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Alternatives
A calmer Lingokids alternative
Parents who go looking for something other than Lingokids are rarely unhappy with the games. They want to stop paying, they want less screen and more conversation, or they want a language it doesn’t teach. Here is what we replace, what we don’t, and who else to consider.
We make Their First Words, so this is our own comparison — written by the two parents who build it, not by a reviewer. The facts about Lingokids were checked on October 2, 2026 against its store listings and website, and the sources are listed at the end. Prices are US prices and change. Where another app is the better choice for your family, this page says so.
Why parents look
Why families go looking for a Lingokids alternative.
- The subscription. Around $15 a month or $72–$90 a year on the App Store, renewing until you cancel, after a seven-day trial.1
- The size of it. Thousands of activities is a lot of menu for a small child; Common Sense Media’s reviewers noted there is little guidance to help kids navigate it.5 Some parents want one thing at a time.
- A child playing alone. It is built for independent play with a dashboard for you. The 2026 pediatric guidance pulls the other way: play alongside, favor conversation, avoid designs that prolong engagement.6
- English first. For a Korean, Russian or Italian home, or any family teaching two languages at once, an English-learning platform is only half the job.4
- Wanting less. No worlds, no rewards, no shows — just a picture, a word, and a parent’s voice.
Their First Words as the alternative
What it replaces — and what it doesn’t.
It does replace
- The vocabulary: 1,000+ illustrated words in 16 categories, each said by a female and a male native voice
- The step after words: 500+ everyday phrases, from “More, please” to “Tell me about your day”
- The languages Lingokids doesn’t teach — Korean, Russian, Italian — and the ones it does, with the same card in each
- The subscription: $9.99 once, or the free 75 words and 35 phrases forever, no account
It does not replace
- Games, songs and shows — there is nothing to play
- Letters, math, science or a curriculum (for reading, we make a separate free web app, Their First Reading)
- Licensed characters
- Independent screen time — ours is designed for two people
At a glance
Side by side, no adjectives.
| Fact | Lingokids | Their First Wordsours |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A large play-and-learn platform: thousands of games, songs and shows, including licensed Disney, Pixar and Marvel characters | Parent-led flashcards: illustrated first words and everyday phrases, each spoken by a female and a male native voice |
| Ages | 2–8, as the maker states | 0–5, in three parent-chosen stages (phrases are not split by stage) |
| Price | Subscription (Lingokids Plus): about $14.99 a month or $71.99–$89.99 a year on the App Store, depending on the plan offered; 7-day free trial | $9.99 once for everything; no subscription |
| What’s free | The Basic tier: ten free games that refresh regularly, one child profile, no offline play | 75 words and 35 phrases, forever, in all eight languages with both voices |
| Languages | Primarily English learning; the app’s screens in seventeen languages, and some content in Spanish, Portuguese, French and German | English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Korean and Russian on every card (the app’s own screens are in English) |
| Who holds the phone | The child, playing on their own; a parent dashboard tracks progress | The parent. You say the word; the app is the prop. |
| Works offline | Yes, on the paid tier | Yes, completely — every picture and clip ships inside the app |
| Ads | None, as the maker states | None, at any tier |
| Account | A parent sign-up; the child’s name and age are optional | Not needed; optional sign-in only syncs progress between devices |
Lingokids facts checked October 2, 2026; sources below. “Who holds the phone” is who the app is designed around: a child playing, or a parent holding it and talking.
If you switch
What you keep, what you give up.
You keep
- An ad-free app with nothing to tap out of
- Up to four child profiles, each with their own progress
- Working offline — and in our case on the free tier too
- Spanish, Portuguese, French and German, now with native voices on every card
You give up
- The games, songs, shows and Disney characters
- A curriculum across subjects and a progress dashboard
- Something a child can do alone for twenty minutes
- The daily refresh of free games
Not us
Other Lingokids alternatives worth a look.
- Khan Academy Kids · Free — no ads, no subscriptions, no in-app purchases · iPhone, iPad (iOS 13+), Android, Amazon Fire. The free one. Thousands of games, books and videos, no ads, from a nonprofit; English-only, and a child plays it alone, but if the subscription was the problem this is the answer.
- Pok Pok · Subscription from about $6.99 a month or $45.99–$79.99 a year, or $89.99 once for lifetime access · iPhone, iPad, Android. Calm, open-ended digital toys with no language, no winning and no ads; a subscription, with a one-time lifetime option.
- Duolingo ABC · Free — no ads, no in-app purchases · iPhone, iPad (iOS 13+), Android. Free English reading — phonics, sight words, stories — with no ads or purchases; its listing showed no update since 2023 when we checked.
- Canticos Bilingual Preschool · Subscription: $6.99 a month or $57.99 a year (other plans listed at $39.99 and $45.99); 7-day free trial · iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision; an Android version is listed by the maker. Bilingual English–Spanish songs, books and games for ages 1–5 on a smaller subscription than Lingokids.
Questions
What parents ask us.
What is the best free Lingokids alternative?
Khan Academy Kids: free with no ads or purchases, thousands of activities, ages 2–8, English. For first words in eight languages, our free set is 75 words and 35 phrases with no account.
How do I cancel Lingokids?
In the subscriptions screen of your App Store or Google Play account, or on its website if you subscribed there. Cancelling stops the next renewal; whether the current period is refunded depends on where you bought it.
Is Their First Words a Lingokids replacement for a five-year-old?
Not if what you want is a library of games. It is a replacement for the vocabulary and phrase part — especially in a second language — and it asks a parent to be there.
Want the full head-to-head? Read Their First Words vs Lingokids.
What this is based on
Sources
- Apple App Store, Lingokids: Games & Shows — in-app purchase prices, ages, Basic tier, offline play, profiles, privacy label. apps.apple.com
- Lingokids, Privacy policy (updated September 18, 2026) — kidSAFE certification, what is collected about a child. lingokids.com
- Lingokids, press release (February 26, 2026) — content partners and the AI-assisted production program. lingokids.com/press
- Lingokids help center, Lingokids Basic (Free Version) and Can I use Lingokids offline? help.lingokids.com
- Common Sense Media, Lingokids app review (updated April 30, 2026) — strengths, price, and navigation notes. commonsensemedia.org
- American Academy of Pediatrics (2026). Helping kids thrive in a digital world: the AAP policy explained — play alongside your child; under 18 months learn best from real-world interaction. healthychildren.org
Facts about other apps were checked on October 2, 2026 against the sources above. Store prices are US prices on that day; they change, and the store is the authority for today’s price.
Keep looking
Alternatives to other apps.
Speech Blubs alternativesLooking for a Speech Blubs alternative? What families usually want instead — no subscription, more languages, a parent-led pace — what Their First Words does and does not replace, and other options worth a look.Read ›
Khan Academy Kids alternativesLooking for a Khan Academy Kids alternative? There are few good reasons to leave a free app this good — a child under three, a second language, or wanting a parent-led pace are the honest ones. What Their First Words replaces, what it doesn’t, and other options.Read ›
Dinolingo alternativesLooking for a Dinolingo alternative? The usual reasons — $199 a year, a course built for ages up to 14, a child learning from a screen — what Their First Words replaces for the under-fives, what it does not, and other options by language.Read ›
Little Pim alternativesLooking for a Little Pim alternative? Why families move on — the subscription, a screen for a baby, 360 words per language — what Their First Words replaces and doesn’t, and other options for a bilingual home.Read ›
The best app for your familyTen guides by who you are: bilingual homes, late talkers, one-year-olds, travel, no subscriptions.Browse the guides ›
Simple Words, Special Moments
Start with one word.
75 words and 35 phrases are free, forever, with both voices. One $9.99 purchase opens the rest of the 1,000+ words and 500+ phrases, in all eight languages at once. No subscription, nothing renews.