Reading Eggs vs ABC mouse: What You Need to Know Before Choosing
reviewed by Florence Khitsane
Updated on August 20, 2025
Both Reading Eggs and ABCmouse are popular online learning platforms for kids who struggle with reading. Yet, they do slightly differ in their approaches and focus. In this article, I will delve into the Reading Eggs vs ABC mouse vs Brighterly to help you decide on the best platform for your child’s educational goals, knowledge gaps, and values.
Key points
- Brighterly is a 1:1 math and reading online educational platform with gamified learning and certified tutors.
- Reading Eggs is a reading app and web platform specializing in phonics and literacy.
- ABCmouse is an online educational platform focusing on a broad range of subjects.
Reading Eggs vs ABC mouse vs Brighterly: Comparison
The main difference between Reading Eggs vs ABCmouse vs Brighterly is their approach to early childhood education. Even though they all specialize in online education, the three platforms differ in primary focus: Reading Eggs specializes in phonics and literacy, ABCmouse offers instruction across multiple subjects, and Brighterly offers targeted support in reading and math.
Here’s a quick comparison (ABC mouse vs Reading Eggs vs Brighterly) for parents.
Reading Eggs |
ABCmouse |
Brighterly |
|
| Focus | Phonics-to-fluency reading progression | Broad-based early learning: math, reading, science, art, etc. | 1:1 live tutoring, math and reading-centered |
| Grade & Age range | Pre-K-Gr 8 Ages 2-13 |
Pre-K-Gr 2 Ages 2-8 |
Grades 1-9 Ages 6-15 |
| Instruction format | Self-paced & mobile app, gamified activities | Self-paced & mobile app, gamified activities | Private lessons with certified tutors; personalized curriculum |
|
Assessment + progress tracking |
Assessment test available, progress dashboard | Step-by-step learning path, progress tracking | Assessment test + initial diagnostic in a free demo; plan adjustment |
|
Pricing (2025 US) |
$9.99 mo reading only $13.99 mo reading + math Annual $69.99 / $99.99 (up to 4 kids) |
$14.99 mo $29.99/6mo Annual $45 (up to 3 kids) |
Starts at $17.4 per lesson (longer plans drop prices) |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial | 30-day free trial | Free one-on-one trial lesson |
| Parent tools | Progress reports, free worksheets |
Reward control, progress charts |
Direct tutor connection, session summaries, and progress reports; free worksheets and reading tests |
| Pros (summary) |
Strong focus on phonics Covers reading to 8th grade Lower cost for 4 kids |
Broad range of subjects Low annual price |
Common Core-aligned curriculum Private instruction Covers higher grades Free reading worksheets and reading tests Custom pace and homework Highly vetted tutors |
Reading Eggs vs ABC mouse vs Brighterly cost
Reading Eggs, ABCmouse, and Brighterly pricing models significantly differ; however, the Brighterly educational platform is the only one that offers 1:1 personalized instruction.
How much is Reading Eggs? |
Monthly subscription starts at $9.99. |
How much does ABC mouse cost? |
Monthly subscription starts at $14.99. |
How much does Brighterly cost? |
Starts at $17.4 per lesson (monthly billing). |
What is Brighterly?
Brighterly is an award-nominated online reading and math tutoring platform, providing K-9 students across the US with professional tutors. It focuses on one-on-one reading and math instructions, emphasizing a personalized tutoring experience for every student. Brighterly is committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for all elementary, middle, and high school students, no matter their background or skills.
Reading Eggs vs ABC mouse vs Brighterly review: Why thousands of parents in the US prefer Brighterly
Parents prefer Brighterly to Reading Eggs and ABCmouse because Brighterly offers 1:1 tutoring at an affordable price, plus several unique features like free worksheets, etc. This is why Brighterly became an endpoint resource for over 200K parents, whose satisfaction is shown by the average score of 4.5 on TrustPilot.
Brighterly: Key features
Professionals tutors
One of Brighterly’s biggest strengths is its team. Brighterly works exclusively with experienced math and reading specialists who are trained to engage children in 1:1 settings. Their tutors specialize in gamified, interactive approaches to teaching reading and math. The platform carefully selects each potential candidate and performs rigorous background checks to ensure every tutor is fully qualified.
Another thing parents reflected in the Brighterly reviews is how friendly and patient tutors are. They take time to understand kids’ learning needs, knowledge gaps, and interests so children can feel comfortable and relaxed around them. This is what makes every lesson a fun discovery, not a boring, nerve-wracking class.
Tutors also prepare detailed progress reports each week, giving parents an in-depth overview of what their child is learning, how they are improving, and which skills still need attention.
School-aligned curriculum
What I like most about Brighterly is that each Brighterly student gets a custom-designed, but school-aligned curriculum that closes their learning gaps and improves problem-solving. Also, the platform’s curriculum is regularly being updated with research-based study resources, data, and STEM learning techniques by their education team.
How Brighterly approaches learning
- The team uses interactive games and experiments for hands-on learning (the best teaching method to apply new acquired skills in real life).
- Each kid gets a tailored program.
- Practice exercises and learning concepts are broken down into bite-sized, easy-to-digest chunks.
On top of that, Brighterly has introduced a reading program recently.
What’s included in the Brighterly reading program
- Elementary reading programs include five basic reading skills: phonemic awareness, word recognition, phonics, vocabulary building, and reading comprehension.
- Middle schoolers develop critical thinking, main idea identification, text structure analysis, context interpretation, and logical connections.
- High schoolers focus on advanced comprehension skills: literary analysis, argument evaluation, and comparing texts across genres.
What does school-aligned curriculum mean at Brighterly?
The school-aligned curriculum means that Brighterly’s lessons follow the same standards and learning goals provided by the Common Core (or state-specific benchmarks) — in other words, what children are expected to meet in school. This is a great way for parents to improve their children’s skills without confusing them or creating gaps between school and supplemental learning.
Free worksheets and additional resources
Brighterly is a great platform for those who are looking for free resources. Their team has curated hundreds of worksheets for various levels and grades available to all, whether it’s solo practice or with a tutor. The platform’s worksheets are designed by Brighterly’s top educators and offer step-by-step practice exercises and real-world examples to make math and reading more accessible.
Brighterly offers two types of worksheets: reading worksheets and math worksheets. You can easily download them from the Brighterly official website without creating an account or entering a credit card. As far as I’m concerned, this is perfect for busy parents or teachers who look to implement some extra practice.
Speaking of free resources, Brighterly offers free diagnostic math and reading tests, perfect to assess your little one’s skills without any pressure of commitment.
How much is Brighterly math and reading?
- 1-month plan: starting at $21 per lesson
- 3-month plan: starting at $20.60 per lesson
- 6-month plan: starting at $19.80 per lesson
- 12-month plan: starting at $17.40 per lesson
If you haven’t done your research yet and are wondering whether Brighterly is a cost-effective option, here are a couple of pointers for you.
Why Brighterly is a good value for money compared to its competitors
- The average tutoring rate in the United States is between $40 and $80 (one session a month could cost parents upwards of $300 a month).
- Brighterly’s program includes extra benefits like free worksheets, progress tracking, a personalized learning plan, etc.
So, here’s my unbiased opinion: Brighterly has a super affordable price, considering the value for money. If you want a fully personalized experience with a convenient price, this is an obvious choice.
What is Reading Eggs best at?
Building early reading foundations
Reading Eggs is exclusively focused on reading and literacy skills for children aged 2-13. This makes this a great program if you want to teach your kids those early childhood reading skills at your own pace. The program teaches children the basics of reading through concepts like phonics, sight words, and letter recognition. Reading Eggs reviews describe the program as reading lessons that progress in a comprehensive and easy-to-digest format, so kids can grasp concepts before they move on.
Obviously, this is a standard “procedure” for many schools, and after all, it’s how it’s supposed to be done. However, laying a strong foundation from the early days is extremely important for young learners, with fluency and comprehension coming later on.
Also, Reading Eggs is an app, so you can easily get it on Google Play or the App Store. I find it especially useful for homeschooling, or simply when extra reading support is needed.
Self-paced progression
As kids are all learning differently, Reading Eggs’ self-paced structure is a great asset. This is one of the apps where children can move through lessons at their own speed and pace without putting additional strain on their attention span. They can also revisit the lessons they have already taken to reinforce concepts.
If you’re wondering how many lessons are in Reading Eggs, the platform has over 250 interactive lessons in its core program, and they are all spread across different levels, which gradually increase difficulty.
Gamified learning
The Reading Eggs app helps children with reading through gamified learning. I like this feature; however, it’s not something that’s uncommon. Brighterly is another platform that utilizes this learning practice but in a 1:1 private tutoring format, which proves to be more effective.
Yet, if you’re looking for a gamified-style reading experience for your kid, Reading Eggs is a good alternative.
How does Reading Eggs work?
Reading Eggs is a web platform and an app that offers structured, gamified reading help for children aged 2-13.
Once you sign up for the platform, you get a placement test to assign you to a level. Lessons are built in colorful “maps” with 10 activities that cover phonics, sight words, vocabulary, comprehension, and early writing. Parents can track the progress through the parents’ dashboard and adjust the learning accordingly.
Reading Eggs disadvantages
Reading Eggs’ disadvantages (according to the Reading Eggs review from a parent) include no live interaction with instructors, the requirement of supervision from parents, and limited emphasis on writing skills.
How much is a Reading Eggs subscription?
According to the official Reading Eggs website, the pricing plans are:
- $9.99/mo reading only
- $13.99/mo reading + math
- Annual $69.99 / $99.99 (up to 4 kids)
To understand if Reading Eggs and you are a match, you have the option to try the app for 30 days for free.
As we can see here, Reading Eggs is quite cheap. However, you only get platform-based exercises that do not include real interaction that Brighterly provides.
What is ABCmouse best at?
Early learning curriculum
What does ABC mouse teach? ABCmouse goes beyond reading and math — children aged 2-8 can expand their skills in science, social studies, art, and music. This is a good variety of subjects for early education, equipping kids with fun activities without putting too much stress.
Many parents ask, “Does ABCmouse really help with reading?”. While ABCmouse can be helpful to establish some of the foundational reading skills, its emphasis lies more on building curiosity for learning, making it a go-to platform for parents looking for an all-in-one learning resource for early education.
Huge library of interactive activities
What I find a great advantage of ABCmouse is its variety of activities with over 10K of educational content available to kids. This includes games, coloring books, songs, puzzles, videos, etc. The activities are designed so children can reinforce crucial skills while playing.
If you ask me, “Is ABC mouse good?”, my answer is: ABCmouse is great for visual learners and children who prefer hands-on activities and the variety of activities keeps learning fresh and exciting.
However, if you want to build solid skills in either reading or math, Brighterly stands out as a better choice.
How does ABC mouse work?
ABCmouse works through a structured, gamified learning platform while offering a personalized learning plan.
Once you sign up, you need to select your kid’s age and skill level to receive a sequence of lessons across subjects like reading, math, science, and art. Each lesson offers a variety of fun activities. Parents can also track the progress through the parents’ dashboard and adjust the difficulty level.
How much does ABCmouse cost?
- Monthly subscription costs $14.99/month until canceled. Includes a 30-day free trial.
- Short-term plan costs $29.99/every 6 months until canceled. Billed immediately.
- Annual plan costs $45.00/year until canceled. Billed immediately.
For these prices, you get access to a rich library of fun educational activities. But again, just like Reading Eggs, ABCmouse doesn’t offer live classes.
Is ABC mouse free? No, but you do get a 30-day free trial where you can experience the activities firsthand.
Reading Eggs vs ABC mouse vs Brighterly Reddit and Trustpilot reviews
Brighterly reviews
The overall satisfaction with the Brighterly platform is 4.5 out of 5 on Trustpilot. This indicates a high level of trust and satisfaction with the tutors.
“My son is really enjoying his online class and feels comfortable with his assigned teacher so far.”
“My son really enjoys the way the teacher (Lee) makes learning fun and engaging.”
Reading Eggs reviews
Reading Eggs reviews appear to be somewhat mixed.
“My oldest (7) loves Reading Eggs, but I found my youngest (then 4) was really struggling to use it after a few levels.”
“Reading Eggs was better, but her mousing skills are such that I had to do any timed levels for her because it would fail her after she had laboriously completed the level without mistakes.”
Reviews for ABCmouse
ABCmouse gets positive reviews, but some parents find the program repetitive.
“But, then the learning path was spoiled because it expected her to repeat the ones we'd already done.”
“For her, abcmouse just didn't hold her interest at all.”
Let’s sum up the Reading Eggs vs ABCmouse vs Brighterly reviews: Brighterly gets the most positive reviews out of the 3 platforms. Still, some parents do like Reading Eggs and ABCmouse, even with their limitations.
ABC mouse vs Reading Eggs vs Brighterly: Which is right for your child?
To correctly identify which one is the winning platform for your needs, you have to think about your goals, the age of your child, and your personal preferences.
If your child is between 2 and 13 and prefers educational adventures while progressing at their own pace without the commitment, then ABCmouse and Reading Eggs are your go-to platforms.
But, if you look for the platform that is:
- Fully aligned with the school curriculum;
- Has transparent pricing with no hidden costs;
- Offers one-on-one education;
- Delivers real results in reading and math…
Then Brighterly is your best ally! Ready to try? Book free lesson now!
Other comparison articles
Want to explore more learning platforms? You might find this list useful:
- Kumon Reviews in 2025: Is It Worth Your Time?
- Eye Level vs Kumon vs Brighterly
- IXL vs Kumon vs Brighterly
- IXL vs Time4learning vs Brighterly
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