Waldorf Essentials vs Enki Education: Honest 2026 Comparison
Right now these two overlap only before first grade. Enki Education, a Waldorf-Montessori blend, sells early childhood guides ($75-175) and a kindergarten program ($300 a year); its grades 1-5 are coming, one a year. Waldorf Essentials sells early childhood to Class 8 (Class 1 from $200 digital). For grade 1 and up, Waldorf Essentials is the one you can buy today.
Which Waldorf curriculum fits your family?
Four questions: your child’s age, the time you have each day, how close to a Waldorf school you want to be, and what matters most. Your answers are matched against the 8 curricula in our comparison. Starpath is one of them and gets no extra points. The result shows on the page, and you can have it emailed to you.
Answer the four questionsRight now, these two programs only meet before first grade. Enki Education sells its early childhood guides and a kindergarten program, and its grades 1 to 5 are "coming soon", one grade a year. Waldorf Essentials sells early childhood, two kindergarten years and Classes 1 to 8. So if your child is in grade 1 or above, Waldorf Essentials is the one you can buy today. If your child is in preschool or kindergarten, it's a real choice between a Waldorf-Montessori blend (Enki) and a more traditional Waldorf program with live coaching (Waldorf Essentials).
We're Starpath Learning, a Waldorf-inspired homeschool platform. We stay out of this comparison until the list of alternatives near the end.
What they share
Both Waldorf Essentials and Enki Education:
- Build on Waldorf teaching.
- Have programs for early childhood and kindergarten.
- Shape lessons around the stages of child development.
- Weave the arts through lessons (storytelling, music, visual arts).
- Publish their prices.
So they're fair to compare for the years before first grade. After that, only one of them has a program on sale.
Where they differ: pedagogical philosophy
Waldorf Essentials: Waldorf-aligned. You'll find main lesson blocks, main lesson books and form drawing, with the festivals and spiritual content of the Waldorf year. It says the curriculum is "NOT religious in content".
Enki Education: a blend of Waldorf, Montessori and cooperative learning, which it calls a Developmental Immersion and Mastery approach. Enki's own description of a week:
- Waldorf: Waldorf-style, adult-led learning begins each day.
- Montessori: Montessori-style individual pursuits every day, and for longer several times a week.
- Cooperative learning: cooperative project learning is part of each week.
Families from any of the three traditions will recognize parts of it, but it isn't strictly any one of them. Some Waldorf traditionalists dislike the mix, especially the child-led work, which Waldorf usually balances with teacher-led story and rhythm. Enki families tend to value the blend rather than identify with one tradition.
Where they differ: grade coverage
Waldorf Essentials: Foundations (early childhood), Kindergarten 1, Kindergarten 2, and Classes 1 to 8. Classes 7 and 8 aren't full curricula (math and main lesson stories come from elsewhere). High school is a free printable outline.
Enki Education: on sale now are the Foundation Guides, the Early Childhood Guide Set and the Kindergarten Program. The Grades 1 to 5 programs are marked "Coming soon!". Enki says grades 1 to 3 are moving to its new digital subscription model and grades 4 and 5 are in the final stage of development. It plans to release one grade a year over the next five years. Separately, Enki runs a live online Virtual Community School for grades 6, 7 and a combined 8 and 9, with classes three mornings a week.
This is the biggest difference between them in 2026. A family with a kindergartner can start with Enki, but should expect that grade 1 may not be ready when their child is. A family with a child in grades 1 to 5 can't use Enki as their homeschool curriculum yet.
Where they differ: pricing
Both publish prices. Enki sells one-year digital subscriptions; Waldorf Essentials sells each grade as a digital download, a printed copy, or a package with a year of mentoring and coaching.
Published US prices (prices checked September 2026):
| What you buy | Waldorf Essentials | Enki Education |
|---|---|---|
| Early childhood foundations | $99 digital, $175 print, $475 with Live Support (Foundations) | $75 (Foundation Guides) |
| Early childhood guide set | not sold separately | $175 for a one-year subscription (includes the Foundation Guides) |
| Kindergarten | $150 digital, $225 print, $525 with Live Support (each of K1 and K2) | $300 for a one-year subscription |
| Grade 1 | $200 digital, $275 print, $575 with Live Support | coming soon, not yet on sale |
| Grades 2 to 5 | $225-300 digital, $300-375 print | coming soon, not yet on sale |
| Grades 6 to 9 | Class 6 $300 digital; Classes 7 and 8 partial; free high school outlines | Virtual Community School, humanities $2,800 for the 2025/26 year |
Enki's prices follow a 50% cut announced on its home page, and it offers a sliding scale. An older price list is still on one of its pages, with kindergarten at $600 a year and grades 1 to 5 at $750 a year. Check the product page itself before you buy. Waldorf Essentials offers AfterPay payment plans, and all its sales are final.
Where they differ: support model
Waldorf Essentials: free Zoom office hours twice a month, a free Facebook group, and optional paid mentoring, coaching calls and planning help through the Live Support package.
Enki Education: a digital subscription hosted on RedShelf, with written guides, audio and video demonstrations and downloadable worksheets. The programs include live online group Q&A sessions with senior Enki faculty during the year, plus recorded guidance videos. Paid consultations are available.
If you want regular live calls and a mentor to turn to, Waldorf Essentials. If a few group Q&A sessions a year are enough, Enki.
Where they differ: framing
Waldorf Essentials: a Waldorf homeschool program, Waldorf-aligned in voice and content, built around the festivals.
Enki Education: multicultural in intent. Its About page names the multicultural focus of the United Nations International School among its influences, and its home page speaks of celebrating both the unity and diversity of humanity. Many families value this, including families who want their children to meet a wide range of cultures from the start.
Common questions about choosing between them
My child is in grade 1. Which is better?
Waldorf Essentials. Enki's grade 1 program isn't on sale yet.
My child is in kindergarten. Which is better?
Either could work for this year. Read a sample of each and choose the one whose days sound like your home. If you choose Enki, look at what you'll use for grade 1 before next autumn, since Enki hasn't given a release date.
I want a Montessori-ish approach with Waldorf elements. Which?
Enki Education, for the years it covers. It's built on that blend from the ground up.
I want strict Waldorf. Which?
Waldorf Essentials, of these two. For a more traditional approach, look at Christopherus or Live Education!.
My child is in grade 6 and I'd like live online classes. Which?
Enki's Virtual Community School runs live online humanities classes three mornings a week for grades 6 to 9. It's a class, not a homeschool curriculum you teach yourself, and we found no accreditation claim for it.
I value regular live coaching and community. Which?
Waldorf Essentials.
How they both compare to other Waldorf options
If neither Waldorf Essentials nor Enki Education feels right:
- Lavender's Blue: kindergarten to grade 3 (grade 4 in development), $327-397 per grade, secular, with a private online community.
- Christopherus: more traditional Waldorf, early years through grade 8.
- Live Education!: traditional, written by Waldorf-trained teachers, K-8, $425-595 per grade.
- Oak Meadow: PreK-12, secular, with an accredited distance school option.
- Earthschooling: preschool to grade 12, digital only, eurythmy included, $350 per grade for grades 1 to 8 at current sale prices.
- Starpath Learning: Waldorf-inspired, written by Sophie, a Waldorf class teacher. Digital platform, grades 1 to 3, blocks at $19 each or the full curriculum at $47/month.
What to do to choose
- Start with your child's grade. Grade 1 or above: Enki has no program on sale yet, so compare Waldorf Essentials with the other options above. Preschool or kindergarten: both are open to you.
- Decide on the approach. Traditional Waldorf, or a Waldorf-Montessori blend.
- Plan the next year. If you choose Enki for kindergarten, decide now what you'll do for grade 1 if Enki's isn't released in time.
- Decide what kind of support you want. Regular live calls (Waldorf Essentials) or a few group Q&A sessions a year (Enki).
- Read sample materials from each. You'll soon see which voice and approach suit your family.
- Check the prices on the product pages. Enki's older price list is still on one page, so go by the enroll page.
- Talk with families using each. Ask what a normal morning looks like.
Related reading
Sources
- Waldorf Essentials
- Waldorf Essentials: Kindergarten 1 product page (prices)
- Waldorf Essentials: Class 1 product page (prices and what's included)
- Enki Education
- Enki Education: Grades One to Five programs (coming soon)
- Enki Education: Kindergarten homeschool program
- Enki Education: Waldorf education and the Montessori method
Frequently asked questions
+What's the difference between Waldorf and Waldorf-Montessori-cooperative blend?
Waldorf is its own teaching tradition, begun by Rudolf Steiner: it follows the stages of child development, is rich in art and story, and teaches in blocks. Montessori is a different tradition, built on child-led work and hands-on materials. Cooperative learning puts the weight on group projects. Enki Education draws on all three: each day begins with Waldorf-style, adult-led learning, Montessori-style individual work happens daily, and cooperative project learning is part of each week. Enki calls this a Developmental Immersion and Mastery approach. Waldorf families will recognize much of it, but it isn't strictly Waldorf.
+Which has more grade coverage?
Waldorf Essentials, by a wide margin right now. It sells early childhood, two kindergarten years and Classes 1 to 8. Enki Education currently sells only its early childhood guides and its kindergarten program. Its Grades 1 to 5 programs are marked 'Coming soon!': grades 1 to 3 are moving to a new digital subscription and grades 4 and 5 are in final development, with one grade released each year. Enki also runs a live online Virtual Community School for grades 6 to 9.
+How much do Waldorf Essentials and Enki Education cost?
Both publish their prices. Enki's Foundation Guides are $75, the Early Childhood Guide Set is $175 for a one-year subscription, and the Kindergarten Program is $300 for a one-year subscription, after a 50% price cut; a sliding scale is available. Waldorf Essentials' Foundations guide is $99 digital, and each kindergarten year is $150 digital, $225 in print, or $525 with a year of mentoring and coaching. For first grade, only Waldorf Essentials is on sale: $200 digital (prices checked September 2026).
+Is Enki Education actually Waldorf?
Partly. Enki draws a great deal from Waldorf (the developmental approach, storytelling, the arts) and also from Montessori and cooperative learning. Its own article on the subject says it's inspired by Montessori and Waldorf, among others, and then says plainly: 'Enki is Enki.' Beth Sutton, M.Ed., its founder, is certified in Waldorf education. If you want strict Waldorf, Enki isn't the best fit. If you like parts of both traditions, Enki is one of the few programs that brings them together.
+Which has more parent support?
Waldorf Essentials offers more live contact. It runs free Zoom office hours twice a month and a free Facebook group, and its Live Support package adds mentoring and twice-monthly coaching calls for a year. Enki's homeschool programs include a handful of live online group Q&A sessions with senior Enki faculty each year (six or seven, depending on the page) plus recorded guidance videos, and it offers paid consultations.
+Why would I choose Enki over Waldorf Essentials?
For a child in preschool or kindergarten, you might choose Enki if you like the Waldorf-Montessori blend more than strict Waldorf, or you're drawn to its multicultural framing. Its kindergarten is a one-year digital subscription at $300. Just know that Enki can't carry you into first grade yet: its grade 1 program is still being moved to the new subscription model, with no release date. If your child starts grade 1 next year, plan for that gap.
+Why would I choose Waldorf Essentials over Enki?
If your child is in grade 1 or above, Waldorf Essentials is the one of the two you can actually buy today. It also suits you if you want Waldorf without the Montessori or cooperative-learning elements, if you'd like printed books, or if you value regular live group calls. Waldorf Essentials' more traditional approach and its early childhood to Class 8 range are what set it apart.
Related questions
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Read answerIs There a Waldorf Homeschool Curriculum?
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Read answerFind it on Starpath
Looking for a Waldorf school, kindergarten or parent-and-child group near you? Find one on the Waldorf Map.
Which Waldorf curriculum fits your family?
Four questions: your child’s age, the time you have each day, how close to a Waldorf school you want to be, and what matters most. Your answers are matched against the 8 curricula in our comparison. Starpath is one of them and gets no extra points. The result shows on the page, and you can have it emailed to you.
Answer the four questions