# Spello vs Starting Words

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Starting Words at none against Spello's 3. Starting Words also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Spello's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spello sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Starting Words asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Spello against 5.0 for Starting Words. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Spello ships an update every 2 months, Starting Words every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spello | Starting Words |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spello/id1478885845/reviews) | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starting-words/id1633668479/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **5** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 211 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DamTech Designs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1101269110) | [Curtis Fischer](https://appshunter.io/developer/506810099) |

## What reviewers say

### Spello

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spello/id1478885845)

This app offers a fun and engaging way for children and adults to improve their English spelling and vocabulary. It features various game modes like dictation, picture guessing, and riddles to make learning fast and easy. The app also helps enhance pronunciation and grammar skills.

**Highlights:** Learn English words and grammar, Improve pronunciation, Spelling quizzes and riddles, Multiple game modes, Progress tracking and levels, Vocabulary building

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spello Premium Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Spello Premium Monthly | $3.49 | per month |
| Spello Premium Yearly | $28.49 | per year |


### Starting Words

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starting-words/id1633668479)

This educational app helps young learners build essential spelling skills. Users drag and drop letters to form words, with audio pronunciation provided for each word. It focuses on recognizing letters and spelling simple, everyday words.

**Highlights:** Letter dragging and dropping, Audio word pronunciation, Image association with words, Spelling practice, Focus on everyday words

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spello free?

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

### Is Starting Words free?

Starting Words is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Spello or Starting Words?

Spello and Starting Words are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 5 ratings respectively.

### Do Spello or Starting Words have ads?

Neither Spello nor Starting Words shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spello or Starting Words?

Spello ships an update every 2 months, and Starting Words every 3 weeks. Most recently, Spello was updated on October 2, 2026 and Starting Words on September 25, 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.*