Ready to give your child a fun and educational boost?
Look no further! Starfall and ABC Mouse are two top contenders in online learning.
But which one is right for your family? Get a detailed analysis in our comprehensive comparison of these popular edtech platforms.
From their curriculums to cost and user experience, I’ve covered all the details.
Starfall Overview

Starfall is a free online educational platform for kids. It has both a free and paid version, which I will discuss in more detail below.
The free version of Starfall has ads that can distract some children, but it offers many features, such as games and videos that help teach reading skills and other important concepts.
The paid version does not have any ads. Still, it also doesn’t offer any additional features beyond those available with the free version (which is why I recommend you start with this one unless you need something more advanced).
Starfall Features
Starfall is a learning platform for kids and parents. It’s available on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices (iOS or Android).
The free version of Starfall has limited features compared to its premium version, but it still offers enough value for most parents. The premium version includes additional activities such as reading books with your child and creating a personalized bookshelf for each family member.
ABC Mouse Overview

ABC Mouse is a subscription-based online learning platform for preschoolers and kindergarteners. The curriculum covers literacy, math, science, social studies, and art. ABC Mouse provides lessons in these areas with its library of more than 10,000 eBooks, videos, and games.
For example: In the Literacy section, you’ll find lesson plans on:
- Letter recognition (and sounds), Spelling, and rhyming words;
- In Math, there are activities related to counting numbers up to 20;
- Science lessons include topics like weather conditions;
- Social Studies focuses on places around the world, such as Australia or Africa;
- Art offers drawing exercises using different mediums, such as crayons or markers.
ABC Mouse Features List
ABC Mouse offers a variety of features that set it apart from Starfall. It has a curriculum tailored to each child’s age and interests, with learning activities that help develop your child’s reading, writing, math, and science skills. The site also has educational games for kids in preschool through second grade and printables and worksheets to reinforce lessons learned in class.
In addition to its educational value for children ages 2-8 years old (or older if you have an older child who wants something more challenging), ABC Mouse offers parents some key benefits:
- Parents can track their child’s progress using reports at any time during the year or at the end of the school year when grades are due; this allows you to know whether or not your child needs more practice on certain concepts before starting kindergarten next fall!
- You can customize lessons based on what topics interest your kids most so they learn about things relevant today rather than yesterday’s news when everyone else seems busy talking about last night’s episode instead.
Starfall vs ABC Mouse Features Comparison
Feature | Starfall | ABC Mouse |
---|---|---|
Overview | Free, publicly-funded website that focuses on reading and spelling | Paid subscription-based service that offers a comprehensive curriculum for ages 2-8 |
Curriculum | Reading and spelling | Reading, math, science, social studies, and more |
User Experience | User-friendly interface, available on desktop only | User-friendly interface, available on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices |
Cost | Free | Paid subscription, ranging from $7.95 per month to $59.95 per year |
Starfall vs ABC Mouse: Pricing
ABC Mouse is the clear winner if you’re looking for a free educational program. The subscription price of $7.99 per month is significantly less than Starfall’s annual rate of $39.99. And while both sites offer trial periods, they are limited to 14 days at Starfall and 30 days at ABC Mouse (though you can pay an additional fee to extend this).
If your child loves the idea of an online learning platform but isn’t ready to commit quite yet, consider signing up for their free trial period first before deciding whether or not it makes sense financially for your family long-term.
Starfall vs ABC Mouse: Language Learning
ABC Mouse has a better language learning component.
The language learning component of ABC Mouse is more comprehensive than that of Starfall. It’s not just about teaching letters, numbers, shapes, and phonics. Your child will learn to read before she even learns to talk!
In addition, ABC Mouse offers interactive games that teach kids about different cultures worldwide through stories and songs (there’s even an entire section devoted to bedtime stories).
Starfall does have some language-related games on its site, namely those where kids can practice their spelling skills by typing words into a box. But they’re limited in scope compared with what you’ll find at ABCMouse.com.
Starfall vs ABC Mouse: Educational Games
The best part of both sites is that they provide an enormous selection of educational games. Starfall has more than 20 games, while ABC Mouse has about 10. However, the difference in numbers should not be taken as a sign that one site or another is better for your child’s development; rather, it shows how each site prioritizes different types of learning and play.
Starfall focuses on helping young children learn basic skills such as letters, numbers, and shapes by playing games with them – think Candy Land with numbers instead of candy!
This makes sense given its main audience: preschoolers who are just starting to get comfortable with reading and writing. The site also offers more interactive activities like math puzzles where kids can drag blocks around until they match up with other pieces onscreen (or vice versa). These activities encourage kids’ critical thinking skills while reinforcing concepts like counting by twos or tens.”
Starfall vs ABC Mouse: User Experience
ABC Mouse is the winner in this category, with a better user interface and more features.
Starfall’s simple design makes it easy for young children to navigate and explore the app independently.
This can be good or bad, depending on your child’s age and skill level. For example, the simplicity of Starfall might make it less engaging for older kids who are looking for more challenges in their learning apps (like ABC Mouse).
Printables and Worksheets
ABC Mouse and Starfall offer printables, but some key differences exist. For one thing, ABC Mouse has more content than Starfall. In addition to the games and activities in the app, you can also access printable activities on their website.
ABC Mouse also has more preschool-aged content than Starfall does–and this might be important if your child is starting with learning skills in school or at home! On top of that, they have many more materials for older kids and adults who want to brush up on their reading skills (or maybe even teach their kids).
Conclusion
After evaluating both Starfall and ABC Mouse, I highly recommend ABC Mouse to parents looking for a comprehensive and engaging educational platform for their children.
I love that ABC Mouse offers various activities, games, and lessons that cater to different learning styles and ages. And I think the investment in ABC Mouse will pay off in the long run, as it will provide children with a well-rounded education that will set them up for success.
If budget concerns you, then Starfall is still a great option. It may not have the same level of comprehensive curriculum as ABC Mouse, but it is still an excellent tool for supplementing your child’s education and helping them learn in a fun and interactive way.
Ultimately, the decision is yours.