Readigo vs Read with Ello: the paper-book question
Ello 2.0 is a free-to-start app that listens while children 4-9 read decodable books in English. Readigo is $9.99/mo in the US App Store, ages 6-12, in six languages. Honest comparison.
Quick answer: Ello began as a subscription that mailed paper books to young readers. Today its app, Ello 2.0, is free to start: it listens while a child aged 4 to 9 reads aloud from 1,200+ decodable books in English, with an optional paid upgrade. Readigo costs $9.99 a month, works entirely on iPhone or iPad, is aimed at 6 to 12, and has stories in six languages. The honest split: Ello for a young child still learning to decode, Readigo for a child who decodes but reads slowly or flatly, or who reads in a language other than English.
Ello is one of the few apps that genuinely competes with Readigo, because it does the same hard thing: it listens to a child read out loud and helps when they get stuck. Both are built on the Science of Reading, and both are worth a look.
The two used to differ most on paper: Ello's original plan mailed printed books every month. That is no longer the main product. Ello 2.0, the app it ships now, has a free tier with daily reading and math activities and an optional paid upgrade, and its App Store listing says no ads and no in-app purchases. Readigo has no free tier; it is a subscription that unlocks every story. Facts below were checked against Ello's website and US App Store listing on 2026-10-13.
At a glance
Readigo
- Pricing
- $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year in the US App Store. No free trial, no free tier. iOS only.
- Age range
- 6 to 12, with the core of the library aimed at 7 to 10.
- Best for
- Children who are past the first decodable readers and need to get faster and smoother, older children who would find a 4-9 app babyish, and anyone reading in Spanish, French, German, Polish or Ukrainian.
Read with Ello
Free-to-start reading and math app for ages 4-9 that listens while the child reads decodable books aloud.
- Pricing
- Free daily reading and math activities. An optional paid upgrade with premium features is available; its price is not published on ello.com, and the App Store listing has no in-app purchases. iPhone, iPad and Android.
- Age range
- 4 to 9, which is Pre-K through about 3rd grade (the App Store description says preschool to grade 5).
- Best for
- Early readers who are still sounding words out. The library is large and properly decodable - more than 1,200 books built on reading science - and the app also covers early math. For a family that wants to try listening-based reading practice without paying first, the free tier is the obvious place to start.
- Where it falls short
- The age ceiling is the main one: by 9 or 10 most children have outgrown a decodable-book app. Everything is in English. Ello 2.0 is new and still has few ratings in the US App Store (about 3.8 from 28 on 2026-10-13), and the store lists it in only a few countries, so outside the US it may not be available at all. What the paid upgrade adds and costs is not spelled out on Ello's website.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Readigo | Read with Ello |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $9.99/mo or $59.99/yr | Free tier; optional paid upgrade (price not published) |
| Physical books | None - stories are in the app | None in Ello 2.0 (the original plan mailed paper books) |
| Age range | 6-12 | 4-9 (Pre-K to 3rd grade) |
| Listens to child read aloud | Yes | Yes |
| What it scores | Accuracy, fluency, pace, clarity | Listens and adapts to the child in real time |
| Library | Leveled stories in six languages, plus manga mode | 1,200+ decodable books, English only |
| Story languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Polish, Ukrainian | English only |
| Other subjects | Reading only | Early math too |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Parent reports | Report and analytics available anytime in the app | Not detailed on Ello's website |
| Cancelling | In the App Store, Apple handles it | Free tier needs no cancelling; the paid upgrade is not sold through the App Store |
When to choose each
Choose Readigo if
Your child is 8 or older, or already past the first decodable readers and needs speed and smoothness rather than help sounding words out. You want four scores per sentence (accuracy, fluency, pace and clarity) and a weekly report. You want to cancel in two taps in the App Store. Or your child reads in a language other than English.
Choose Ello if
Your child is 4 to 7 and still learning to decode, and you want to start with a free app. The decodable library is large and properly sequenced, and the math activities are a bonus for that age. If the free tier is enough, it costs nothing at all.
Using both, if your children are different ages
This is the case where both make sense: Ello for the five-year-old who is still sounding words out, Readigo for the nine-year-old who reads fine but flatly. They are aimed at different stages rather than competing for the same child.
What you actually get each week
The progress report and the parent view - what shows up after an ordinary week of five-minute sessions.
Little Reader's Report
Last 30 days
Progress Summary
READING PROGRESS
Sofia, age 7
Apr 15–21
This week
+12% ↗What she read
Charlie the Chef
Tue · 5 min
Boots and the Puddle
Wed · 6 min
The Time-Traveling Library
Fri · 8 min
Words that were tricky
All three landed on retry.
Frequently asked
Is Ello or Readigo better for my child?
Age decides it more than anything else. Ello is built for 4 to 9 and its strength is helping a child who is still decoding. Readigo is built for 6 to 12 and its strength is making a child who can already decode read faster, smoother and more clearly. A 5-year-old is an Ello child; a 10-year-old is a Readigo child.
Does Ello really send physical books?
It did: Ello's original subscription mailed printed decodable books each month. Ello 2.0, the app it offers now, is described on ello.com and in the App Store as an app with free daily activities and an optional paid upgrade, with no mention of mailed books (checked 2026-10-13). Readigo has never had a physical component; every story is in the app.
Which is cheaper?
Ello, if the free tier is enough for your child: its daily reading and math activities cost nothing. Its paid upgrade has no published price. Readigo is $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year in the US App Store ($5.00 a month on the annual plan), with no free tier, and every story and feature is included.
Is Ello available outside the US?
Not everywhere. On 2026-10-13 the Ello 2.0 App Store listing was available only in a few countries, including the US, and the app is English only. Readigo is not limited to the US App Store, and it has stories in English, Spanish, French, German, Polish and Ukrainian.
Does either app interrupt while the child is reading?
Readigo does not cut in mid-sentence: it scores each sentence after the child reads it. Ello says it listens and adapts to the child in real time. The design choice reading research supports is to give a child about three seconds to work a word out before stepping in, because most of them get there on their own.
$9.99/mo or $59.99/yr. Cancel anytime.
Last updated 2026-10-19.