Zearn Alternatives for Math Practice at Home

Zearn is a nonprofit, and its lessons follow a school curriculum from kindergarten to 8th grade, with a teacher on screen and practice after each lesson. Many schools use it, so your child may already have a login. Families look for something else for different reasons: a child who's younger than kindergarten, a few minutes of practice rather than a new lesson, or a different style that suits their child better.

A quick note: we make Bobby's Math Club, and we've done our best to be fair. Prices, plans and grades are as each program described them at the time of writing (October 2026), and they change, so check with each program. We don't have outcome numbers for any of these programs, including ours, so this guide doesn't compare "success rates."

The alternatives at a glance

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How to choose

Start with what you'd like your child's math time at home to do. These questions usually settle it.

• Learn something new, or practice what they know? A lesson teaches a new idea. Practice makes an idea your child has met feel easy. Both matter, and they're different jobs.
• How old is your child? For a preschooler, or a child still learning to read, look for questions read aloud and very short sessions.
• Does your child like to go in order, or choose? Some children like the next lesson waiting for them. Others like to pick a topic, or to start right where they are.
• What can your week hold? Short, regular practice usually beats one long session, so a few minutes several times a week is plenty.

If you want practice of what they already know: five minutes at the right level

I built Bobby's Math Club for young children and busy parents, and I use it with my own kids every week. It isn't a course of lessons. It's short practice, at a level that fits your child in each area of math, so what they've learned at school starts to feel easy. Every question is read aloud, hints are a tap away, and a mistake comes with a short, kind explanation. You get plain-English progress emails. Unlimited practice is free.

I recommend 5 minutes of practice a day. It doesn't have to be every single day: a few five-minute sessions a week is great too. It's made for PK-5, so it also works for a preschooler who isn't old enough for Zearn yet.

If you'd like to choose the lesson: free videos

Khan Academy is a nonprofit with free video lessons and practice from kindergarten up, organized by grade and topic, so you can go straight to the one your child is learning in class. Its separate app, Khan Academy Kids, is free for ages 2 to 8, with stories and activities that mix math with reading.

If your child is ahead: a challenge

Beast Academy, from Art of Problem Solving, teaches through comic-book lessons and harder puzzles, for ages 6 to 13. It's a paid program, with an online subscription of about $16 a month or $100 a year at the time of writing, and printed books too. It suits a child who enjoys being stretched, and it asks for more time than a few minutes.

If your child loves games

Prodigy puts math questions inside a fantasy adventure for 1st to 8th grade. The core game is free, with optional paid memberships. Read Prodigy vs. Bobby's Math Club for how the two compare.

Using Zearn and something else

You don't have to pick one. If your child uses Zearn at school, their school login usually works at home too, and a few minutes of practice on the side can help each new lesson stick. Many families keep the lessons and add short practice, or the other way around. The best free math practice programs, ranked compares the free options in more detail.

Questions parents ask