Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Ello.
Want the closest match?
Buddy.aiMost similar to Ello in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Buddy.ai in a new tab)Need a free plan?
LucaHas a free plan, rated 4.1 out of 5. Ello has none.
Visit (opens Luca in a new tab)Want to pay less than Ello?
AngelQFrom $7.99/mo, against from $14.99/mo for Ello.
Visit (opens AngelQ in a new tab)Want the best rated?
BrainBuilderRated 3.9 out of 5 in our review, against 4.3 for Ello.
Visit (opens BrainBuilder in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Ello, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 ElloBaseline | 4.3 | $14.99/mo | No | AI reading coach that listens to children read books aloud and adapts phonics instruction to their pace. | |
| Buddy.ai | 4.2−0.1 | $12.49/mo$2.5 less | No | English learning app for children aged 3 to 7 built around an AI teacher that listens with speech recognition and holds voice-based lessons and conversational games, with no ads or in-app purchases. | vs Ello |
| Luca | 4.1−0.2 | Free | YesEllo has none | AI reading tutor built for dyslexic and struggling K-5 readers that listens at the phoneme level to spot exactly where a student gets stuck. | vs Ello |
 Childbook.ai | 3.6−0.7 | Free | YesEllo has none | Creates personalised children's books with consistent characters across pages - the thing that usually breaks in AI-illustrated stories. | vs Ello |
 Bedtimestory.ai | 3.4−0.9 | Free | YesEllo has none | Turns a story idea into a personalised illustrated bedtime story with your child as the hero, in seconds. | vs Ello |
| AngelQ | 3.9−0.4 | $7.99/mo$7 less | No | AI-guided, ad-free browser and search companion built to keep kids' internet use safe and age-appropriate. | vs Ello |
 Super Teacher | 3.7−0.6 | Not listed | No | Conversational AI tutoring that adapts in real time to each student's level - 15-20 minute daily reading and math sessions, available 24/7 for classroom or home. | vs Ello |
 We Made A Story | 3.5−0.8 | Free | YesEllo has none | Creates illustrated children's stories with AI, personalised to the child. | vs Ello |
| BrainBuilder | 3.9−0.4 | Free | YesEllo has none | A Socratic AI tutor for grades 1-8, scope-locked to schoolwork, that never plays friend and logs every word for parents to read. | vs Ello |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Ello.
Buddy.ai
4.2$12.49/mo
vs Ello$2.5 less−0.1
English learning app for children aged 3 to 7 built around an AI teacher that listens with speech recognition and holds voice-based lessons and conversational games, with no ads or in-app purchases.
- AI teacher that listens through speech recognition
- Voice-based lessons and conversational games
- Programs for ages 3 to 5, 5 to 6 and 6 to 7
7-day free trial
Monthly plan is $12.49 after the trial
Luca
4.1Free
vs Ello−0.2Free plan
AI reading tutor built for dyslexic and struggling K-5 readers that listens at the phoneme level to spot exactly where a student gets stuck.
- SoundScout phoneme-level speech recognition that flags precisely which sounds a reader struggles with
- StoryGen personalized stories generated around each student's specific skill gaps
- ProfessorAI learning plans that adapt as a student's skills progress
Built around phoneme-level detection rather than whole-word scoring, catching errors generic reading apps miss
Full pricing isn't published, schools need a demo call to get a quote
Childbook.ai
3.6Free
vs Ello−0.7Free plan
Creates personalised children's books with consistent characters across pages - the thing that usually breaks in AI-illustrated stories.
- Consistent characters maintained across every page
- Personalised children's book creation
- Illustrated spreads rather than text alone
Character consistency is the hard problem in AI-illustrated books and it targets it directly
Read the finished book before reading it aloud to a child
Bedtimestory.ai
3.4Free
vs Ello−0.9Free plan
Turns a story idea into a personalised illustrated bedtime story with your child as the hero, in seconds.
- Personalised stories with your child as the protagonist
- Illustrated output, not text alone
- Story idea suggestions if you have none
Personalisation is something published books structurally cannot offer
Read the story before reading it aloud - generated narratives can take odd turns
AngelQ
3.9$7.99/mo
vs Ello$7 less−0.4
AI-guided, ad-free browser and search companion built to keep kids' internet use safe and age-appropriate.
- Kid-first AI browser and search guide
- Age-appropriate content filtering
- Ad-free, no-data-selling business model
Ad-free model removes the incentive to maximize screen time
No permanent free tier, only a 7-day trial
Super Teacher
3.7Not listed
vs Ello−0.6
Conversational AI tutoring that adapts in real time to each student's level - 15-20 minute daily reading and math sessions, available 24/7 for classroom or home.
- Conversational, real-time-adaptive AI tutoring
- Reading (phonics, grammar, poetry) and math (through fractions) instruction
- 15-20 minute daily sessions
Actual conversational teaching, not just practice problems or grading
No public pricing - requires contacting the company directly
We Made A Story
3.5Free
vs Ello−0.8Free plan
Creates illustrated children's stories with AI, personalised to the child.
- Illustrated stories generated together with the text
- Personalisation to the child's name and interests
- Useful for preparing children for specific life events
Personalisation holds a child's attention better than generic books
Writing quality sits below professionally authored books
BrainBuilder
3.9Free
vs Ello−0.4Free plan
A Socratic AI tutor for grades 1-8, scope-locked to schoolwork, that never plays friend and logs every word for parents to read.
- Socratic tutoring that asks rather than answers
- Scope-locked to schoolwork only
- Explicitly refuses companionship framing
Safety constraints are stated up front rather than buried in a policy
Narrow age range - no use above grade 8
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Ello free?
Ello does not list a free plan. Paid plans start from $14.99/mo.
What is the best free alternative to Ello?
Luca is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.1 out of 5). Other free options: BrainBuilder, Childbook.ai, We Made A Story.
What is the cheapest alternative to Ello?
Among paid plans, AngelQ has the lowest starting price (from $7.99/mo). If you need it free, start with Luca.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.