The 12 best apps for home-educating families in 2026
There are thousands of education apps and most families end up using a handful. These are twelve that home-educating families return to, grouped by the job they do. We make PipsVillage, so we have described plainly what it does and left the rest to their makers' own claims. Most of the others are free.
For finding other families
1. PipsVillage
The only app on this list built for finding home-educating families near you. It shows families one at a time with their distance, children's ages and interests; you heart the ones that fit, and when it's mutual you can chat (with automatic translation) and plan a meet-up. It also has events, a family calendar and timetable, activity ideas by age and an AI helper. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and computers. Join PipsVillage free.
2. Facebook groups
Still where most local home-ed groups announce meet-ups and trips. Search your town or county with "home education" or "homeschool". Good for news; harder for finding a family with children the same age.
3. Meetup
Useful in larger cities, where home-ed and worldschooling groups sometimes list regular events.
For free lessons
4. Khan Academy
Free maths, science and more from early years to pre-university, with practice exercises and progress tracking. Khan Academy Kids covers ages two to eight.
5. BBC Bitesize
Free lessons, videos and quizzes that follow the UK curricula from primary to GCSE.
6. Oak National Academy
Free video lessons and resources across the English national curriculum, useful as a spine for a subject.
For particular skills
7. Duolingo
Short daily language lessons. Good for building a habit, best alongside real conversation.
8. Scratch and ScratchJr
Free block-based coding from MIT. ScratchJr suits ages five to seven; Scratch suits eight and up.
9. Seek by iNaturalist
Point the camera at a plant, insect or bird and it suggests what it is. No account needed, which makes it good for children.
10. Libby
Free ebooks and audiobooks from your public library, with a library card.
For planning the week
11. A shared family calendar
Google Calendar or Apple Calendar is enough for most families: one colour per child and one entry per fixed commitment. PipsVillage includes a calendar and timetable built for home-ed weeks if you'd rather keep it in one place.
12. A printable planner
Sometimes paper wins. Our free weekly planner is one page, Monday to Sunday.
How to choose
Add one app at a time, give it a fortnight and drop it if nobody opens it. Apps help with lessons and logistics, but friends are what keep home education going, so start with the people.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an app for meeting other homeschool families?
Yes. PipsVillage is built for it: it shows home-educating families near you with their children's ages and interests, and lets you match, chat and plan meet-ups. Facebook groups and Meetup are useful for group events.
What are the best free apps for home education?
Khan Academy, BBC Bitesize, Oak National Academy, Scratch, Seek by iNaturalist and Libby are all free and widely used by home-educating families.
Do I need apps to home educate?
No. Books, a library card and other families cover most of it. Apps are useful for practice, specialist subjects and keeping the week organised.