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PebbleYard comparison guide

Reading Eggs alternatives for Australian families

ABC Reading Eggs is the best-known reading program in Australia. If it is not quite what you need, here is what else is out there, what it costs, and where Reading Eggs is still the right pick.

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The PebbleYard team

Prices checked 07/Oct/2026 · 4 min read

A$149.99a year, up to 4 children

On this page

  • What Reading Eggs costs
  • Why families look elsewhere
  • The alternatives, by what you need
  • Where Reading Eggs is the better choice
  • Who should choose which
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Sources
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The short answer

  • ABC Reading Eggs with Mathseeds costs A$149.99 a year for up to four children. Reading only is A$109.99.
  • It has a 30 day free trial and a 30 day money-back guarantee.
  • If you want a structured phonics program for a child learning to read, Reading Eggs is hard to replace.
  • If you want maths and English practice by topic, other programs may fit better, at prices from free to A$189 a year.

What Reading Eggs costs

A$149.99Reading & Maths, yearly
A$109.99Reading only, yearly
Up to 4Children on one subscription
30 daysFree access to start

ABC Reading Eggs includes several programs: Reading Eggs Junior for ages 2 to 4, Reading Eggs for ages 3 to 7, Fast Phonics for ages 5 to 10 and Reading Eggspress for ages 7 to 13. The Reading & Maths plan adds ABC Mathseeds, for ages 3 to 9. Prices include GST, and the subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the next billing date.

Why families look elsewhere

There is no single reason. These are the situations that most often point to a different program:

  • You want maths and English practice organised by topic rather than a reading program.
  • Your child is past the early reading stage and you want content that follows what they study at school.
  • You want a program that covers more subjects, or an older year range.
  • You want to choose, or write, the practice yourself.
  • You want a free option to try first.

The alternatives, by what you need

If you want this, look at this
  • A reading program with systematic phonics
    Consider
    Stay with ABC Reading Eggs (Fast Phonics)
    Price, AUD, as published
    A$109.99 a year, reading only
  • Foundation to Year 6 Maths, English and Science tagged to ACARA outcomes
    Consider
    Studyladder
    Price, AUD, as published
    A$129 a year for one student, family from A$189 for up to four
  • A very large skill catalogue with a diagnostic
    Consider
    IXL
    Price, AUD, as published
    From A$129 a year for one subject
  • Maths only, with live competitions
    Consider
    Mathletics
    Price, AUD, as published
    A$99 a year per child
  • A free early-learning app for ages 2 to 8
    Consider
    Khan Academy Kids
    Price, AUD, as published
    Free
  • Parent-directed practice sequenced to the Australian Curriculum, with topics you write
    Consider
    PebbleYard
    Price, AUD, as published
    One family price, shown below
You wantConsiderPrice, AUD, as published
A reading program with systematic phonicsStay with ABC Reading Eggs (Fast Phonics)A$109.99 a year, reading only
Foundation to Year 6 Maths, English and Science tagged to ACARA outcomesStudyladderA$129 a year for one student, family from A$189 for up to four
A very large skill catalogue with a diagnosticIXLFrom A$129 a year for one subject
Maths only, with live competitionsMathleticsA$99 a year per child
A free early-learning app for ages 2 to 8Khan Academy KidsFree
Parent-directed practice sequenced to the Australian Curriculum, with topics you writePebbleYardOne family price, shown below
Yearly price for one family, AUD
  • Mathletics · 1 childA$99
  • Studyladder · 1 studentA$129
  • IXL · 1 child, single subjectA$129
  • ABC Reading Eggs · Reading & Maths, up to 4 childrenA$149.99
  • PebbleYard Family · up to 3 childrenA$149

Where Reading Eggs is the better choice

Reading Eggs is built for learning to read

  • Fast Phonics teaches reading with systematic, synthetic phonics, for ages 5 to 10.
  • The programs run from age 2 to 13, so one subscription can follow a child for years.
  • One price covers up to four children, which is hard to beat for a family of young children.
  • PebbleYard has phonics topics but is not a reading program, and does not replace one.

PebbleYard is a set of short practice topics for children aged 5 to 11, sequenced to the Australian Curriculum v9.0 with an ACARA reference on every topic. A parent chooses what their child works on and in what order, can write their own topics, and sees results that are graded on our servers and kept as a record. The Family plan covers up to three child profiles and two parent logins for one price.

PebbleYard prices today

  • Solo$12 a month, or $89 a year
  • Family$19 a month, or $149 a year

Read live from our pricing page. See what each plan includes.

What PebbleYard offers

  • ✓Maths and English topics you choose and order.
  • ✓Topics you write yourself.
  • ✓A record of every result, graded on our servers.
  • ✓No ads and no chat between children.

What to weigh

  • !It does not adapt to a child's answers.
  • !It is used in a web browser rather than a native app.
  • !There is no tutor, and it does not cover extended writing or oral language.

Who should choose which

These are different kinds of help. Here is how to tell which one fits your family.

Choose ABC Reading Eggs if

  • Your child is learning to read and you want a structured phonics program.
  • You have up to four young children and want one price for all of them.
  • You want one subscription that follows a child from age 2 to 13.

Choose PebbleYard if

  • Your child can already read and you want maths and English practice that follows what they study this week.
  • You want to choose the topics, or write them, rather than follow a set program.
  • You want a record of results and a family price for up to three children.

Frequently asked questions

Reading & Maths is A$149.99 a year or A$18.99 a month, and Reading only is A$109.99 a year or A$13.99 a month. Prices include GST.

Up to four children.

Yes. It offers 30 days of free access and a 30 day money-back guarantee.

Khan Academy Kids is free for ages 2 to 8, according to its own page. Studyladder also has a free account that is capped at three activities a day per child.

Its programs cover ages 2 to 13: Reading Eggs Junior 2 to 4, Reading Eggs 3 to 7, Fast Phonics 5 to 10 and Reading Eggspress 7 to 13.

Sources

  • ABC Reading Eggs: home subscription pricing, checked 07/Oct/2026
  • ABC Reading Eggs: free trial page, checked 07/Oct/2026
  • Studyladder: parent pricing, checked 07/Oct/2026
  • Studyladder Australia, checked 07/Oct/2026
  • IXL Australia: family membership pricing, checked 05/Oct/2026
  • IXL Australia, checked 05/Oct/2026
  • Mathletics: home subscription pricing, checked 05/Oct/2026
  • Mathletics Australia, checked 05/Oct/2026
  • Khan Academy Kids, checked 07/Oct/2026

Prices and features change, so check the vendor's own page before you buy. Product and company names are used to identify them and belong to their owners. PebbleYard is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any company named on this page.

Related reading

  • Best learning apps for primary school children in Australia
  • What learning apps cost for families with more than one child
  • How much does ABC Mathseeds cost in Australia?
  • How much does IXL cost in Australia?
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Written by the PebbleYard team

We build the app and use it on our own kids.

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