# Spelling Bee vs Hive

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hive at 100% against Spelling Bee's 41%. Spelling Bee's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (797 vs 5). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spelling Bee sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Hive sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Spelling Bee holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spelling Bee has 797 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of Spelling Bee's written reviews are positive against 100% of Hive's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Spelling Bee ships an update weekly, Hive every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spelling Bee | Hive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (797 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelling-bee-beezone/id1670107104/reviews)** | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hive-spelling-bee-prep-app/id6479415050/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **797** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 41.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 131 MB | 127 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Metronome Software Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/341054329) | [Akshat Rastogi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1706545752) |

## What reviewers say

### Spelling Bee

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelling-bee-beezone/id1670107104)

Enhance your spelling skills with interactive games and tests. This app uses spaced repetition to boost memory retention and offers individual progress tracking for multiple users. Make learning fun and engaging for all ages.

**Highlights:** Interactive spelling exercises, Spaced repetition learning, Progress monitoring, Multiple user profiles, Customizable word lists, Clear voice pronunciation

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Yearly | $27.99 | per year |
| Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 🎯 Multiple interactive exercise types for reinforced learning
- 🎤 Clear, unaccented voice pronunciation
- 🔧 Customizable word lists and exercise selection
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Multiple child profiles with individual progression tracking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 AI voice glitching or mispronouncing words
- 🐛 App freezing and crashing
- 🐛 Custom word lists cannot be edited after creation
- 🐛 Letters disappearing during gameplay
- 😕 Confusing level progression organization

**Reported bugs**

- AI voice mispronounces certain words (e.g., 'wolves')
- App freezes during gameplay
- Level button doesn't display but remains clickable
- Custom word lists disappear or become inaccessible
- Cannot create additional child profiles

**Requested features**

- Return to Main Menu button after completing exercises
- Exit button to cancel exercises without saving progress
- Words used in sentences for context and definition
- Varied praise responses with different pitches
- Disable microphone option


### Hive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hive-spelling-bee-prep-app/id6479415050)

This app helps users improve their spelling skills through engaging lessons, quizzes, and articles. Learn from a national spelling bee finalist and track your progress to prepare for competitions.

**Highlights:** Lessons from a National Spelling Bee Finalist, Pattern-based spelling curriculum, Tailored quizzes, Informational articles and Word of the Day, Curated learning tracks, Leaderboards and progress tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Classroom Champion-MonthlyDeal | $0.49 | per month |
| School Superstar-Monthly Deal | $2.49 | per month |
| School Superstar - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| School Superstar-QuarterlyDeal | $6.69 | per 3 months |
| Regional Ruler - Monthly Deal | $9.99 | per month |
| Regional Ruler - Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Regional Ruler- Quarterly Deal | $26.99 | per 3 months |
| Regional Ruler - Quarterly | $54.99 | per 3 months |
| Regional Ruler - Yearly Deal | $95.99 | per year |
| Regional Ruler - Yearly | $199.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spelling Bee free?

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

### Is Hive free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spelling Bee or Hive?

Spelling Bee is rated higher. Spelling Bee averages 4.6 out of 5 from 797 ratings, while Hive averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.

### Do Spelling Bee or Hive have ads?

Neither Spelling Bee nor Hive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spelling Bee or Hive?

Spelling Bee ships an update weekly, and Hive every 10 days. Most recently, Spelling Bee was updated on November 7, 2026 and Hive on November 4, 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.*