Ello is an AI reading app for kids aged 4 to 9. The kid reads out loud, and the app listens and helps with the words they get stuck on. This page is a briefing from Ello's own pages and published reviews, checked in October 2026. It is not a hands-on test.
What it is
Ello now describes itself as "an AI math & reading teacher built around your child" that "listens, understands, and adapts to your child in real time." The reading part is built on decodable books, which use only the letter sounds a beginner has already learned.
The site lists the app for iOS and Android. Several reviews written earlier describe it as iPhone and iPad only, so check your device before you plan around it.
What it costs
Ello's home page lists free daily reading and math activities with "an optional paid upgrade," and gives no price for the upgrade.
The Read With Ello page lists a seven-day free trial and then $14.99 a month, or $139 a year. The same page offers a free library of more than 700 decodable e-books without the AI coaching.
Ello also has a discount plan for families in government assistance programs.
What reviewers flag
Reviews collected by SpellingJoy mention glitches and thin parental controls. Speech recognition is the part to test yourself: an app that listens to a five-year-old has to tell a wrong word from an unclear one.
Who it suits
A kid from kindergarten to third grade who is learning to read and will read out loud to a screen. For a kid who already reads on their own, it has little to offer.
Before you pay
- Start with the free library or the free daily activities.
- During the trial, sit next to your kid for two sessions and watch what happens when they misread a word.
- Check whether your kid's school already gives a reading tutor for free. Amira is one that schools buy.
Sources: ello.com, the Read With Ello page, SpellingJoy's review of Ello.