# Spelling Bee vs The Phonics App

Spelling Bee and The Phonics App both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 93% of The Phonics App's written reviews are positive against 41% of Spelling Bee's. The Phonics App also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). Spelling Bee's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and ratings volume (791 vs 231). On price, rating, 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 The Phonics App sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Spelling Bee against 4.6 for The Phonics App. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 791 and 231 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Spelling Bee's written reviews are positive against 93% of The Phonics App's.

Spelling Bee ships an update weekly, The Phonics App monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spelling Bee | The Phonics App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (791 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelling-bee-beezone/id1670107104/reviews) | **[4.6 (231 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-phonics-app/id6742649576/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **791** | 231 |
| Positive reviews | 41.5% of reviews | **92.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 131 MB | 248 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Metronome Software Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/341054329) | [Phonics Folk Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1799167050) |

## What reviewers say

### Spelling Bee

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

Enhance your spelling skills with interactive exercises and fun quizzes. Track your progress, master challenging words with spaced repetition, and create multiple profiles for family or class learning.

**Highlights:** Interactive spelling exercises, Progress monitoring, Spaced repetition learning, Multiple user profiles, Vocabulary boost

**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


### The Phonics App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-phonics-app/id6742649576)

This app teaches reading through phonics, focusing on sounds and blending words. It offers a research-led, non-addictive approach with expert guidance and informal checks to reinforce learning. Learn to decode nearly every English word with a focus on clear pronunciation.

**Highlights:** Learn a-z sounds and word blending, Expert video guidance, Simple tap-to-hear sound interface, Learn English sound pronunciation, Practice with 400+ words, Learn irregular (tricky) words, Informal learning checks

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Access Everything Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Access Everything Quarterly | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Access Everything Yearly | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and to the point
- 👍 Great for teaching phonics sounds
- 👍 Helps children learn to read CVC words
- 👍 Effective for year 1 screening
- 👍 Builds reading confidence

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Pronunciation issues with vowels 'o' and 'u' (American English)
- 🐛 Schwa pronunciation for some letters (e.g., 'g')
- 🐛 Some sounds differ from school curriculum
- 💰 Subscription model is a disappointment for some

**Requested features**

- Option to open pictures for letter sounds
- Accent options for narration (e.g., American English)
- Offer app in Mandarin


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spelling Bee free?

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

### Is The Phonics App free?

The Phonics App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Spelling Bee or The Phonics App?

The Phonics App is rated higher. Spelling Bee averages 4.6 out of 5 from 791 ratings, while The Phonics App averages 4.6 from 231 ratings.

### Do Spelling Bee or The Phonics App have ads?

Neither Spelling Bee nor The Phonics App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spelling Bee or The Phonics App?

Spelling Bee ships an update weekly, and The Phonics App monthly. Most recently, Spelling Bee was updated on November 3, 2026 and The Phonics App on November 4, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*