# First Words Flashcards App vs Learn to Read

The clearest difference is price: Learn to Read at Free against First Words Flashcards App's $1.99. Learn to Read also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (78K vs 2). First Words Flashcards App's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 18) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Learn to Read is free to download; First Words Flashcards App costs $1.99 up front. Learn to Read sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $12.49 per month. First Words Flashcards App asks for nothing beyond the download.

First Words Flashcards App holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Learn to Read has 78K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of First Words Flashcards App's written reviews are positive against 81% of Learn to Read's.

First Words Flashcards App ships an update every 9 months, Learn to Read every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Words Flashcards App | Learn to Read |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-words-flashcards-app/id1483658138/reviews)** | [4.7 (78K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-to-read-readingcom/id1534938305/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **78K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 81.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#14** |
| Size | 4 MB | 253 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Red Five LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1786865833) | [Teaching.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526854604) |

## What reviewers say

### First Words Flashcards App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-words-flashcards-app/id1483658138)

This app uses professional photos and multi-sensory feedback to help users of all ages learn letters, numbers, shapes, animals, and food. It encourages vocabulary enrichment and is aligned with Common Core Standards.

**Highlights:** 5 learning categories, Professional photos, Multi-sensory learning, Audio feedback, Vocabulary enrichment, Aligned with Common Core

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Learn to Read

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-to-read-readingcom/id1534938305)

**Currently charting:** #14 Top Grossing · Education, #77 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

This app offers a guided, co-play experience for parents and children aged 3-8 to learn reading skills. It uses research-backed phonics lessons, interactive storybooks, videos, and games to build foundational reading abilities.

**Highlights:** 99 step-by-step phonics lessons, 67 interactive digital storybooks, 42 educational videos, 3 expert-designed reading games, Printable offline activities, Family subscription with 3 profiles, Ad-free experience

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $12.49 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $12.49 | per month |
| Monthly (With Free Trial) | $12.49 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $12.49 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $12.99 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $14.99 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $17.99 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Yearly) | $66.99 | per year |
| Learn to Read (Yearly) | $74.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Engaging and fun for kids
- 🚀 Effective at teaching reading skills
- 💡 Structured, step-by-step approach
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Promotes parent-child bonding
- 🎨 Colorful and visually appealing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤑 Expensive subscription model
- 🐢 Slow progression for more advanced learners
- 🤖 Lack of flexibility to customize or skip lessons
- 🤔 Placement assessment not accurate for all levels
- 🤯 Frustrating when app crashes or logs out

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional app crashes or freezes
- User data loss after app updates
- Inability to redeem promo codes

**Requested features**

- Option to learn cursive writing
- More independent practice games and activities
- Ability to jump to appropriate lesson level
- Support for multiple languages or accents
- Printable resources like flashcards or worksheets


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Words Flashcards App free?

First Words Flashcards App costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Learn to Read free?

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

### Which has better reviews, First Words Flashcards App or Learn to Read?

First Words Flashcards App is rated higher. First Words Flashcards App averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Learn to Read averages 4.7 from 78K ratings.

### Do First Words Flashcards App or Learn to Read have ads?

Neither First Words Flashcards App nor Learn to Read shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, First Words Flashcards App or Learn to Read?

First Words Flashcards App ships an update every 9 months, and Learn to Read every 6 days. Most recently, First Words Flashcards App was updated on October 24, 2026 and Learn to Read 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.*