Comparison

Initial Code Full Version vs Clicker Writer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Initial Code Full Version

This app supports learning to read and spell in English through a phonics program. It offers activities for blending, segmenting, and word/sentence reading and writing, with units unlocking as progress is made.

Highlights
  • Phonics-based reading and spelling
  • Blending and segmenting activities
  • Sound-spelling correspondence
  • Word and sentence reading/writing
  • Unit-based progression
Read full description

The official app for the Sounds-Write Initial Code phonics programme, for learning to read and spell in English. ******* IPAD ONLY ******* This app is currently unavailable on the iPhone because of the writing element of the app. For young children to become fluent readers and spellers they need to rehearse and consolidate what they are learning. It is this, repeated over and over again, that enables their access to alphabetic code knowledge and skills to become totally automatic and internalised processes. This app offers a variety of activities to develop the skills of blending and segmenting, sound spelling correspondence, word reading and writing and some sentences reading and writing. The app has been designed to introduce all the sound-spelling correspondences your child(ren) needs to learn to put them well on the way to learning to read and write. Each unit will be locked until the child has completed enough of the current unit to be able to progress. For more information on the Sounds-Write programme please visit www.sounds-write.co.uk

About

Clicker Writer

This writing tool supports students of all abilities, from ages 5-11, to build confidence and improve their writing skills. It offers features like speech feedback, word prediction, and customizable grids with pictures to aid sentence construction and vocabulary development.

Highlights
  • Speech feedback for reviewing writing
  • Clicker Grids for sentence building
  • Picture-enhanced word banks
  • Intelligent word prediction
  • Voice notes for prompts
  • SuperKeys for accessibility
Features
Read full description

THE WRITING TOOL FOR SCHOOLS Develop students’ writing skills and build struggling writers’ confidence with Clicker Writer - the writing tool that provides differentiated support for students of all abilities. Continuously developed by Crick Software for over 30 years, the Clicker product range is used in thousands of schools around the world. REVIEW WRITING WITH CLEAR SPEECH Students use the child-friendly keyboard to type into the simple word processor, and a range of speech options encourages them to review what they have written. This helps students find and correct errors for themselves, enabling them to become more independent writers. BUILD WRITING CONFIDENCE WITH CLICKER GRIDS Clicker Grids provide students with point and click access to whole words and phrases. Beginner writers build sentences word-by-word, while developing writers use topic-based word banks to complement their keyboard writing. Browse LearningGrids directly from the app to access hundreds of free sets of Clicker Grids on a wide range of topics - or use the built-in editor (which now includes Cai, our amazing AI assistant) to create your own in seconds! USE SYMBOLS AND PICTURES FOR EXTRA SUPPORT Clicker Writer’s Picturize tool makes it easy to add symbols or pictures to support understanding and writing across Clicker Grids, the spell checker, the word predictor, and your document. It includes 10,000 Widgit symbols and 4,500 curriculum pictures, and you can also add your own images. DEVELOP VOCABULARY AND SPELLING WITH WORD PREDICTION The intelligent word predictor suggests words that fit the context of students’ writing, helping them to use good vocabulary and create flowing text with accurate spelling. CHECK WORDS BEFORE THEY ARE USED Learners can listen to words before they write them, helping them to find the word they want and achieve writing success. Any word in a Clicker Grid or the predictor can be heard before it is used by using our unique Sound Shift tool. ADD VOICE NOTES Voice Notes are a simple yet highly effective way for students to add their own prompts, so they don’t forget their train of thought – add them to the document at any time. WRITING TO BE PROUD OF The child-friendly Sassoon font included in the app makes Clicker documents look great. Save and print your documents directly on your device, or share them with Clicker Writer on your PC, Mac or Chromebook via Google Drive or OneDrive. Whatever your students’ current level, you’ll watch their confidence grow and their motivation soar as they experience writing success! ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL To make access easier for those with physical challenges, the unique SuperKeys option groups the letter keys into clusters, creating just six large areas to target. Just select the cluster containing the letter you want, then choose the letter in the enlarged cluster. Colors and font sizes can be customized for enhanced visibility. ORGANIZE IDEAS WITH CLICKER BOARD Organizing ideas is an important first step in the writing process, and one that many learners struggle with. Clicker Board is a child-friendly mind mapping area that makes it easy to capture and organize thoughts using words, Voice Notes, and pictures.

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Initial Code Full Version at 100% against Clicker Writer's 43%. Initial Code Full Version also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Clicker Writer's advantage is price (Free vs $5.99) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Clicker Writer is free to download; Initial Code Full Version costs $5.99 up front. Clicker Writer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Initial Code Full Version asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Initial Code Full Version holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Initial Code Full Version's written reviews are positive against 43% of Clicker Writer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Initial Code Full Version ships an update every 5 months, Clicker Writer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Initial Code Full Version versus Clicker Writer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInitial Code Full VersionClicker Writer
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better42.9% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size83 MB174 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSounds-Write LtdCrick Software

Customer experience

Initial Code Full Version

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Clicker Writer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%

In-app purchases

None

Initial Code Full Version

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Clicker Writer

One-time1
  • Clicker Writer In-App Purchase$350.00

Questions

Is Initial Code Full Version free?
Initial Code Full Version costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Clicker Writer free?
Clicker Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Initial Code Full Version or Clicker Writer?
Initial Code Full Version is rated higher. Initial Code Full Version averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Clicker Writer averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Initial Code Full Version or Clicker Writer have ads?
Neither Initial Code Full Version nor Clicker Writer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Initial Code Full Version or Clicker Writer?
Initial Code Full Version ships an update every 5 months, and Clicker Writer every 2 months. Most recently, Initial Code Full Version was updated on November 11, 2026 and Clicker Writer on November 3, 2026.

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