# Jolly Phonics Pro vs Alphablocks, How to Write

The clearest difference is price: Alphablocks, How to Write at $3.99 against Jolly Phonics Pro's $49.99. Alphablocks, How to Write also leads on review sentiment (56% vs 34%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Jolly Phonics Pro's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.9) and ratings volume (232 vs 24). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Jolly Phonics Pro costs $49.99 and Alphablocks, How to Write $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Jolly Phonics Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Jolly Phonics Pro has 232 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 34% of Jolly Phonics Pro's written reviews are positive against 56% of Alphablocks, How to Write's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Jolly Phonics Pro ships an update every 3 months, Alphablocks, How to Write every 5 months. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Jolly Phonics Pro | Alphablocks, How to Write |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $49.99 | **$3.99** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (232 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jolly-phonics-pro/id1242383996/reviews)** | [3.9 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphablocks-how-to-write/id1582623084/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **232** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | 34.0% of reviews | **55.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 227 MB | 323 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jolly Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/897894555) | [Blue-Zoo](https://appshunter.io/developer/938119031) |

## What reviewers say

### Jolly Phonics Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jolly-phonics-pro/id1242383996)

This interactive app helps children develop reading and writing skills through a science-based phonics approach. It features engaging songs, actions, and games to make learning fun and effective for home or classroom use.

**Highlights:** Learn all 42 letter sounds, Animated letter formation for handwriting, Interactive flashcards and wordbanks, Progress tracking and assessments, Songs and actions for multisensory learning

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for learning phonics
- 👍 Helps children learn letters and words
- 👍 Addictive yet educational
- 👍 Good for non-native English speakers
- 👍 Interactive and fun

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 No sound for some letters/words
- 🐛 Paid version offers no added value over free
- 🐛 Expensive for limited content
- 🐛 Poor implementation and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after purchase
- App shows blank page
- App has no sound
- Sounds stop working after a few games
- Some sounds are missing (e.g., 'oa', 'ue', 'ow')

**Requested features**

- Add more phonic groups
- Allow tapping stories to be read aloud
- Option to choose different speaking speeds
- Add interactive word bank
- Support for family sharing


### Alphablocks, How to Write

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphablocks-how-to-write/id1582623084)

This app uses animated characters to teach children how to write letters and numbers. It features a guided learning path with pre-writing exercises, letter families, and tracing practice with rhymes. The app is designed by educational experts and is ad-free.

**Highlights:** Pre-writing line practice, Letter families based on shape, Scaffolded learning trajectory, Letter and numeral tracing, Writing rhymes for memorization, Adventure-based learning

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Jolly Phonics Pro free?

Jolly Phonics Pro costs $49.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Alphablocks, How to Write free?

Alphablocks, How to Write costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Jolly Phonics Pro or Alphablocks, How to Write?

Jolly Phonics Pro is rated higher. Jolly Phonics Pro averages 4.5 out of 5 from 232 ratings, while Alphablocks, How to Write averages 3.9 from 24 ratings.

### Do Jolly Phonics Pro or Alphablocks, How to Write have ads?

Neither Jolly Phonics Pro nor Alphablocks, How to Write shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Jolly Phonics Pro or Alphablocks, How to Write?

Jolly Phonics Pro ships an update every 3 months, and Alphablocks, How to Write every 5 months. Most recently, Jolly Phonics Pro was updated on October 27, 2026 and Alphablocks, How to Write on October 27, 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.*