Time4Learning has been a homeschool staple for years. But its per-child pricing and dated, browser-only interface are exactly why families are moving to Lumi. Here's the short version.
Start Your Free 72-Hour Trial → No card required · $39.99/mo flat for up to 8 kids after trialTime4Learning shows up on almost every "best homeschool curriculum" list, and for good reason — it's been around since 2004 and plenty of families have used it successfully. But a lot of parents comparing it to Lumi today are running into the same friction points: the per-child bill that grows every time a sibling starts school, no way to test-drive it first, and an interface that hasn't kept pace with what kids expect from an app in 2026. Here's what changes when you switch.
Time4Learning offers no free trial — you pay first and find out if your kids like it after. Lumi gives you a free 72-hour trial with full access for every kid on your account, no card required. See how your family actually uses it before any money changes hands.
Time4Learning charges $24.95/month for the first child, plus $14.95/month per additional sibling — a 3-kid family pays roughly $54.85/month, or about $658/year. Lumi charges $39.99/month flat for up to 8 kids on one account. For a family with 3 kids, that's roughly $358 saved every year, for the same three kids fully covered — and the gap widens with every additional child.
Time4Learning has no game or reward layer, and its interface reads as dated to a lot of kids raised on modern apps. Lumi is built around coins, streaks, a world map that unlocks as kids progress, and a reward store — the engagement layer isn't a bolt-on, it's the whole design. Motivation stops being a daily battle.
With Time4Learning, a parent sets the grade level manually and adjusts it by hand as needed. Lumi's lessons auto-adapt to each child's level every day, with no manual setup required. Less time managing the platform, more time it just working.
Time4Learning is browser-only, with Chrome or Firefox recommended — it doesn't run natively on Fire tablets or Smart TVs. Lumi works on iOS, Android, Fire tablets, Chromebooks, Smart TVs, and the web, so it fits whatever device your family already has in hand.
Full access to every subject, every kid on your account, for 72 hours — no card required.
Try Lumi Free →Time4Learning has a real track record since 2004 and covers grades PreK through 12, which matters if you have a high schooler alongside younger kids (Lumi currently covers Pre-K–8, with Lumi High handling grades 9–12 separately). But for most K–8 homeschool families, especially with more than one child, the per-child pricing, lack of a trial, and browser-only limits are exactly why so many are switching to Lumi.
None of this means Time4Learning is a bad program — it's a respected, long-running curriculum with real strengths, especially for families with a high schooler in the mix. But for the typical K–8 family with more than one child, weighing cost against how excited their kids actually are to log in each morning, the comparison usually tips toward Lumi pretty quickly.
Full K–8 curriculum, up to 8 kids, one flat price. Try it free for 72 hours.
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