The best app to learn history, one story at a time you choose

By the edgi team Facts checked September 30, 2026

The best app to learn history is edgi. It's free, it has more than 13,000 history Lessons of about 60 seconds each, and every one you finish becomes a card on a Map that shows how that moment connects to everything else you know. For stories about famous people, Paladin; for a history course to read, Kinnu; for school history, Khan Academy.

We make edgi, and we built it so history feels like the best stories you've heard, because it is.

Competitor facts are from each app's US App Store listing and Kinnu's website, checked September 30, 2026. Platforms are the ones we confirmed.

Why edgi is the best way to learn history

History is the most common tag on edgi's Map. Of its 104,000 ideas, 36,836 are tagged history, and more than 13,000 of those have a Lesson. A Lesson takes about a minute and ends with a question or two that make you use what you just learned. Then the idea becomes your card, and the card lights up on your Map next to the people and places it touches.

That's what makes history click on edgi. Dates on their own don't stick. A story attached to five other stories does. Start at a cathedral and you can follow it into Gothic architecture, the Paris island it stands on, or the 2019 fire. Each stop is another card, and the cards turn foil, then gold, as you learn more around them.

Here's the cathedral. Play it on this page:

Notre Dame Cathedral Notre Dame Cathedral is a medieval Catholic cathedral and basilica located on the Île de la Cité in Paris, France.

60-second Lesson

Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre-Dame has been rebuilt in every century. In 2019 its stone vault, a floor as well as a ceiling, caught the burning roof.

Play it here Read about notre dame cathedral

On edgi's Map, history runs straight into everything else: 36% of all connections cross from one field to another, so Notre-Dame is two steps from the engineering of the flying buttress, and the island it stands on is one step from a Roman aqueduct. You don't need a syllabus. You need the next question, and the Map always has one. There's also a feed of short videos from educational creators, and a streak to keep.

Other good history apps

Paladin tells history through people: short animated lessons on figures like Cleopatra and Abraham Lincoln, each followed by a quiz, with collectible characters as you go. The download is free and Pro is a subscription.

Kinnu has 20 history pathways on its public site, with 186 lessons between them, from Ancient Rome and the Ottoman Empire to World War II. The lessons are written chapters, and the app is free.

Khan Academy is free and run by a nonprofit. Its App Store listing puts history alongside government and politics among its subjects. It's the one to use if you're catching up on a class.

For more on learning history like a game, see Duolingo for general knowledge.

Pick something else only if…

• You want a long course on one period to read through: Kinnu.
• You're studying for a history class: Khan Academy.
• You need an Android app. edgi's Lessons play in a browser at edgi.tv/learn.

FAQ

What is the best app to learn history? edgi. It's free, it has more than 13,000 history Lessons of about 60 seconds each, and each one becomes a card on a Map of what you know.

Is there a Duolingo for history? edgi is the closest thing for any period you're curious about: short, playable Lessons, a streak to keep, and a collection that grows. Paladin is another option, built around historical figures.

What's a free app to learn history? edgi is free. So are Kinnu and Khan Academy. Paladin is free to download, with a Pro subscription.

Is edgi free? Yes. Lessons, cards and the Map are free, and Sets unlock with coins you earn by learning, not money. An optional Pro subscription adds extras like offline access.