# Jolly Phonics vs S Learning

The clearest difference is ads: Jolly Phonics at none against S Learning's shown. S Learning's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Jolly Phonics sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and S Learning sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Jolly Phonics ships an update every 5 weeks, S Learning every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Jolly Phonics | S Learning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 227 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Jolly Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/897894555) | [Innocent Agbadi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895934072) |

## 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


### S Learning

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/s-learning/id6764841176)

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| 10 Coins Pack | $0.49 | one-time |
| 100 Coins Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 500 Coins Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1000 Coins Pack | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Jolly Phonics free?

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

### Is S Learning free?

S Learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Jolly Phonics or S Learning have ads?

S Learning shows ads; Jolly Phonics does not.

### Which is updated more often, Jolly Phonics or S Learning?

Jolly Phonics ships an update every 5 weeks, and S Learning every 10 days. Most recently, Jolly Phonics was updated on September 24, 2026 and S Learning on September 15, 2026.

---

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