific search options
- 💤 Boring or one-sided content
- 🤔 Grading system needs improvement
- 📱 Mobile app issues (login, navigation)

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ersb-lite/id976322567)

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Levels 12-16 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Levels 17-21 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Levels 22-26 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Levels 2-6 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Levels 7-11 | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*