Comparison

Handwriting Kids ABC & Cursive vs Tiko Write

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

Head to head
About

Handwriting Kids ABC & Cursive

This app helps children aged 3-8 learn to write letters and numbers in both print and cursive. It offers stroke-by-stroke guidance, native-speaker phonics in six languages, and works offline. Designed for educational purposes, it supports fine motor skill development and is COPPA compliant.

Highlights
  • Print and cursive letter tracing
  • Native-speaker phonics in 6 languages
  • Stroke-by-stroke guidance with feedback
  • Works offline and is ad-free
  • Progress tracking for educators
  • Name tracing and number tracing
Features
Read full description

Handwriting Kids ABC & Cursive is the best letter tracing and handwriting app for kids on iPhone and iPad, with 32,000+ downloads worldwide. Children ages 3–8 learn to write all 26 letters in both cursive and print styles, with native-speaker phonics in 6 languages. ◆ APPLE PENCIL HANDWRITING • True stylus-precision tracing with palm rejection and pressure sensitivity • The closest experience to writing on paper — designed for iPad families • Also works with finger on iPhone and iPad without Apple Pencil • Stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback for correct letter formation ◆ CURSIVE + PRINT IN ONE APP • Both cursive and print letter styles — most tracing apps only offer print • Zaner-Bloser and HWT-style letter formation • Guided stroke paths teach proper calligraphy and penmanship • Perfect for parents who want their children to learn cursive writing ◆ 6 LANGUAGES WITH NATIVE PRONUNCIATION • English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese • Native-speaker audio for every letter and phonics sound • Switch between languages anytime — ideal for multilingual and bilingual families • Sight words and phonics practice in each language ◆ DESIGNED FOR AGES 3–8 • Ages 3–5: Letter recognition, phonics sounds, basic print tracing — preschool and kindergarten • Ages 5–8: Cursive writing, advanced letter formation, handwriting practice — first grade and beyond • Name tracing — children trace their own name • Numbers and letters tracing combined ◆ FOR EDUCATORS & THERAPISTS • Apple Volume Purchase Program (VPP) for school licensing • Used by occupational therapists for fine motor skills development • Progress tracking for IEP documentation and therapy sessions • Montessori-compatible approach to handwriting instruction • Recommended for children with dyslexia and handwriting difficulties ◆ SAFE, AD-FREE & OFFLINE • 100% ad-free — no ads, no unsafe links, no third-party content • Works fully offline — learn on planes, in cars, anywhere • No data collected — COPPA compliant • Built by a parent for parents ◆ FREE WORKSHEETS • Free printable letter tracing worksheets for all 26 letters • Download at abctracingapp.com/worksheets • Combine worksheets + app for the best learning results Download Handwriting Kids ABC & Cursive today and give your child the best handwriting practice on iPhone and iPad. Visit abctracingapp.com for more resources. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Tiko Write

Features
Read full description

Tiko Write teaches children to form letters, not just to colour them in. Print and cursive, in one free app. Most tracing apps let a finger wander anywhere inside a letter-shaped hole. That teaches nothing about handwriting. Tiko Write follows the part a child cannot learn from looking at a finished letter: where a stroke starts, which way it travels, and which order the strokes come in. HOW IT WORKS A glowing dot shows where to begin, and arrows inside the stroke show which way to go. As your child traces, sparks fly from the tip of their finger. Ink is drawn along the letter's own line, so a wobbly hand still produces a clean letter — encouraging, never fussy. Finish it and the letter appears large, is said aloud, and the screen celebrates. If your child strays off the path, nothing scolds them. The ink simply waits. There is no red cross, no buzzer, no spoken "wrong". WHAT'S INSIDE • Print letters — A to Z and a to z, in a clean handwriting style with proper stroke order • Cursive letters — the same alphabet in the joined-up style school worksheets teach, with exit strokes • Numbers — 0 to 9 • Shapes — lines, circles, squares, zigzags and spirals for pre-writing practice • Animals, Vehicles, Nature and Food — 38 pictures to trace, from a cat to a rocket • Words — starter words in six languages, most matching a picture in the app • Your own name — a grown-up can add any name or word WRITING A WHOLE WORD Words sit on a line the way they would on paper, and the screen slides so the letter in hand stays big and centred. A six-letter name is just as traceable on a phone as on an iPad. BUILT FOR CHILDREN • Free. No adverts, no in-app purchases, nothing locked away • Nothing is collected. No account, no sign-up, no analytics on your child • Works offline, from the moment you open it • Six languages: English, Dutch, French, Spanish, German and Maltese • No points, streaks, timers or leaderboards. The celebration is the reward Tiko Write is part of Tiko — a family of small, calm apps for children and the people who care for them.

Screenshots

Handwriting Kids ABC & Cursive4 screens
Tiko Write4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tiko Write at none against Handwriting Kids ABC & Cursive's 4. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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 Kids ABC & Cursive sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 2 months. Tiko Write asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Handwriting Kids ABC & Cursive versus Tiko Write: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandwriting Kids ABC & CursiveTiko Write
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (15 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews37.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings15 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJean-David Morgenstern-PeiroloSil van Diepen

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Handwriting Kids ABC & Cursive

Subscriptions2
  • ABC+ Bimonthly$9.992 Months
  • ABC+ Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time2
  • ABC Tracing and Memory Game$9.99
  • Unlock Forever$29.99
None

Tiko Write

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Handwriting Kids ABC & Cursive free?
Handwriting Kids ABC & Cursive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tiko Write free?
Tiko Write is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Handwriting Kids ABC & Cursive or Tiko Write have ads?
Neither Handwriting Kids ABC & Cursive nor Tiko Write shows ads.

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