12 Best History Apps to Learn History [2026], Scored

Why we built this ranking

We make Aurelius, so we have spent a lot of time inside other history apps. Most of them are fun for a week and forgotten by the next: a famous person here, a "this day in history" fact there, and nothing that ties them together. This page compares the 12 apps people search for most, on facts anyone can check on their store listings, and says plainly where our own app falls short.

The best history app for each need

How to choose a history app

Most "history apps" are one of four things, and it pays to know which one you are installing:

A course in order

You start at the beginning and move forward in time, so every lesson builds on the last. This is how you get a mental timeline instead of a pile of facts. Aurelius is built this way across 13 eras; Historo, Histopia, Khan Academy and Learn History: Timeline Quiz have courses or paths too. See the order to learn world history.

A story or trivia feed

Short stories or facts, often about famous people or "this day in history". Easy to open, but nothing tells you how one story connects to the next. Paladin, HistoryDays and Histia fit here.

A study tool

Timelines, flashcards and mind maps to revise for a test. History Master is the clearest example; Khan Academy sits between this and a course.

A reference

Articles, maps or local landmarks you look up when you are curious: World History Encyclopedia and Clio.

Check any app in two minutes

Our five-question Timeline Test asks whether an app teaches in order, quizzes you after every lesson, shows its sources, uses lessons written by people and has a clear price. Only Aurelius, our app, passes all five; Khan Academy passes four.

Is there a free history app?

Yes: Khan Academy, Clio and World History Encyclopedia are free and nonprofit, Histopia's lessons are free, and Learn History: Timeline Quiz keeps 27 of 49 topics free. Aurelius is paid after a 3-day free trial. Every free option, ranked: the best free history apps.

How this ranking works

Each app gets 0 to 10 points on seven criteria: learning design 22%, chronological path 22%, sources and accuracy 17%, history depth 12%, price and clarity 10%, platforms 10%, ratings and track record 7%. Every point comes from the app's own App Store or Google Play listing, read on October 20, 2026, so you can check it yourself; if a listing does not mention something, the app gets no point for it. Aurelius scores lowest of all on ratings, because it launched in January 2026 and has none yet. Full rules and the listing wording behind every point: how we rate history apps. Side by side: compare all apps.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best app to learn history?

Aurelius: Learn History, our app, scores highest in our ranking (9.2/10). It teaches world history as 127 short lessons across 13 eras in chronological order, from Ancient Egypt to the Cold War, with a quiz after every lesson and credited images, and it is the only app here that passes all five questions of our Timeline Test. It costs $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year after a 3-day free trial, on iPhone, iPad and Android. If you need it free, Histopia and Khan Academy are the best free picks.

What is the best free history app?

Histopia (6.3/10) is the best-scoring app whose lessons are free; its Premium only adds extras such as no ads and more XP. Khan Academy (5.6/10) is completely free and nonprofit, with world history and US history courses, and passes four of five Timeline Test questions. Aurelius is not free: it has a 3-day free trial.

Is there a Duolingo for history?

Duolingo teaches languages, math, music and chess, but has no history course. The apps closest to its formula (short lessons, a quiz right after, streaks and rewards) are Aurelius, Paladin, Historo and Histopia. Aurelius adds what a language course has and most history apps lack: a fixed order, so each lesson builds on the one before. More in our Duolingo for history guide.

Which history app is best for adults?

Aurelius, our app, scores highest for adults who want to understand history rather than collect facts: 5-minute lessons in chronological order with sources shown. For free reading, World History Encyclopedia; for animated stories about famous people, Paladin. See the best history apps for adults.

Is Paladin a good app to learn history?

Paladin is the most-rated history-only app (4.6 from 23,623 US App Store ratings) and its animated 5-minute lessons with a quiz are well made. It scores 4.6/10 here because its listing describes no ordered path or sources, and it lists $12.99 a month plus six different yearly prices. Full Paladin review and Paladin alternatives.

How much do history apps cost?

On the US App Store, read October 20, 2026: Aurelius $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year; Paladin $12.99 a month; Nibble $19.99 a month; Historo $8.99 to $9.99 a month; History Master $3.99 to $5.99 a month; Learn History: Timeline Quiz a one-time $6.99. Khan Academy, Clio and World History Encyclopedia are free.

Can you really learn history in 5 minutes a day?

Yes, if the 5 minutes follow an order and end with a quiz. Five minutes a day is about 30 hours a year, enough for a full pass through world history. Spreading study over many short sessions beats cramming (Cepeda et al., 2006). See how to learn history.

Which history apps work on Android?

Aurelius, Paladin, Khan Academy, Nibble, Historo, Histopia, History Master, Clio, World History Encyclopedia and Learn History: Timeline Quiz are on Google Play (checked October 20, 2026). HistoryDays and Histia are iPhone only. See history apps for Android.

Which history app has the best ratings?

Among history-only apps, Paladin has the most US App Store ratings (4.6 from 23,623). Khan Academy has more (4.6 from 112,470) but teaches every school subject. Aurelius has no ratings yet because it launched in 2026.

Do history apps use AI?

Some do. Historo generates its lessons and visuals with AI and warns that "AI can make mistakes". HistoryDays and World History Encyclopedia use AI for a chat or search tool. Aurelius, Paladin, Histopia and the others describe no AI-written lessons on their listings.

Is Aurelius the same as the "Aurelius" Stoic philosophy app?

No. Aurelius: Learn History is the history app by Agape Group GmbH. "Aurelius - Stoic Philosophy" is a different app by a different developer, about Stoic quotes.

Who makes this site?

Agape Group GmbH, the company that makes Aurelius. That is why Aurelius is labeled "Our app" and why we publish every scoring rule and the listing wording behind it. No other app paid to be listed. Read the disclosure.

The bottom line

If you want to understand history as one connected story, a few minutes a day, start with Aurelius: it is the only app here that teaches in chronological order with a quiz after every lesson and sources you can see, and you can try it free for 3 days. If you need something free, start with Histopia or Khan Academy.

Sources

1. US App Store listings (iTunes lookup and listing pages) and Google Play listings (US, English) of all 12 apps, read October 20, 2026. Aurelius facts also from aureliushistory.com.
2. Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). "Test-enhanced learning." Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. PubMed
3. Cepeda, N. J., et al. (2006). "Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis." Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380. PubMed