Khan Academy for world history: app review (2026)
Short answer
Khan Academy is the best completely free way to study history like a school course: world history, US history, US government and art history with expert-created videos, articles and exercises, from a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, on iPhone, Android and the web, in 26 languages. It is very well rated (4.6 from 112,470 US App Store ratings) and passes 4 of 5 questions in our Timeline Test, missing only a quiz after every lesson. It scores 5.6/10 here (#5 of 12) because it teaches every subject rather than history alone, and its app is built around long course units, not short daily lessons. Use Khan Academy for free, thorough study; for a 5-minute daily history habit in chronological order, Aurelius (our app) scores 9.2/10.
Best for School-style world and US history courses, completely free
Khan Academy
Khan Academy (nonprofit)
Our score: average, #5 of 12
- Design 4
- Path 4
- Sources 5
- Depth 2
- Price 10
- Platforms 10
- Ratings 10
How the score works · inputs verified October 20, 2026
- App Store (US)
- 4.6 from 112,470 ratings
- Google Play (US)
- 4.1 from 173,663 reviews, 10M+ downloads
- Price (US)
- Free
- What's free
- Everything, free
- Platforms
- iPhone/iPad, Android, web
- Age rating
- 13+ (App Store), Teen (Google Play)
- Languages
- 26 languages
- Facts read on
- October 20, 2026
The Timeline Test: Khan Academy passes 4 of 5
- ✓ Does it teach history in order?
- ✗ Is there a quiz right after every lesson?
- ✓ Does it show sources or say who checks the facts?
- ✓ Are the lessons written by people, not generated by AI?
- ✓ Is the price clear?
Our five-question check, answered from the app's own listing. How the Timeline Test works.
What's good
- Completely free, from a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
- World history, US history, US government and art history courses
- Expert-created videos, articles and exercises with instant feedback
- iPhone, Android and the web; progress syncs; 26 languages
- 4.6 from 112,470 US App Store ratings
Watch out for
- History is one subject among many; the app is built around school courses
- Long-form units, not 5-minute lessons with a quiz after each
- No streaks or competition described on the listing
- Some features (test prep, discussions) only on the website
We make Aurelius, so we read Khan Academy's App Store and Google Play listings (October 20, 2026) with one question: how well does it work for someone who wants to learn history?
What Khan Academy offers for history
Khan Academy's app covers "humanities (art history, civics, finance, US history, US government and politics, world history)" next to math, science, economics and computer science. You learn with "expert-created videos, interactive exercises, and in-depth articles", and a mastery system "gives instant feedback and recommendations on exactly which skills and videos to try next". A free account syncs progress with the website.
Who runs it
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit "with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere". Everything is free; there are no in-app purchases on the US App Store.
What the app can't do
The listing says "not all functionality is available in this app": community discussions, test prep and parent and teacher tools are on the website only.
Khan Academy score: 5.6/10
| Criterion (weight) | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Learning design (22%) | 4 | Exercises, quizzes and tests, a mastery system; no short daily lessons or streaks described |
| Chronological path (22%) | 4 | Courses you follow in order; range of history not stated on the listing |
| Sources and accuracy (17%) | 5 | Expert-created content, no AI-written lessons |
| History depth (12%) | 2 | History is one of dozens of subjects |
| Price and clarity (10%) | 10 | Free |
| Platforms (10%) | 10 | iPhone, Android and web |
| Ratings (7%) | 10 | 4.6 from 112,470 App Store ratings |
Khan Academy vs a history app
Khan Academy is a free school. A dedicated history app is a daily habit. Aurelius, our app, turns 13 eras into 127 five-minute lessons in chronological order, each followed by a quiz, with credited paintings: better for building a timeline a few minutes a day, but paid ($9.99 a month after a 3-day trial). Many learners use both. Full comparison: Aurelius vs Khan Academy.
| App | Score | Best for | App Store rating | Google Play rating | Price (US) | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khan Academy | 5.6/10 | School-style world and US history courses, completely free | 4.6 from 112,470 ratings | 4.1 from 173,663 reviews | Free | iPhone/iPad, Android, web |
| Aurelius Our app | 9.2/10 | Learning world history in order, as connected stories, in 5 minutes a day | No ratings yet | No rating shown yet | 3-day free trial, then $9.99/month or $79.99/year | iPhone/iPad, Android |
| Histopia | 6.3/10 | Free lessons with history minigames and collectible cards | 5.0 from 2 ratings | 4.2 from 11 reviews | Lessons free; optional Premium $9.99/month or $79.99/year | iPhone/iPad, Android |
| World History Encyclopedia | 4.5/10 | Reading reliable history articles, reviewed by historians | 4.8 from 32 ratings | 4.7 from 119 reviews | Free (no in-app purchases listed); optional membership on the website | iPhone/iPad, Android, web |
Who it is for
Students following a school or AP-style syllabus, and anyone who wants long, thorough units for free. For other free options see the best free history apps; for a short daily habit, how to learn history.
Frequently asked questions
Is Khan Academy good for learning world history?
Yes, for free, school-style study: it has world history and US history courses with videos, articles and exercises. It is less suited to a short daily habit.
Is Khan Academy free?
Yes, completely. Khan Academy is a nonprofit and lists no in-app purchases on the US App Store.
Is Khan Academy on Android?
Yes: on Google Play it has 4.1 from 173,663 reviews and 10M+ downloads (October 20, 2026). It also runs on iPhone, iPad and the web.
Does Khan Academy have US history?
Yes: the listing names US history and US government and politics among its humanities courses.
Khan Academy or Aurelius?
Khan Academy if you need a free, complete course for school; Aurelius (our app) if you want 5-minute lessons in chronological order with a quiz after each.
The bottom line
Khan Academy is the best free resource for studying history in depth, and it passes four of our five Timeline Test questions. If you want history as a short daily habit instead, try Aurelius free for 3 days.
Sources
- Khan Academy, US App Store listing and Google Play listing (US), read October 20, 2026.