📚 Reading apps and reading coaches · ➗ Math apps and platforms · 🧸 Early learning (ages 2-6)
ABCmouse
By Age of Learning, Inc.. Visit ABCmouse
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
A subscription early-learning app with 13,000+ activities in reading, math, science, art and music for preschool and kindergarten. Kids follow a guided learning path, play games, read along with books, and earn tickets to spend on virtual pets and rooms. A free daily selection is available; Premium unlocks everything and works offline. In 2020 the maker paid $10 million to settle FTC charges over hidden auto-renewal and hard cancellation.
Our take: A full preschool program for families who want one paid app; cancel carefully and watch the reward loop.
| Ages it suits | about 2-6 (preschool to kindergarten) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | Every account must have one adult user who is at least 18; children use it under that account. (terms) |
| Price | Paid. 30-day free trial, then $14.99 a month or $79.99 a year, renewing until canceled (Oct 2026); optional assessments add-on in the app ($3.99 a month). |
| Works on | Web, iPhone and iPad, Android |
| Account | A parent's account |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | Yes |
| The AI in it | No AI. |
What's good
- Large, structured preschool curriculum
- Ad-free for kids and works offline
- kidSAFE COPPA certification (Classic)
Watch for
- FTC $10 million settlement (2020) over auto-renewal and cancellation
- Subscription renews until you cancel; set a reminder after the trial
- Ticket-and-prize system can turn learning into reward hunting
- Research is company-run
Data and privacy
ABCmouse Classic is certified under kidSAFE's COPPA Safe Harbor; the newer app was still pending. The app is described as ad-free, but the policy says adults' visits to the non-child parts of abcmouse.com are used for interest-based advertising on other sites. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
The maker's studies (including a randomized trial with kindergartners) report gains; all are by Age of Learning. Separately, the FTC's 2020 settlement found it hid auto-renewal terms and made cancellation hard; about $9.7 million was later refunded.
In the Big Index
Alternatives to ABCmouse
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Animated Drawings
Meta (FAIR research) · ages run by adults; drawings by kids about 3-10
A fun parent-run activity with a child's drawing if you read the consent screen and click Disagree unless you want the drawing in a dataset; skip if your child would use it alone.
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Bedtime Math
Bedtime Math Foundation (nonprofit) · ages about 3-9
A good pick for parents of 3-9 year olds who want a five-minute math chat at bedtime; families looking for an app a child can use alone should skip it.
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Bedtimestory.ai
Bedtimestory AI · ages about 3-8 (bedtime stories read by a parent)
Fine for a parent who wants quick custom bedtime stories and reads them first; families who want clear child-privacy promises should look elsewhere.
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Bee-Bot and Blue-Bot
TTS (RM Educational Resources) · ages about 3-7 (Blue-Bot also used into Key Stage 2)
A proven, privacy-light first robot for ages 3-7; older kids will outgrow it quickly.
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Blipblox
Playtime Engineering · ages 3+ (safety-certified; built for all ages)
A lasting music-making toy for families who will use it across ages; parents wanting a cheap first instrument can start smaller.
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Boogie Board Scribble Pals
Buffalo Games (Boogie Board brand) · ages 3+
A cheap, data-free doodle toy for preschoolers on the go; older kids will want a bigger board.
Where these facts come from
- https://www.abcmouse.com/
- https://www.abcmouse.com/learn/abcmouse-terms-conditions
- https://www.abcmouse.com/learn/abcmouse-privacy-policy
- https://www.ageoflearning.com/research/
- https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2020/09/childrens-online-learning-program-abcmouse-pay-10-million-settle
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/abcmouse-kids-learning-games/id6460300848
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.