Roundups
Curated shortlists for a specific question — the safest free apps, the best value, and more. Each one is built from the same verified data as our reviews, not opinion.
All roundups
The best truly-free apps for ages 2–5
"Free" usually isn't. Most free kids' apps pay for themselves with ads, in-app purchases, or your child's data. These are the ones we've reviewed that don't — free to download, no ads, no in-app purchases — ranked by our overall score.
Free to downloadNo ads shown to kidsNo in-app purchasesSee the picks →The best early-reading apps for ages 2–5
The apps that actually help a preschooler crack the code — letters, phonics, and first words. These are the reading-focused apps we've reviewed for ages 2–5, ranked by our overall score, with every ad, in-app purchase, and data flag laid out.
Teaches letters, phonics or first wordsBuilt for ages 2–5Scored on our full rubricSee the picks →