# Journals alive vs Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.

The clearest difference is rating: Journals alive at 4.3 against Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.'s 3.5. Journals alive also leads on iOS requirement (8.1 vs 12.0). Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.'s advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (60 vs 10). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Journals alive holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. has 60 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Journals alive ships an update every 6 months, Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and August 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Journals alive | Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journals-alive/id1289969334/reviews)** | [3.5 (60 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scholastic-first/id1367760788/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **60** |
| Positive reviews | — | 10.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 273 MB | 433 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.1** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alive Studios, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/856124778) | [Scholastic Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/392025741) |

## What reviewers say

### Journals alive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journals-alive/id1289969334)

This app enhances printed journals for early learners, bringing letters, numbers, and shapes to life with interactive zoo animals. It offers an engaging way to master foundational educational concepts at home or in the classroom.

**Highlights:** Interactive learning experience, Master alphabet letters, Learn numbers 0-20, Explore basic geometric shapes, Augmented reality zoo animals, Engaging for home and classroom

**In-app purchases:** none


### Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scholastic-first/id1367760788)

This app helps children learn to read through a research-based methodology that breaks down reading skills into thousands of micro-actions. It offers personalized learning paths and detailed progress reports for educators and parents.

**Highlights:** Personalized reading paths, Micro-action learning methodology, Phonemic awareness focus, Progress reporting for educators, Adaptive learning technology, Offline access

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Journals alive free?

Journals alive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. free?

Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Journals alive or Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.?

Journals alive is rated higher. Journals alive averages 4.3 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. averages 3.5 from 60 ratings.

### Do Journals alive or Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. have ads?

Neither Journals alive nor Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Journals alive or Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.?

Journals alive ships an update every 6 months, and Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. every 2 months. Most recently, Journals alive was updated on June 1, 2026 and Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. on August 24, 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.*