Best Online English Courses for Kids in Germany (2026): 7 Platforms Compared

In most German states, English starts in third grade; only a few, such as Hamburg, begin in grade 1 (overview by state). Most allocate two lessons per week, and according to the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education, children should reach roughly A1 level by the end of fourth grade—meaning they can introduce themselves and form short sentences. Many parents feel that is not enough. The search for the best online English courses for children in Germany usually starts with a specific trigger: a poor English test result, the transition to an academic secondary school (Gymnasium), or a planned move abroad.

How early a child starts matters less than people often think. Researchers from Bochum and Dortmund followed more than 5,000 Gymnasium students in North Rhine-Westphalia who had started learning English in either grade 1 or grade 3. In grade 5, the early starters were ahead; in grade 7, the late starters led (Jaekel et al. 2017); and in grade 9, the early starters were ahead again (2022 follow-up analysis). The authors suspect the transition to secondary school explains this pattern. What matters, then, is that English learning continues without disruption.

In Germany, two further questions arise. Private tutoring is common here: according to the Bertelsmann Stiftung, around 14% of 6- to 16-year-olds received tutoring in the 2014/15 school year. Parents paid an average of €87 per month, and almost half of the students receiving tutoring got help with a foreign language. Many families therefore want to know whether a course will also help with school tests. In addition, video lessons are often recorded, while the GDPR provides special protection for children under 16. We compared seven providers using six criteria for children's courses and one Germany-specific criterion covering children's data and value as tutoring. All prices are listed in euros.

How we evaluated the courses

Children rarely complain about a poor lesson. They simply do not want to attend the next one. That is why every provider had to answer the same seven questions. The last one, highlighted in orange, applies specifically to families in Germany.

The best online English courses for children in Germany at a glance

The table summarizes information published by the providers themselves. “Prices from” shows the lowest starting price we found. Lesson length, group size, and subscription duration vary considerably; details are provided in each provider's section.

Prices last checked: October 2026. 

Children's data, tutoring and subsidies: the Germany check

An online lesson leaves behind more than a worksheet: video and audio of your child, often a recording, sometimes a transcript. The GDPR also applies to US providers when they teach families in the EU, and Germany has kept the age threshold under Article 8 at 16. If a service relies on consent, parents make that decision until then. Still, recording children's lessons is not inherently a drawback. Parents can review them later, and the provider can investigate concerning incidents. What matters is who has access, how long the data is stored and in which country.

Flalingo Kids and Cambly Kids have the clearest rules on recordings. Both specify a deletion period and give parents access. Flalingo also explicitly excludes lessons involving minors from the anonymized learning data used to further develop language and AI models. At Berlitz and Schülerhilfe, the contracting companies are based in Germany, but we found no information about recording. In such cases, ask by email before signing up so that you have the answer in writing.

Tutoring or speaking practice?

English tests in the early years of secondary school mainly assess vocabulary, grammar and reading comprehension; in a full classroom, there is rarely time for spontaneous speaking. Schülerhilfe and many Preply teachers work directly on schoolwork. Flalingo Kids, Novakid and Cambly Kids focus on speaking, addressing the area where classroom time falls short. At Flalingo Kids, The Loop book series prepares older children for A2 Key and B1 Preliminary for Schools, Cambridge exams that some schools offer certificate preparation courses for. A tip for any one-to-one lessons: tell the teacher which unit your child is currently studying in their textbook, so the same words will come up in conversation too.

Education package: when the authorities pay for tutoring

Families receiving Bürgergeld, social assistance, the child supplement, housing benefit or benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act can apply for learning support through the Education and Participation Package. According to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, children do not have to be at risk of having to repeat the school year, but their school must not offer comparable support. In Cologne, for example, the process works as follows:

• You submit a separate application for learning support.
• The school confirms the need, using one form per subject.
• The tutoring provider prepares a cost estimate.
• The city pays up to its local hourly rates, usually directly to the provider.

The local authority decides whether online lessons qualify. Bielefeld, for example, approved them as an alternative during the pandemic. School-related tutoring is the easiest to claim reimbursement for. Multi-month subscriptions to language platforms are less suited to the process, so clarify whether the costs will be covered before signing a contract.

What about educational leave?

Educational leave is available to employees, not schoolchildren, so it will not help with your child's course. Parents who want to brush up on their own English can use it. According to the DGB, most German states offer five days a year or ten over two years. Bavaria has no legislation on this, while Saxony will offer three days of training leave a year from January 1, 2027.

Each state has its own rules for online courses. According to bildungsurlauber.de (as of October 2026), they are eligible in Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein; in Bremen, Hesse, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, conditions such as minimum hours and verifiable attendance apply. Baden-Württemberg requires predominantly in-person attendance, while Berlin, Brandenburg and Rhineland-Palatinate do not accept online courses. Courses with a fixed weekly schedule are recognized; an ongoing platform subscription generally does not meet these requirements.

#1 - Flalingo Kids: a consistent teacher and a coursebook series that grows with your child

Flalingo Kids offers live one-to-one English lessons for ages 3 to 17 in four age groups (3-5, 6-8, 9-12 and 13+). Lessons last either 25 or 50 minutes. For preschool and primary school children, Flalingo recommends the shorter option with pictures, songs and short games; from age 13, Cambridge and TOEFL preparation is also available (exam preparation at Flalingo).

Teachers need a degree in English or English language teaching, a teaching certificate, proof of language proficiency such as IELTS 8 or TOEFL 100 (TEFL, TESOL or CELTA for native speakers), and two years of teaching experience. Following an interview, a trial lesson and reference checks, around one in 73 applicants is accepted, according to Flalingo. Teachers working with children also undergo a background check and child protection training.

The main reason for our recommendation is consistency. Smart Matching takes 18 details into account, including your child's interests and the kind of teacher you want: calm or full of energy. This produces 22 to 30 suggestions. According to Flalingo, there is a more than 90% chance that your child will stay with the same teacher until the end of the package. For a shy child, that familiar face is often the reason they start speaking at all in the third week. Switching teachers before the next lesson costs nothing.

Lessons are available early in the morning, in the evening and late into the night, with cancellations allowed up to eight hours beforehand. Parents can watch live, view the recording later and receive short lesson videos via WhatsApp every week. After each lesson, FLAI, Flalingo's AI, assesses pronunciation, fluency and vocabulary, while a weekly report summarizes new words, grammar and practice results (read more in What Is FLAI?, in English). FLAI also checks lessons for potentially harmful content and alerts the quality team if it detects anything concerning. Only parents can create accounts for minors, and recordings are deleted or irreversibly anonymized after one year.

You can see all the volumes on the personalized Smart Books page. There is also Flalingo Stories, with 165 stories for ages 4 to 12 at Starters, Movers and Flyers levels, word games at Flalingo Games and the free Parent Academy for parents.   

Key features

• Up to seven live one-to-one lessons per week, lasting 25 or 50 minutes, for ages 3 to 17
• Teachers with teaching credentials, background checks and child safeguarding training
• Smart Matching using 18 details and a shortlist of 22 to 30 teachers
• Smart Books Nia & Leo and The Loop, up to B1 Preliminary for Schools
• FLAI analysis after every lesson and a weekly report for parents
• Watch live, access recordings without limits, and receive weekly videos via WhatsApp
• AI safety checks with alerts sent to the quality team
• Free placement test for children, tailored to their age and reading ability
• Learning guidance, teacher chat and round-the-clock support

Prices

There are two packages, differing only in duration and price per lesson. Both include native-speaking teachers, Smart Books, FLAI reports, round-the-clock support and all recordings; the 12-month package also includes group lessons. Details are available on the Flalingo Kids pricing page. Converted to euros and based on one lesson per week, the prices are:

• Second child: an additional 20% discount on all packages
• Free trial lesson, with no card details or advance payment required; book through the trial lesson page
• 100% money back within 30 days of the first lesson
• No automatic renewal at the end of the package

Prices last checked: October 2026.

Who is it suitable for?

• Children aged 3 to 17, especially 5- to 12-year-olds who go quiet in large groups
• Families who want to work with the same teacher week after week
• Parents who do not want to sit alongside their child during every lesson but still want to know what is happening
• Older children aiming for A2 Key or B1 Preliminary for Schools
• Budgets starting at around €23 per month (12-month package, one lesson per week)

Parents' experiences

Flalingo has a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars on Google, based on 710 reviews according to the Flalingo website (October 2026). 

#2 - Novakid: English as a World of Play for Ages 4 to 12

Novakid is an online English school exclusively for children, mostly aged 4 to 12, with programs extending to ages 14+. Each teacher-led session lasts 25 minutes, with two to three recommended per week, and only English is spoken. Novakid says it has over 3,900 native-speaking and bilingual teachers, requires a teaching certificate and one year of experience with children, and reports accepting around one in eleven applicants. The curriculum follows the CEFR, with a certificate for each level.

Novakid does not guarantee a regular teacher. However, you can book favorite teachers again, and many parents praise this bond in their reviews. After each lesson, you will find feedback, a summary and the recording in your parent account. Novakid Inc. in San Francisco is responsible for the data, with an EU representative in Budapest. The privacy policy mentions video and audio recordings of lessons but does not specify a retention period.

Key features

• 25-minute one-to-one lessons; two to three lessons per week recommended
• Over 3,900 native-speaking and bilingual teachers
• CEFR-aligned curriculum with a certificate at the end of each level
• Game World with avatars, stars and rewards
• Parent account with feedback, a summary and a recording of every lesson
• Cancel or reschedule up to 8 hours in advance; trial lesson with no credit card required

Pricing

The German pricing page shows only a starting point: from €95 a month. What you end up paying depends on the term (3, 6 or 12 months), the number of lessons a week and current promotions, and longer terms bring the price per lesson down.

• Sibling discount according to the website: 5% for two children, 10% for three
• 14-day right of withdrawal on the first subscription, with lessons attended deducted pro rata
• Automatic renewal, which you can switch off in your account or via chat

Prices last checked: October 2026.

Who is it suitable for?

• Children aged 4 to 10 who are motivated by games and rewards
• Families who can schedule two to three regular sessions per week
• Parents who can keep track of an automatically renewing subscription
• Budget from around €95 per month

Parents’ experiences

Novakid has a Trustpilot rating of 4.3 out of 5 (2,601 reviews, October 2026). Both reviews below are from German-speaking parents; the first is from a mother who teaches English herself.

#3 - Cambly Kids: Speaking practice exclusively with native speakers

Cambly Kids is Cambly’s children’s platform for ages 4 to 15. Each lesson lasts 30 minutes and is one-to-one with a native-speaking teacher, one to three times a week depending on the plan. Courses span CEFR levels A1 to C1, with parents choosing the level at registration. Free games, quizzes and workbooks are included after registration.

For German families, the service has two drawbacks. The website and app are available in twelve languages, but German is not one of them. And Cambly’s kids’ page does not mention training in teaching children or regular reports for parents. You track progress through the videos: according to the Cambly Kids privacy policy (April 2026), every lesson is recorded, parents have access, and recordings are deleted after twelve months of account inactivity. Data is processed in the US, and the kids’ site carries the kidSAFE seal.

Key features

• 30-minute one-to-one lessons for ages 4 to 15
• Native-speaking teachers only
• CEFR-aligned courses from A1 to C1, with parents choosing the level
• Plans with 1, 2 or 3 lessons per week, for 1, 3 or 12 months
• Video recordings of all lessons for parents
• Free games, quizzes and workbooks after registration

Pricing

Cambly shows prices by country, and we have converted the amounts below into euros. With two 30-minute lessons a week, a lesson costs around €24.05 on the monthly plan, €19.98 on the 3-month plan with a 10% saving and €12.21 on the annual plan with a 45% saving. That comes to roughly €106 (annual plan) to €208 (monthly plan) a month.

• 30-minute trial lesson for around €0.70
• The annual plan renews automatically every twelve months, and you can switch renewal off in your account at any time
• Full refund on your first plan if you get in touch within seven days

Prices last checked: October 2026.

Who is it for?

• Children aged 8 to 15 with basic skills who mainly need speaking and listening practice
• Families who value exposure to different English accents
• Parents who want to track progress through videos and are comfortable with an English-language interface
• Budgets starting at around €106 per month for two hours a week (annual plan)

User reviews

Cambly overall has a Trustpilot rating of 2.0 out of 5 from 264 reviews (October 2026), and opinions are sharply divided: 41% give it five stars, while 44% give it one. We found no reviews there from parents about Cambly Kids. Below, a user shares their experience first, followed by a tutor who has taught on Cambly since 2020. We translated both reviews from English.

#4 - Preply: English tutoring with a teacher of your choice

Preply is a marketplace for one-to-one lessons. Its German page for children lists around 14,600 English teachers with profiles, videos, prices and reviews. Regular lessons usually last 50 minutes, trial lessons last 25 or 50 minutes, and if the first teacher is not a good fit, you can try two more for free.

For families in Germany, Preply is primarily a tutoring service that lets you choose your own teacher. Filters for price, time and native language help you find teachers who can explain things in German, use playful activities with primary school children or provide targeted preparation for a school test. Preply even has a dedicated page for English homework help. However, quality and teaching methods depend entirely on the individual. There is no shared curriculum, and we found no information about background checks or child safeguarding on the children's page. Your subscription with a teacher renews every 28 days, unscheduled lessons expire, and you must cancel at least one day before payment is taken. The AI summary feature, Lesson Insights, only transcribes audio if you enable it.

Key features

• Around 14,600 English teachers for children on the German site
• Filters for price, availability, native language and country of origin
• 25- or 50-minute trial lesson, with two more teachers to try for free
• Subscription with one teacher, renewing every 28 days
• Lesson Insights as an optional AI summary

Prices

Each teacher sets their own price. On the German children's page, average prices are around €22 (native speakers) and €23 (non-native speakers) per lesson, ranging by country of origin from about €16 (South Africa) to €25 (USA). The price filter starts at around €2.67 after conversion. One lesson a week at the average price therefore costs around €90 every 28 days.

Prices last checked: October 2026.

Who is it for?

• Schoolchildren with specific gaps to address before a test
• Parents who want a teacher who also speaks German
• Families who prefer to compare and choose for themselves
• Budgets starting at a few euros per lesson, averaging around €90 per 28 days

User reviews

Preply has a Trustpilot rating of 4.4 out of 5 from 24,971 reviews (October 2026). The two reviews below concern Preply in general, not specifically lessons for children.

#5 - Lingokids: A learning app for preschool children

Lingokids is an app without a teacher, designed for children aged two to eight. It includes over 4,000 games, songs, shows and podcasts. Activities are in English, and the interface is available in German. We included it because this is where many families start. A four-year-old learns through words, sounds and repetition; grammar comes later. Lingokids is ad-free, carries the kidSAFE COPPA+ seal, and provides parents with progress reports in the Plus version.

Without video lessons, there are no recordings. According to its privacy policy, Lingokids stores an optional first name, age, learning progress and device identifiers; microphone use and speech recognition are optional. The data controller is Monkimun Inc., with an address in Delaware, and the Spanish data protection authority is among the supervisory authorities listed. According to Lingokids, children's data is not used for advertising, but the developer does disclose tracking identifiers in the App Store. The app cannot offer a conversation in which someone asks follow-up questions and responds to your child.

Key features

• App for ages 2 to 8, with a German interface and English content
• Over 4,000 games, songs, shows and podcasts
• Ad-free, with kidSAFE-COPPA-Plus certification
• Progress reports for parents in the Plus version
• 7-day free trial

Prices

In the German App Store, Lingokids costs €17.99 a month or €86.00 a year, and a Plus annual membership is also listed at €107.99. On the website, prices work out at around €11.99 a month and €143.85 a year after conversion, and the annual price is often discounted. The amount you see depends on the platform, the country and the current offer. You can try the app free for seven days, and you cancel wherever you bought it.

Prices last checked: October 2026.

Who is it suitable for?

• Children aged 2 to 6 hearing English for the first time
• Families who want to try English without a fixed schedule
• Younger siblings, as a supplement to live lessons
• Budgets starting at around €7 per month (annual subscription)

Parents' experiences

Lingokids has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 from 164 reviews on Trustpilot, and 4.3 from 5,257 reviews in the German App Store (October 2026). Below, two mothers share their experiences; we translated their reviews from English.

#6 - Berlitz Kids & Teens: Holiday courses, groups and Abitur preparation

Berlitz Kids & Teens is the program for children and teenagers offered by the Berlitz language school, with locations in over 40 German cities. English is available from age four, both in person and live in a browser. Online, you can choose between a holiday week, a year-long group course with one fixed afternoon, a small group with friends and private lessons. There is also preparation for the written and oral Abitur exams. Instructors have native-level proficiency and, according to Berlitz, are specially trained to teach children. Almost all centers are also exam centers, for Cambridge and TOEFL Junior, for example. For online lessons, your child needs a PC or laptop, a headset and a webcam.

Berlitz is less geared toward a weekly routine with feedback after every lesson; we found no information on parent reports or recordings. However, your contract is with Berlitz Deutschland GmbH in Frankfurt am Main. This means there is a contact within Germany for data protection questions.

Key features

• English from age 4, live online and at Berlitz centers
• Five-day online holiday course; year-long group course with one afternoon per week
• Small groups with friends and flexible private lessons
• Preparation for written and oral English Abitur exams
• Exam center for Cambridge, TOEFL Junior and more
• Free 45-minute online trial lesson

Prices

The Berlitz shop lists these starting prices for children and teens. They apply to English and four other languages:

• Online holiday course, one week: from €299
• Online group course, one year: from €948 (around €79 a month)
• Online mini group: from €560, or €28 per child per lesson according to the course page
• Online one-to-one lessons: from €614

Prices last checked: October 2026.

Who is it suitable for?

• Teenagers aged 12 to 17 working towards an exam or the Abitur
• Families who would rather fit English into holiday weeks than into the school routine
• Parents who value a German contracting company and a school nearby
• Budget from €299 per holiday week or around €79 a month for the group course

Parents' experiences

Berlitz's global Trustpilot profile has a rating of 2.8 out of 5 from 684 reviews (October 2026). Just over half give five stars and 18% give one, with critical reviews often mentioning substitute teachers and cancelled lessons. The two reviews below are from parents whose children studied at Berlitz, one in online one-to-one lessons and the other in a youth group.

#7 - Schülerhilfe: Online tutoring before the next school test

Schülerhilfe is one of Germany's best-known tutoring providers. In addition to its local centres, it offers online lessons, either one-to-one or in groups of three to five children. A lesson lasts 45 minutes and is often booked as a double session. Lessons focus on schoolwork—basic vocabulary, grammar and the next test—rather than free conversation. Tutors include teachers, advanced university students and graduates, trained through an ISO 29993-certified process. Free online homework help is available Monday to Friday from 4 to 8 pm, with the AI learning tool KIRA available at selected centres.

Schülerhilfe highlights awards such as first place for customer satisfaction in online tutoring at the German Customer Award 2026. The website provides no information on whether online lessons are recorded; the general privacy policy of the German operators ZGS Bildungs-GmbH and Schülerhilfe GmbH & Co. KG applies. Families planning to apply for tutoring support through Germany's education and participation benefits package are most likely to find a suitable partner at a tutoring provider like this one. Approval, however, remains the responsibility of the local authority.

Key features

• Online tutoring, one-to-one or in groups of 3 to 5 children
• 45-minute lessons, often booked as 90-minute double sessions
• Tutor onboarding in line with ISO 29993
• Free online homework help Monday to Friday, 4 to 8 pm
• Frequency, contract length, format and tutor can be changed during the contract
• Free trial lessons (one double session) for new customers

Prices

Online prices are based on the recommended 24-month term and may vary by centre.

• Group (3 to 5 children), two double lessons a week: €8.76 per 45 minutes, around €152 a month
• One-to-one, two lessons a week: €24.12 per 45 minutes, around €209 a month
• One-off registration fee of up to €69, depending on the centre
• Contracts with and without a minimum term

Prices last checked: October 2026.

Who is it suitable for?

• Schoolchildren from Year 5 onwards whose English grade is slipping
• Families who want fixed lesson times and a contact in Germany
• Parents who want to apply for learning support through the Bildungspaket
• Budget around €152 (group) to €209 (one-to-one) a month on a 24-month term

Parents' experiences

Schülerhilfe has a Trustpilot rating of 3.5 out of 5 from 927 reviews (October 2026). 62% give five stars and 25% give one. According to Trustpilot, the company has not responded to negative reviews. The first review below concerns online tutoring, while the second is about the Hilden centre.

Which option is right for your child?

A ranking tells you little about what your child needs right now. A more useful question is which gap you want to fill:

• Learning to speak, with the same teacher over several months and visible progress: Flalingo Kids
• A child aged 4 to 10 who is motivated by stars and avatars: Novakid
• The basics are in place, and now you want your child to hear native speakers: Cambly Kids
• The next English test is coming up, and explanations in German are welcome too: Preply
• Preschool age, with an initial focus on listening to English and playing: Lingokids
• A week during the school holidays or preparation for the Abitur with a local language school: Berlitz Kids & Teens
• Your child is at risk of having to repeat a year, or you want funding through the education benefits package: Schülerhilfe

Before booking, it is worth doing a little check. Ask by email whether lessons are recorded, who can view the recordings and when they are deleted. Then let your child take the trial lesson on their own and ask afterwards what they talked about with the teacher. If they tell you spontaneously, the lesson went well.

Flalingo Kids takes first place in our ranking because it most consistently brings together what supports children learning English: a teacher who stays with them, a coursebook series that continues beyond the transition to Year 5, and reports that keep parents informed without having to watch the lessons.

Would you like to speak more English yourself again? Our comparison of the best online English courses in Germany for adults shows which providers suit working people and when Bildungsurlaub is an option.