The Best Apps to Learn History in 2026

By Angelo Sorbello, founder of Aurelius: Learn History · Updated 15 October 2026

We make Aurelius, one of the apps on this page. We describe other apps using facts from their own store pages and websites.

Quick picks

Why Aurelius: Learn History is our top pick

Aurelius: Learn History is the best app to learn history for adults who want to understand how events connect. Six reasons put it first:

1. It teaches history in order. Aurelius: Learn History organises 127 lessons across 13 eras into chronological campaigns, from Ancient Egypt to the Cold War, so every lesson builds on the one before.
2. It explains why things happened. Each lesson in the new story format sets out the causes and consequences of its event and links to what came before and after.
3. It shows real history. Every image in Aurelius: Learn History is a credited painting, artefact or archival photograph from a public collection, or an illustration clearly labelled as one.
4. It quotes its sources. Lessons in the new story format quote a primary source, with its author, work and date, and end with a list of the sources they are based on.
5. It helps you remember, and keeps you coming back. A quiz follows every lesson, with trivia battles against the computer or a friend, a global leaderboard, daily streaks and 76 Honors. Testing yourself straight after reading is one of the best-supported ways to remember what you learn (see how to learn history).
6. It runs on every phone. Aurelius: Learn History works on iPhone, iPad and Android.

We make Aurelius: Learn History, so we are biased. We applied the same criteria to every app below, and every fact about another app comes from its own store page or website.

Feature comparison

"Not stated" means the app's store page and website do not mention the feature; it may still exist.

How we compared them

We looked at what matters to someone who wants to understand history, not just collect facts: how lessons are written, whether they connect, where the images come from, how you test yourself, which phones the app runs on, and what it costs. Prices are from the US App Store and were checked on 15 October 2026; they vary by country and change often, so check the store before you subscribe.

We make Aurelius: Learn History. We have tried to describe the other apps fairly and only with facts from their own store pages and websites.

1. Aurelius: Learn History: best overall

Aurelius: Learn History is the app we make; search for its full name in the App Store or Google Play. It has 127 lessons across 13 eras, from Ancient Egypt to the Cold War, organised as campaigns you play in the order history happened. The newest eras, Ancient Rome, Medieval Europe and the American Revolution, are written as one continuous story: each lesson opens with a scene, explains why things happened, quotes a primary source and links forward to what came next.

Every image is a real painting, artefact or archival photograph from a public collection, credited on screen, or an illustration where no image survives. After each lesson there is a quiz with hearts on the line, and you can test yourself further in trivia battles against the computer or a friend.

• Best for: adults who want to understand how events connect, five minutes a day
• Not ideal if: you want audio-first lessons
• Try a lesson on the web: How did Julius Caesar die?, What is Magna Carta?, Why was the Declaration of Independence written?

2. Paladin: best for animation

Paladin: Learn History, by Brainstash, is the best-known app in the category, rated 4.6 from about 23,000 ratings on the US App Store when we checked. Its lessons are short animated stories about figures such as Cleopatra and Abraham Lincoln, each followed by a quiz, and you unlock collectible characters as you progress. In a week of daily use, I found the images excellent but the lessons often superficial, with no leaderboard, limited quizzes and far fewer periods of history than Aurelius: Learn History's 13 eras.

• Best for: learners who want attractive animated introductions to famous people
• Not ideal if: you want depth, a timeline across eras, or real competition

If you are weighing the two, our Paladin app review covers its prices, free version and accuracy in more detail.

3. Histia: best for listening

Histia describes itself as "the history app for curious minds". Its stories can be watched, listened to or read along, take about five minutes, and are followed by short quizzes. An interactive map spans 3000 BCE to 2025, and themed collections, streaks and a "History Passport" track your progress. It runs on iPhone and iPad (iOS 18 or later) and is free to download with in-app purchases. Its website notes that content "may include dramatized or AI-assisted elements".

• Best for: commuters who prefer to listen
• Not ideal if: you use Android

4. Khan Academy: best free option

Khan Academy is a nonprofit whose free app includes world history and US history courses, with expert-made videos, articles and practice exercises, and progress that syncs with its website. It is structured like a course, so it suits students and anyone who wants to study a period properly; it is less designed as a five-minute daily habit.

• Best for: free, structured study
• Not ideal if: you want story-led lessons and streaks

5. Nibble: best for general knowledge

Nibble is a general-knowledge app with short lessons across more than twenty subjects, history among them. It is a good choice if you want a broad daily habit rather than a deep dive into one subject.

6. HistoryDays: best for a daily fact

HistoryDays (by Poppins Labs) shows daily historical events and lesser-known stories, with timelines, short videos, interactive maps, weekly quizzes and an "Ask History AI" feature. It was rated 4.4 from about 120 ratings on the US App Store when we checked. It is free to download; AI chat, maps, audio, video and full event details need Pro, listed from $4.99 a week to $69.99 a year, with a $49.99 lifetime option. It requires iOS 26 or later.

• Best for: a quick "this day in history" moment
• Not ideal if: you want to follow one era from beginning to end

7. History Master: best for exam revision

History Master: Study & Quiz is built for revision: an interactive timeline, mind maps for each period, flashcards with a quiz mode, and tools to make your own. Its App Store page aims it at middle school, high school and college students. It was rated 4.4 from 56 ratings on the US App Store; subscriptions are listed from $3.99 a month, with yearly plans from $8.99 and a $29.99 lifetime option.

• Best for: exam preparation
• Not ideal if: you want stories rather than study notes

8. Clio: best for local history

Clio, made by the nonprofit Clio Foundation, uses your location to show landmarks, museums and historic sites nearby, with images, text and audio about what happened there, plus walking and driving tours. It is free (the foundation accepts donations) and was rated 4.9 from about 100 ratings on the US App Store.

• Best for: travel and local history in the United States
• Not ideal if: you want lessons and quizzes

How to choose

1. Decide what you want to remember. If you want a timeline that makes sense, pick an app that teaches in chronological order and explains causes.
2. Check where the content comes from. Credited sources and real images are a good sign the facts have been checked.
3. Test yourself. Apps with a quiz after every lesson help you keep what you learn.
4. Use the free trial for a week. A daily habit is the real test; if you still open the app on day seven, it works for you.

Learning history without an app

Apps work best alongside other sources. Museum websites such as the British Museum collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art let you explore real objects for free, and history podcasts are a good way to go deeper on a period you enjoyed in a lesson.