- Homeschool apps compared
- Nine homeschool apps
- What the law asks of UK home educators
- Planners, record keepers or learning apps?
- Building a homeschool routine that lasts
- Learning that doesn't need a screen
- Keeping creativity in the week
- When to change your setup
- My plain advice on choosing a homeschool app
- Frequently asked questions
The best homeschool app depends on what you need help with most: planning lessons, keeping the records your state or council expects, or giving children engaging material to learn from. Look at what it tracks, how much setup it needs and what the free trial covers. Nine apps follow in no particular order, plus how to build a routine that lasts.
Home education gives families freedom, and with it a pile of admin: lesson plans, attendance, grades, reading logs and, for older children, transcripts. A good app keeps that admin small so more of the day goes on learning, which is why you started.
The nine apps below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from planners and record keepers to learning apps children use themselves. Each description comes from the app's own website or store page, re-checked today. If you need creative ideas for lessons, my autumn writing prompts for kids work well as a weekly warm-up.
Homeschool apps compared
In the free plan column, Yes means the app's own site or store page describes a free app, Trial only means a time-limited trial and No means neither is stated on the pages we read. Most planners offer a trial before a subscription.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epic | Kids' digital library | Daily reading time | Trial only |
| Homeschool Ledger | Planner and records | Transcripts for older students | Yes |
| Homeschool Manager | Record keeping | Attendance, grades and schedules | Trial only |
| Homeschool Panda | Lesson planner | Planning with a community | Trial only |
| Homeschool Planet | Planner with lesson plans | Ready-made lesson plans | Trial only |
| Homeschool Tracker | Tracking and grading | Long-term grade tracking | Trial only |
| Khan Academy Kids | Early years app | Early reading and maths | Yes |
| My School Year | Records and scheduling | Simple daily logging | Trial only |
| Time4Learning | Online curriculum | A full online curriculum | No |
Nine homeschool apps
Epic
Best for: Book-loving households who want a huge library of children's books and audiobooks for daily reading time at home.
Homeschool Ledger
Best for: Home educators of teenagers who need course records and transcripts ready for college or work applications.
Homeschool Manager
Best for: Households in states with record-keeping rules who want attendance, grades and schedules in one tidy place.
Homeschool Panda
Best for: Newcomers to home education who want lesson planning plus a community of home educators to share ideas and resources with.
Homeschool Planet
Best for: Mums and dads short on time who'd like ready-made lesson plans they can drop into a weekly schedule.
Homeschool Tracker
Best for: Large families home educating several children who want to plan, track and grade everyone's work for years.
Khan Academy Kids
Best for: Carers of young children who want a free, ad-free app for early reading, maths and play.
My School Year
Best for: Record keepers who want to log each day's learning quickly and print reports when they need them.
Time4Learning
Best for: Working households who want a complete online curriculum their children can follow with little planning from parents.
What the law asks of UK home educators
Rules vary a lot by country and state, so start with what applies to you. GOV.UK says you must make sure your child receives a full-time education from the age of 5, but you don't have to follow the national curriculum, and the council can make an informal enquiry to check your child is getting a suitable education.
What that means for you: keep simple records of what your children learn, even where they aren't required, so you can show a suitable education if anyone asks. In the US, check your own state's rules, as record-keeping requirements differ widely.
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Planners, record keepers or learning apps?
Planners help you map out lessons by week and subject, some with ready-made plans. Record keepers track attendance, grades and hours, and produce reports or transcripts. Learning apps are what children use directly, from reading libraries to early maths and literacy.
Most families use one planner or record keeper for themselves and one or two learning apps for the children.
Building a homeschool routine that lasts
- Decide which subjects happen daily and which weekly.
- Plan a week at a time, not a whole year.
- Log learning as it happens, in a minute or two.
- Keep one folder of work samples per child.
- Review the week together on a Friday.
- Adjust the plan when something isn't working.
Learning that doesn't need a screen
- Drawing and making. Art builds focus and fine motor skills.
- Reading aloud. Still one of the best habits for any age.
- Nature walks. Science and observation without a worksheet.
- Cooking. Maths, measuring and following instructions.
Keeping creativity in the week
Plans can squeeze out the fun. Leave room for open-ended projects and creative time, which often teach as much as formal lessons. My drawing prompts for beginners and kids are an easy way to start a creative afternoon.
When to change your setup
If records feel like a chore, your app is too complicated; if children argue every morning, the learning apps may be the wrong level. A setup that worked for a seven-year-old may not suit them at ten, so review your tools each term and don't be afraid to switch.
Do you make a homeschool app? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing a homeschool app
Start with the job that weighs on you most. If it's planning, try a planner with ready-made lessons. If it's records, choose a tracker that produces the reports you're likely to need. If it's keeping children engaged, add one learning app they enjoy rather than five they ignore.
Use free trials fully before committing, and keep your records somewhere you can export. Don't rely on one app holding years of work you can't get out. Home education often lasts years, and you'll want those records long after you've changed apps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best homeschool app?
It depends on your need: planners for lessons, record keepers for compliance and learning apps for children.
Are homeschool apps free?
Some learning apps are free; most planners and record keepers offer a free trial before a subscription.
Must I follow the national curriculum?
In the UK, GOV.UK says you don't have to follow the national curriculum, but your child must receive a full-time education from age 5.
What records should I keep?
Keep notes of what's learned, work samples and any reports your state or council expects.
Can an app create transcripts?
Some record keepers produce transcripts for older students applying to college or work.
How many apps do homeschool families use?
Usually one planning or records app plus one or two learning apps.
