Six apps · US App Store prices
Best apps to learn World War II history in 2026
Search the App Store for "WW2" and you get tanks and shooters. These six apps teach the war itself, as stories, lessons, documentaries or reference, and most let you start for free.
Pick by the way you like to learn. A free narrated overview: Histia's World War II story. A ten-lesson course: Kinnu. A free school-style course: Khan Academy. Documentaries: History Hit. A game with quizzes: Paladin. Everything about a battle or a tank: Encyclopedia: World War II.
What is the best app to learn about World War II?
It depends on how you like to learn. For a free narrated overview, Histia's World War II story plays free with no subscription. For a structured course, Kinnu lists a ten-lesson World War II pathway. For documentaries, History Hit. For a deep reference, Encyclopedia: World War II, with about 1,200 illustrated articles.
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Our appA free narrated overview
Histia
A five-minute World War II story, free with no subscription, followed by eight written questions. Related stories cover D-Day, Churchill, Roosevelt, the interwar years and the war era.
Free story · $7.99/mo or $69.99 once for all 78
Watch out: an overview, not a military history; iPhone and iPad only.
Get Histia free -
A short course
Kinnu
Its site lists a World War II pathway of ten lessons, from the war's origins through the Eastern Front, the Holocaust, the Pacific and D-Day to the aftermath.
Free download · listing shows a $1.99 monthly item
Watch out: we have not checked that the pathway appears in the app today.
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A free course
Khan Academy
The nonprofit's free app; its US history course covers the war in its unit on America's rise to world power, 1890 to 1945.
Free · no in-app purchases listed
Watch out: the coverage is centred on the United States.
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Documentaries
History Hit
A streaming app of history documentaries and podcasts, with a D-Day collection on Operation Overlord. Downloads work offline.
$7.99/mo or $59.99/yr
Watch out: you need a subscription to watch.
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A game with quizzes
Paladin
Five-minute animated history lessons with a quiz after each. Its site lists World War II among its story topics.
Free download · $12.99/mo
Watch out: we could not list its specific World War II stories.
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A deep reference
Encyclopedia: World War II
About 1,200 illustrated reference articles on battles, campaigns, people and equipment, with a timeline and full-text search.
Five free articles · $9.99 once, or $2.99/mo
Watch out: a small rating base: 4.4 from 15 US ratings.
The six apps side by side
| App | Format | World War II content | Free access | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Histia (ours) | Narrated stories, written quizzes, map | World War II, D-Day, Churchill, Roosevelt, interwar years, war era | World War II and Roosevelt stories free | iPhone, iPad |
| Kinnu | Reading pathways, spaced review, audio | Ten-lesson World War II pathway on its site | Free pathways, per its site | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Khan Academy | Videos, articles, exercises | Within its US history course | Fully free | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| History Hit | Documentaries, podcasts | D-Day collection, among others | Browse only | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android |
| Paladin | Animated lessons, quizzes | World War II among its story topics | Limited free version, per its terms | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Encyclopedia: World War II | Reference articles, timeline | About 1,200 articles, all on the war | Five articles of your choice | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
US App Store listings and publisher sites checked October 13, 2026. Content descriptions are each publisher's own; we did not use the competitor apps.
Is there a free app to learn WW2 history?
Yes. Histia's World War II and Franklin D. Roosevelt stories play free with no subscription. Khan Academy is entirely free and its US history course covers the war. Encyclopedia: World War II lets new readers open five articles of their choice for free, and Kinnu's site describes its pathways as free.
You can also start right here, without any app. Our free articles explain how World War 2 started, what happened on D-Day and who Churchill really was, each with its sources. The interactive world history timeline places the war among 5,000 years of events.
Also worth knowing
WW2 Daily ($1.99 on the App Store, with a free Lite version) shows what happened on each day of the war on a map, using a community timeline of about 500 events. It is a small one-person app with very few ratings, last updated in July 2025, so treat it as a curiosity rather than a course.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app to learn about World War II?
It depends on how you like to learn. For a free narrated overview, Histia's World War II story plays free with no subscription. For a structured course, Kinnu lists a ten-lesson World War II pathway. For documentaries, History Hit. For a deep reference, Encyclopedia: World War II, with about 1,200 illustrated articles.
Is there a free app to learn WW2 history?
Yes. Histia's World War II and Franklin D. Roosevelt stories play free with no subscription. Khan Academy is entirely free and its US history course covers the war. Encyclopedia: World War II lets new readers open five articles of their choice for free, and Kinnu's site describes its pathways as free.
Why do App Store searches for WW2 show so many games?
Most apps with "WW2" or "World War II" in their name are shooters and strategy games. The apps on this page were chosen because they teach the war's history, not because they rank for the term.
How we checked
We started from apps that teach history, then kept those whose own listing or site shows World War II content, and excluded games. Ratings, prices and devices come from the US App Store on October 13, 2026; World War II content comes from each publisher's site or listing. Khan Academy's course pages block automated requests, so its coverage is described from its course outline. We did not use the competitor apps, so we compare formats and coverage, not teaching quality.
Official sources
- Histia — US App Store listing; story list and quizzes from the current app build.
- Kinnu — US App Store listing and its World War II pathway.
- Khan Academy — US App Store listing and its US history unit, The rise to world power.
- History Hit — US App Store listing and its D-Day collection.
- Paladin — US App Store listing and official site (story topics).
- Encyclopedia: World War II — US App Store listing.
Checked October 13, 2026. Prices and offers change by market and account; check the purchase screen before you confirm.