App
Reading Eggs
$13.99/mo(0)
Ello Reviews (2026): What Parents Say, Pros & Cons
- Grades
- Pre-K–3
- Type
- App
Updated · By Edulist · 5 sources
Ello review summary
An AI reading and math tutor app for ages 4–9 that listens as a child reads decodable books aloud, helps when they get stuck and adapts the next session. The current Ello 2.0 app is free to start with an optional paid upgrade.
Ello pros and cons
Pros
- Listens to kids read aloud instead of only multiple choice
- Decodable books follow a phonics scope and sequence
- Free tier with no ads
- Adds early math alongside reading
- Made by a public benefit corporation with literacy researchers
Cons
- Upgrade price isn't published on the website
- Ello 2.0 reviews mention one child per account for now
- Free daily activity amount feels short to some parents
- Phones and tablets only; no web version
Who Ello is for (and who it isn’t)
Best for
- Kids ages 5–8 practicing reading aloud with decodable books
- Families who can't always sit and listen to every practice session
- Beginning readers who are shy about reading aloud to adults
Look elsewhere if
- Families wanting a complete, parent-led reading curriculum
- Households needing several child profiles on the free app today
- Children already reading fluently beyond about 3rd grade
What parents say about Ello
A summary of public parent feedback we read on forums, app stores and review sites. It is not a set of Edulist family reviews.
The new Ello 2.0 app has a small number of App Store ratings (3.9 stars from 29 as of October 2026). Parents like that it's interactive and good for practice, but several who used the original Ello dislike the single-child limit and short free sessions.
Common praise
- Interactive, fun and easy for young children
- Good supplement for daily reading practice
- Responsive support that fixed reported problems
Common complaints
- Only one child per account in Ello 2.0
- Two activities a day isn't enough for some families
- Occasional bugs with grade-level settings
Sources: apps.apple.com · id6739630070
Ello family reviews
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Is Ello worth the price?
Ello 2.0 is free to download and use for daily reading and math activities with no ads.
Can a scholarship pay for Ello?
Ello is an app subscription rather than a full curriculum. Some ESA programs allow educational software subscriptions; each program decides.
No program on Edulist lists Ello yet. Save it to your wishlist and we’ll tell you when one does. Many state ESAs let families buy products like this directly; each program decides.
Ello alternatives
An online reading program for ages 2–13 with five programs in one subscription: Reading Eggs Junior, Reading Eggs, Fast Phonics, Reading Eggspress and Mathseeds.
A phonics program for ages 3–8 (pre-K to 2nd grade) that pairs a step-by-step learn-to-read app with monthly mailed workbooks and decodable storybooks.
An AI reading platform for schools that listens as students read aloud, assesses them and tutors in real time in English and Spanish.
Sources
Questions
How does Ello's AI reading tutor work?
Your child reads a decodable book aloud to the app. Ello's speech recognition, built for children's voices, listens, catches mistakes and steps in with help, then adapts the next session to the skills your child needs.
Is Ello good for struggling readers?
It can help with practice because it listens and gives feedback during oral reading, which many apps don't. A child with significant reading difficulties or dyslexia still needs structured, explicit instruction from an adult or specialist.
What devices does Ello work on?
Ello 2.0 is available on iPhone and iPad through the App Store and on Android through Google Play. There's no web version for computers.
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