Comparison

Reading Hero vs Funetix

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

Head to head
About

Reading Hero

This reading tutor transforms sight word practice into an engaging game. It utilizes voice recognition for real-time feedback, offering audio guidance from a teacher. The app progresses through research-backed word lists, suitable for young learners and English language students.

Highlights
  • Sight word reading game
  • Real-time voice recognition feedback
  • Teacher audio recordings
  • DOLCH word lists
  • Progressive difficulty levels
  • Suitable for ages 4-8
Features
Read full description

Reading Hero is the only reading app that makes a game out of sight word reading, while providing real-time feedback! We use voice recognition to tell if a word was read correctly, and give feedback with audio recordings from a real teacher! The app uses DOLCH words, which is a research-backed collection of the most common words in the English language (used by schools across the country to assess reading proficiency). The difficulty of the DOLCH words increases as you complete each level. It is ideal for children ages 4-8 (pre-K to third grade) who are learning to read, or English learners of any age. Best of all, it is completely free, and has zero advertisements! Created by teachers, for anyone learning to read.

About

Funetix

This app offers a comprehensive reading learning experience for children, simulating 12 hours of one-on-one tutoring. It guides learners from basic phonics to a second-grade reading level using a unique, patented method with pictograms and tiered support tools.

Highlights
  • Simulates 12 hours of private tutoring
  • Teaches all 44 English sounds with pictograms
  • Progresses from ABCs to 2nd grade reading level
  • Patented Diacritic Support for clarity
  • Uses unique games and challenges
  • Builds reading confidence
Features
Read full description

FUNetix® is a completely new, game changing “Reading Learning” app truly designed “from the ground up,” and proven through 17 years of field testing by the American Youth Literacy Foundation, 501 c 3. -With over 2,000 screens of fully narrated linear content, kids enjoy a confidence building, reading learning experience that simulates 12 hours of private, professional 1-on-1, tutoring. -Forty modules take children from the ABC’s to a 2nd grade reading level in just about 12 hours, giving them powerful, newfound confidence in their ability to decode any English word. -Patented in 2012 (US 8,131,538 B2), FUNetix stands apart from virtually every other reading app in the marketplace for its wholly unique approach to teaching all 44 sounds of the English language (phonemic awareness) using pictograms, and for naming every English sound before moving on to English spelling conventions and irregularities. -FUNetix takes the stress and anxiety out of learning how to read. Children aren’t spooked by Kindercode™, otherwise known as 21E®, the children’s phonetic English code that teaches blending and segmentation with fully predictable symbol/sound correspondences. -Children advance with unprecedented speed to reading everyday English words and sentences (say good-bye to “The cat sat on the mat.”), using powerful, tiered learning support tools to include: Audio Support, Phonetic Support, and our 8-years-patented and proven Diacritic Support. -Learners are systematically weaned off of diacritics when they are ready, and as they become accustomed to English Verbal Word Form Patterns and as they begin to read sentences and stories with comprehension. -Short “phonics” break out sessions populate the later modules to reinforce certain common English letter patterns, but FUNetix is primarily a step by step “treasure hunt” (in the form of unique games and challenges) that leads to fully capable and confident readers in record time. -FUNetix’ success comes, in part, by taking away the intimidation factor many children experience when they can’t “sound out” a word. For example, how is a child supposed to know that the “ea” in the word “read” sounds different than the “ea” in the word “bread?” With FUNetix, children don’t have to guess, or feel anxious, because all of the “sound data” is provided to them by our proprietary learning support tools. -Of note, the patented FUNetix system was created by a former Spanish and Arabic linguist for the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army, in 2003, who, as a father, was driven to find a solution to his 8-year-old son’s reading challenges, and, as a result, stumbled upon the insight of applying the “Diacritic Method” used by the ancient Greeks, Arabs, Hebrews and Persians to clarify their own written codes. Since 2008, the American Youth Literacy Foundation’s mission has been to scale the 100% free, FUNetix reading system to reach every child in America and millions more around the world. -FUNetix is a simple, easy, fun, logical and achievable path to literacy for beginning English readers presented in the form of a smartphone, “treasure hunt” app, that teaches most children how to read in about 12 hours. -Children complete 21 primers and books from K-2nd grade level within the app, and in a “surprise ending / fresh beginning,” kids are treated to a wonderful graduation / trophy ceremony and are invited to become permanent, VIP Members of the “Wonderful Content Library,” where they can browse books, games, puzzles and treasure hunts (all accompanied by the patented, FUNetix learning support tools) each time they return to the app. -If you want your child to become a strong, confident reader, understanding grade level, everyday English, in about 12 hours, with a further understanding of English letters, sounds and phonics patterns, please download and play the FUNetix 12 Hour Reading App. It’s 100% free and presented as a gift to your child from the American Youth Literacy Foundation, 501 c 3.

Screenshots

Reading Hero4 screens
Funetix4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Reading Hero at monthly against Funetix's every 7 months. Reading Hero also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 75%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Reading Hero against 4.4 for Funetix. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 18 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Reading Hero's written reviews are positive against 75% of Funetix's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reading Hero ships an update monthly, Funetix every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Reading Hero versus Funetix: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReading HeroFunetix
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (25 ratings) — better4.4 (18 ratings)
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings25 — better18
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size87 MB99 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJosh GlazerAmerican Youth Literacy Foundation, Inc.

Customer experience

Reading Hero

All ratings25 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

Funetix

All ratings18 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

Reading Hero

No in-app purchases

None

Funetix

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Reading Hero free?
Reading Hero is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Funetix free?
Funetix is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Reading Hero or Funetix?
Reading Hero is rated higher. Reading Hero averages 4.5 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Funetix averages 4.4 from 18 ratings.
Do Reading Hero or Funetix have ads?
Neither Reading Hero nor Funetix shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reading Hero or Funetix?
Reading Hero ships an update monthly, and Funetix every 7 months. Most recently, Reading Hero was updated on September 29, 2026 and Funetix on October 3, 2026.

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