# Jolly Phonics vs EJS Student Kit

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: EJS Student Kit at none against Jolly Phonics's 7. EJS Student Kit also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Jolly Phonics's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Jolly Phonics sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. EJS Student Kit asks for nothing beyond the download.

Jolly Phonics ships an update every 5 weeks, EJS Student Kit every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and May 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Jolly Phonics | EJS Student Kit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jolly-phonics-learn-to-read/id1149029299/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 42.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 227 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jolly Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/897894555) | [ITWORX Education](https://appshunter.io/developer/1136590081) |

## What reviewers say

### Jolly Phonics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jolly-phonics-learn-to-read/id1149029299)

This interactive app teaches children to read and write using a systematic synthetic phonics approach. It offers engaging lessons, songs, and games to build phonemic awareness and handwriting skills, aligned with the Science of Reading.

**Highlights:** Explore 42 letter sounds with songs and audio, Interactive tools for reading practice, Step-by-step handwriting animations, Phonics learning games, Progress tracking and assessments

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full access (monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Writing | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sounding | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alternatives | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tricky Words | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sound Groups 2 to 7 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Everything | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent for teaching phonics
- 🎓 Helpful for learning letter sounds
- 🎨 Multi-sensory approach (writing, reading, signing, singing)
- 🏫 Aligns with school curriculum

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔇 Audio issues (sound cutting out, missing sounds)
- 🤖 Unresponsive touch controls
- 💰 Expensive for limited content
- 🔁 Requires re-purchase on new devices

**Reported bugs**

- Account login issues
- Inability to restore purchases
- Blank/white screen problems
- Compatibility issues with newer devices

**Requested features**

- More games and interactive activities
- Print letter option instead of pre-cursive
- Ability to share purchases across devices
- Improved customer support and bug fixes


### EJS Student Kit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ejs-student-kit/id1594344660)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Jolly Phonics free?

Jolly Phonics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is EJS Student Kit free?

EJS Student Kit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Jolly Phonics or EJS Student Kit have ads?

Neither Jolly Phonics nor EJS Student Kit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Jolly Phonics or EJS Student Kit?

Jolly Phonics ships an update every 5 weeks, and EJS Student Kit every 6 months. Most recently, Jolly Phonics was updated on September 24, 2026 and EJS Student Kit on May 19, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*