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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Better options than

Bedtime Stories alternatives

Users look for alternatives to Bedtime Stories due to recurring payment issues, limited free content, and technical problems. Alternatives offer diverse content, interactive features, or focus on sleep aids for different age groups.

Why users look for alternatives to Bedtime Stories

The alternatives

Epic
4.7★ · 518,403 ratings · Free

Epic offers a large library of books that children can read, with some users praising it as "amazing" for kids who like to read but prefer digital formats.

Better for: It is better for children who enjoy reading on devices and want a wide selection of books, though it is subscription-based.

Head-to-head: Bedtime Stories vs Epic
Little Stories
4.7★ · 45,208 ratings · Free

Little Stories provides bedtime books that some users, including a 10-year-old, find enjoyable for all ages. It offers interactive elements, such as the ability for children to record themselves reading along with the stories.

Better for: This app suits families looking for interactive story experiences and those who appreciate longer stories for bedtime rituals, especially if their child enjoys recording their own voice.

Head-to-head: Bedtime Stories vs Little Stories
Sleepiest
4.6★ · 30,805 ratings · Free

Sleepiest is designed to help users relax and fall asleep, offering a selection of audio sleep aids including stories, meditations, and various sounds like rain or thunder. Users with ADHD have found it helpful for a good night's rest.

Better for: It is better for individuals, including those with ADHD, who need assistance with relaxation and sleep, preferring guided meditations, stories, or background sounds to drift off.

Head-to-head: Bedtime Stories vs Sleepiest
Slumber-Calm Stories for Sleep
4.7★ · 26,633 ratings · Free

Slumber provides calming stories and meditations that help users fall asleep, particularly useful for those who wake up in the middle of the night. It offers a variety of storytellers and background sounds.

Better for: This app is ideal for adults or older children with insomnia or those who struggle to return to sleep, especially if they prefer a variety of narrators and customizable background sounds.

Head-to-head: Bedtime Stories vs Slumber-Calm Stories for Sleep
Zoog
4.9★ · 20,276 ratings · Free

Zoog allows users to record themselves narrating stories and songs, creating a personalized connection with family members. Grandparents find it a "wonderful way" to stay in touch with grandchildren who live far away, bringing joy to both sides.

Better for: Zoog is best for family members, especially grandparents, who want to create personalized story experiences to share with children, fostering connection across distances.

Head-to-head: Bedtime Stories vs Zoog
Stick with Bedtime Stories if

You should stick with Bedtime Stories if your child enjoys its interactive stories and options to read or sing, and you are willing to navigate its payment model and potential technical glitches .

Evidence note: No alternative had too few reviews to judge.

Frequently asked

Why are users looking for alternatives to Bedtime Stories?
Users are looking for alternatives to Bedtime Stories primarily due to issues with paid subscriptions not granting access to content, the high cost and limited free stories, and various technical problems like the app not opening or stories not loading R1R10R13R22.
What are common complaints about Bedtime Stories?
Common complaints about Bedtime Stories include being charged for subscriptions without gaining access to stories, the app being too expensive with most content locked, technical issues such as the app not opening or freezing, and grammatical errors in the stories R1R10R19R22.
Are there free options for bedtime stories?
While Bedtime Stories itself has very limited free content, some users express frustration about paying for stories, implying a desire for free options R1R13R18R19. Epic is subscription-based, only offering previews for free . Little Stories also has a subscription model, with only a few free stories .
Which alternative is best for helping adults sleep?
Slumber-Calm Stories for Sleep is highly recommended for adults struggling with sleep, as users find its meditations and stories calming and effective for falling back asleep in the middle of the night R94R100R101. Sleepiest is also good for relaxation and sleep, especially for those with ADHD R89.
Which alternative allows for personalized story creation?
Zoog allows users to record themselves narrating stories and songs, making it a personalized way to connect with children and grandchildren R108R116R119.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] Bedtime Stories 1/5 · US Wrest game ever: I don’t like this game because it’s not fun and it’s just so boring to play and I don’t like it because it’s not good it makes you pay for it but no one wants to pay for it because it’s not worth playing because you can’t afford it because it’s so much 💵💰 more money than you think it is because it’s not a good game and it’s just a bad game
  2. [R10] Bedtime Stories 2/5 · US Charged me 29.99$ for nothing: This app charged me 29.99$ but the stories are still not available. Total scam.
  3. [R16] Bedtime Stories 1/5 · US Awesome app: Love this app. Wonderful for kids my daughter really loves it. One problem I have is that sometimes I am not able to open some of the stories that I am paying for. I feel so bad when my daughter is trying to open them and it’s staying that I’m not subscribed. I called apple to make sure that I am paying for it and it was confirmed. Even them was having difficulty helping me to get the
  4. [R22] Bedtime Stories 1/5 · US not working: i have a year subscription, but i couldnt access the stories. Email them and they didnt replied, able to get a response from fb messenger and they told me to restore purchase and it still didnt work. i have pay for something that i didnt get, very frustrating.
  5. [R4] Bedtime Stories 1/5 · US Great but one problem: It’s super fun but wish there was more stories.
  6. [R12] Bedtime Stories 3/5 · US Good overall: Hate the fact that you have to pay to read baby books 😐
  7. [R13] Bedtime Stories 1/5 · US Horrible please read: Worst game in the world it only has like seven bucks unlocked and the other are locked. Like, what kind of game is that the worst and plus if I couldn’t even judge this, I wouldn’t even give it a zero that’s why I didn’t even rate it because I would give it a zero but I guess since you can’t give it a zero I would give it a one and plus I thought it was a kid friendly game. T
  8. [R3] Bedtime Stories 3/5 · US Seems cool but…: Just started, the app seems cool but it takes over my whole screen making it hard to minimize or exit. Have to restart my phone when I need to exit the app. Annoying
  9. [R25] Bedtime Stories 1/5 · US App is blank only music plays: Hopefully a rep contacts me to troubleshoot this, getting a blank screen with just music playing all day today.
  10. [R35] Bedtime Stories 1/5 · US App will not open: Continuous pushing to download other games without opening the actual game. Expensive and app won’t open when you press the play button
  11. [R39] Bedtime Stories 1/5 · US Story: I love to love this app but as soon as I do the free trial the app doesn’t work at all it say keep loading.
  12. [R9] Bedtime Stories 3/5 · US Alright: Stories are alright. However, you can tell that the stories where made by some one who isn’t proficient in English. Some words are incorrect and sometimes the sentences make no sense.
  13. [R21] Bedtime Stories 3/5 · GB Good not special: My baby likes it, nothing special. Stop forcing us to write a review or rate the app.
  14. [R37] Bedtime Stories 1/5 · US Stupid: Stupid thing blocks access to my kid forcing me to write this review before reading any stories or using the app at all
  15. [R55] Epic 5/5 · US Epic epic: This is amazing I definitely recommend if your children like to read but not on books
  16. [R64] Epic 5/5 · US Lots of books that you can read: I like epic it is a cool reading app
  17. [R66] Little Stories 5/5 · US Little Stories: Bedtime Books.: I Love My Favorite Storybook App Called “Little Stories”, It Makes Me Want To Be A Storyteller.
  18. [R69] Little Stories 5/5 · US It’s for everyone!: I’m a 10 year old and I still love listening to little stories it is wonderful for all ages!
  19. [R72] Little Stories 5/5 · US Our nightly ritual: My 3 year old can’t sleep without listening to the stories. We love it
  20. [R73] Little Stories 3/5 · US My 6 year old loves it: We have just read only a few books and I’m probably only going to pay for a few months as it only has a handful of stories to read (some aren’t too great). But the fun thing my daughter loves about the app is she’s is reading with me and we record it and she has so much fun recording it and reading the stories to me. She has so far listened to two books with herself reading
  21. [R80] Sleepiest 5/5 · US love this!: i listen to Jessica or Karissa every night as i go to sleep. it helps me to focus my mind on one thing instead of a hundred. and then i drift off peacefully into a good night’s sleep. thank you!
  22. [R87] Sleepiest 3/5 · US Trapped in Mediocrity: Cute little sleep app tells how long it took to fall asleep and has an excellent assortment of audio sleep aids ranging from automotive sounds to Zen, with every sound effect in between. At the top of the heap is the assortment of sleep storytellers & the myriad of stories from which to choose. The reporting lacks the detail and accuracy I was hoping to inform me of any
  23. [R89] Sleepiest 5/5 · US Sleepiest is good for your brain: Sleepies is good for your brain because it helps you relax I have ADHD. I can’t go to sleep with our good bedtime story or somebody talking to me or without rain. Sounds thunder anything like that so sleepy is gave me a chance to have a good night rest and talks to you. It has professional people And and make sure you are cozy and going at your own pace. I love sl
  24. [R92] Sleepiest 5/5 · US i love!!: i really love using this app when i’m having a hard time sleeping
  25. [R94] Slumber-Calm Stories for Sleep 5/5 · US Excellent app: I use Slumber almost every night when I wake up in the middle of the night and cannot immediately go back to sleep. Although each speaker is a little bit different, most of the meditations are very calming, relaxing, and supportive of sleep.
  26. [R100] Slumber-Calm Stories for Sleep 5/5 · US Slumber: Slumber makes me so calm that sometimes I falls asleep while reading my book and just helps me forget all the bad stuff and it opens the gate for happiness
  27. [R101] Slumber-Calm Stories for Sleep 3/5 · US Would be a 5: It would be 5 stars if most of the good stuff didn’t cost money but overall a great app. Helps me fall asleep every night when I use it and I have insomnia. The meditations are the best. Many sounds to use and adjust and super calming.
  28. [R103] Slumber-Calm Stories for Sleep 5/5 · US Using this app for years now: Amazing consistency, love Sam, Olympia, Arif, French Whisperer, Dan Jones and the dragon stories, Elizabeth Grace… Love the “history of” stories too And Elizabeth reading Wizard of Oz, she has fun voices.
  29. [R108] Zoog 5/5 · US Joke and greetings: The kids think it’s funny and I love a different kind of connection
  30. [R110] Zoog 5/5 · US Connecting with family: This has been a wonderful way for me to connect with all my great nieces and nephews! Love it!❤️
  31. [R112] Zoog 5/5 · US Joy: The joy this brings my grandson is precious to me!
  32. [R116] Zoog 5/5 · US Zoog is a hit with our grandchildren: Following the instructions for narrating the story and song I sent to each grandchild was easy…and the fun making each was totally unexpected. I could not stop laughing watching the playback!!
  33. [R19] Bedtime Stories 2/5 · US Money?!??!!: Too much money to access most story’s
  34. [R18] Bedtime Stories 3/5 · US It’s ok: Don’t like that you have to pay to have more books
  35. [R119] Zoog 5/5 · US Great App: This is a great way to stay close to the grandchildren when you live far away.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store