Comparison

Handwriting Success vs Cursive

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

Head to head
About

Handwriting Success

This app brings a popular handwriting program to your tablet, offering digital workbooks for instruction and practice. Users can write, erase, and practice repeatedly with customizable pen tools. It's designed for students, adults, and professionals seeking legible, modern handwriting.

Highlights
  • Interactive digital workbooks
  • Customizable pen color, width, and opacity
  • Digital eraser for repeated practice
  • Screen rotation and pinch-zoom
  • Bookmark creation
  • Screenshot sharing for teachers
Features
Read full description

Welcome to handwriting in the 21st century.  Compatibility: iPad Pro 12.9", iPad Pro 11", iPad Air 10.9" or iPad 10.2". Requires iOS 13.0 or later, and the use of Apple Pencil or similar paired stylus with palm-rejection features. The Getty-Dubay® Handwriting Success App brings the popular Getty-Dubay® handwriting program in eight workbooks to your tablet and stylus. Each ebook is a complete program that you can write in, with pages and pages of instruction and practice. You’ll be able to use the worksheets over and over by digitally erasing your previous sessions — practice to your heart's content. Free ebook samples come with the download. Full content is available via the in-app bookstore, with monthly and yearly subscription options, each with a free trial period. All nine Getty-Dubay® handwriting ebooks are available via in-app purchase or subscription. Free samples allow you to try before you buy. There’s a responsive drawing engine, screen rotation for smaller tablets and pinch-zoom. The Getty-Dubay® Handwriting Success App is simple to use. Turn pages, scroll, navigate and create bookmarks in the same way you would with an ebook. The fun comes when you touch your stylus to the screen. Now you can select the color, width and opacity of your pen line. Trace and copy the handwriting models, reading the instructions and tips as you go. Redo your work and practice more by selecting the eraser icon, or by erasing the entire page at once. Teachers and parents, with the Getty-Dubay® Italic Handwriting Series ebooks you can now incorporate technology into your handwriting instruction with seven age-appropriate workbooks (Books A-G) and an Instruction Manual. Books A through G are available on this app as one-year subscriptions. Adults and professionals, with the WRITE NOW ebook you can learn to use your stylus with confidence and ease to produce notes that you feel good about sharing, and that your colleagues & friends (and your handwriting recognition software) can read. This is not your grandparent's handwriting. For over 40 years, the authors Barbara Getty and Inga Dubay have been teaching people — from medical professionals to school children — how to have legible, handsome handwriting without the loops and curlicues of conventional looped cursive. Getty-Dubay® Italic is already enjoyed by tens of thousands of adults and students worldwide. It's real handwriting, for real life. The App content takes you step-by-step through the printed italic alphabet (lowercase and capitals) and numerals, then onto joining these letters for flowing, legible cursive italic writing. And the books walk the talk: All are handwritten by the authors. Students can take a screenshot of their work to send to their teacher. This App replaces the need for the paperback workbook, which means you're saving paper and the resources that would have gone into producing and shipping the product. While you may experience improved handwriting after just a few sessions, most gains will come from repeated practice over time. As you use this app, try out your new handwriting on whiteboards, or with pen and paper for thank you notes, other correspondence or school work. For help, and to access the free online resources that come with this app: www.handwritingsuccess.com/app-support Privacy Policy: https://handwritingsuccess.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://handwritingsuccess.com/app-terms-of-use/

About

Cursive

Practice cursive handwriting by tracing letters and words. Supports multiple languages with special characters and custom word additions. Offers extensive customization for a personalized learning experience.

Highlights
  • Trace to practice cursive
  • Uppercase and lowercase letters
  • Animated stroke order
  • Multi-language support
  • Custom word practice
  • Adjustable pen and font settings
  • Dark mode and theme customization
Features
Read full description

This app lets you practice cursive by tracing. It includes uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as words in multiple languages. You can also add your own words for custom practice. Practice Cursive - Trace to practice cursive writing. - Practice both uppercase and lowercase letters. - View animated stroke order for each letter. - Supports special characters in German and Spanish (ä, ö, ß, ü, ñ). - Practice words in multiple languages. - Includes over 100 words per language. - Supports words with accent marks. Cursive Languages - Switch between different cursive languages. - Supports English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese. - The app’s display language can be linked to the selected cursive language. - Use the search button to look up word meanings (opens in external browser). - You can also switch the search button to a share button. Custom Words - In “Custom,” you can display typed text in cursive. - Add typed text to "Custom Words" for practice. - Custom Words can be sorted and deleted. - Custom Words are shared across all cursive languages. Cursive Settings - Change the font of the example text. - Adjust the font size of the example text. - Switch example styles (with line, without line, or none). - Toggle between pen and eraser. - Change the pen’s thickness and color. - Enable or disable zooming. Customization - Supports dark mode. - You can also change the theme color. - Features a simple design based on Material Design.

Screenshots

Cursive4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cursive at 65% against Handwriting Success's 28%. Cursive also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (4.9K vs 226). Handwriting Success's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Handwriting Success sells 33 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Cursive sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cursive holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cursive has 4.9K ratings behind it against 226, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of Handwriting Success's written reviews are positive against 65% of Cursive's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Handwriting Success ships an update every 3 weeks, Cursive every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Handwriting Success versus Cursive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandwriting SuccessCursive
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (226 ratings)4.5 (4.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews27.8% of reviews65.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2264.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size157 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHandwriting Success, LLCenoiu

Customer experience

Handwriting Success

All ratings211 ratings
Positive76.3%
Neutral5.2%
Negative18.5%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive27.8%
Neutral5.6%
Negative66.7%

Cursive

All ratings4,880 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral5.1%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews118 reviews
Positive65.3%
Neutral12.7%
Negative22.0%

Bugs and requests

Handwriting Success

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Cursive

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Writing input not responsive
  • Frequent app crashes
  • Unexpected pop-ups and notifications
  • Compatibility issues with certain devices
  • Loss of writing progress

Requested features

5 requests
  • Provide feedback on writing performance
  • Add more customization options
  • Improve writing experience with better tools
  • Expand content beyond just letters and words
  • Reduce ads and paywall restrictions

In-app purchases

33 purchases

Handwriting Success

Subscriptions24
  • Book E Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Book D Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Book C Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
Show 21 more
  • Book B Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Book A Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Book E Monthly (Legacy)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Book D Monthly (Legacy)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Book G Monthly (Legacy)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Book C Monthly (Legacy)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Book A Monthly (Legacy)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Book B Monthly (Legacy)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Book F Monthly (Legacy)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • WRITE NOW Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • WRITE NOW Monthly (Legacy)3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription7 Days trial5 variants$8.991 Year
  • Book D Annual Subscription7 Days trial$8.991 Year
  • Book A Annual Subscription7 Days trial$8.991 Year
  • Book B Annual Subscription7 Days trial$8.991 Year
  • Book C Annual Subscription$8.991 Year
  • Book G Annual Subscription$8.991 Year
  • Book A Annual (Legacy)7 Days trial$8.991 Year
  • Book E Annual Subscription$8.991 Year
  • WRITE NOW Annual Subscription3 Days trial$12.991 Year
  • WRITE NOW Annual (Legacy)3 Days trial$12.991 Year
One-time9
  • Handwriting curriculum age 5-6$8.99
  • Handwriting curriculum age 6-7$8.99
  • Handwriting curriculum age 7-8$8.99
Show 6 more
  • Handwriting curriculum age 8-9$8.99
  • Handwriting curriculum age 9+$8.99
  • Handwriting curriculum age 10+$8.99
  • Handwriting curriculum age 11+$8.99
  • Handwriting Success for adults$12.99
  • Handwriting curriculum manual$12.99
1 purchases

Cursive

One-time1
  • Upgrade to Pro version$2.99

Questions

Is Handwriting Success free?
Handwriting Success is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cursive free?
Cursive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Handwriting Success or Cursive?
Cursive is rated higher. Handwriting Success averages 4.1 out of 5 from 226 ratings, while Cursive averages 4.5 from 4.9K ratings.
Do Handwriting Success or Cursive have ads?
Cursive shows ads; Handwriting Success does not.
Which is updated more often, Handwriting Success or Cursive?
Handwriting Success ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cursive every 5 weeks. Most recently, Handwriting Success was updated on September 13, 2026 and Cursive on September 22, 2026.

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