Starfall review

Starfall is a nonprofit, and its four-step Learn-to-Read program is free for every child. The steps run from ABCs, with games, movies and songs, to Learn to Read, which builds phonics with CVC words, sight words and vowel teams, then It's Fun to Read and finally I'm Reading, with fiction and nonfiction books for fluent reading. The founder, Dr. Stephen Schutz, had dyslexia, and the site uses untimed, multisensory games. Starfall says it has no advertising and does not collect personal information from children. A Home Membership costs $35 a year and adds more than 700 activities, games and books from Pre-K to grade 5, math, and website and app access across devices. It ranks behind Epic on overall score because its design is plainer and its parent tools are lighter, but it is hard to beat on cost for a complete phonics sequence. We compared documented features and published prices.

Who it is for

Families who want a free, ad-free phonics path and a low yearly fee for the full Pre-K to grade 5 library.

Price

Learn-to-Read program free; Home Membership $35 a year.

Home Membership $35/year Full access at home
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 8, 2026.

Key features

• Free four-step Learn-to-Read program: ABCs, Learn to Read, It's Fun to Read and I'm Reading
• Phonics with CVC words, sight words and vowel teams
• Membership covers 700+ activities, games and books from Pre-K to grade 5
• Website and mobile app access for members
• No advertising and no personal data collected from children

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: The core reading program is free for every child
• Strength: Home Membership is $35 a year
• Strength: Run by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with no ads
• Weakness: Simpler design than the commercial apps
• Weakness: Membership is needed for math and the wider grade-level library
• Weakness: Progress reporting is lighter than paid programs

Key facts

• Price: Free reading program, $35 a year membership
• Grades: Pre-K to grade 5 for members
• Activities: 700+ for members
• Ads: None

Where it ranks

Starfall is No. 7 in our Best Reading Apps for Kids verdict.