Comparison

R21 vs Top Phonics

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

Head to head
About

R21

Features
Read full description

R21 is a new six-level reading series carefully designed to help young learners develop the skills they’ll need to succeed in the 21st century. Each book covers a range of topics and makes use of the latest Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) methods to ensure they’ll appeal to young children and have a connection to children’s wider studies and experiences. With R21, reading is fun, inspiring as well as informative, and children will not only develop their reading competence but also become a great thinker in the 21st century.

About

Top Phonics

Features
Read full description

Top Phonics is an easy-to-use five-level phonics app developed for young learners of English. Students will learn to recognize and say the letters of the English alphabet. In the end, they will be able to read stories as well as words. This app provides a guided, step-by-step presentation of single-letter sounds and vowel and consonant combination. Features: - Entertaining chants and songs to provide listening and pronunciation practice. - Fun stories to develop reading skills. - Vocabulary acquisition through Flashcards - Reinforcing the words and sounds through Practice - Test that will help check up what students have learned

Screenshots

R213 screens
Top Phonics4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: R21 at every 3 months against Top Phonics's every 19 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

R21 ships an update every 3 months, Top Phonics every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
R21 versus Top Phonics: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterR21Top Phonics
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 months β€” betterEvery 19 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.09.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size114 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCAVES BOOKS LTD.Seed Learning, Inc

In-app purchases

None

R21

No in-app purchases

None

Top Phonics

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is R21 free?
R21 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Top Phonics free?
Top Phonics is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do R21 or Top Phonics have ads?
Neither R21 nor Top Phonics shows ads.
Which is updated more often, R21 or Top Phonics?
R21 ships an update every 3 months, and Top Phonics every 19 months. Most recently, R21 was updated on October 26, 2026 and Top Phonics on October 13, 2026.

Other comparisons