# Shakespeare vs Interactive IPA

The clearest difference is price: Shakespeare at Free against Interactive IPA's $3.99. Shakespeare also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.2) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 79 months). Interactive IPA's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 27) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Shakespeare is free to download; Interactive IPA costs $3.99 up front. Shakespeare sells 27 one-off in-app purchases. Interactive IPA asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shakespeare holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shakespeare has 3.5K ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Shakespeare's written reviews are positive against 47% of Interactive IPA's.

Shakespeare ships an update every 3 weeks, Interactive IPA every 79 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shakespeare | Interactive IPA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakespeare/id285035416/reviews)** | [3.2 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/interactive-ipa/id873308318/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 34 |
| Positive reviews | **74.0% of reviews** | 47.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 79 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 416 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PlayShakespeare.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/809094812) | [Paul Meier Dialect Services, LC](https://appshunter.io/developer/873308321) |

## What reviewers say

### Shakespeare

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakespeare/id285035416)

Access the complete works of Shakespeare, including plays, sonnets, and poems. Features include a powerful search, integrated glossary, note-taking, and customization options for a rich reading experience.

**Highlights:** Complete works of Shakespeare, Powerful search and concordance, Integrated glossary with definitions, Add and share personal notes, Customizable reading experience, Scene breakdowns and character descriptions, Modern translations and lexicons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (27)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Modern Translation (AYLI) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Sonnets) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (AWEW) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation(Coriolanus) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (CoE) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (WT) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Othello) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Much Ado) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (LLL) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Hamlet) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Macbeth) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (R&J) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (King Lear) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Glossary by Alexander Dyce | $3.99 | one-time |
| Glossary by C. T. Onions | $3.99 | one-time |
| Schmidt's Lexicon | $3.99 | one-time |
| Glossary by C. T. Onions | $4.99 | one-time |
| All Apocrypha | $7.99 | one-time |
| Course: Intro to Shakespeare | $9.99 | one-time |
| All Apocrypha | $9.99 | one-time |
| All Lexicons | $9.99 | one-time |
| Course Shakespeare for Kids | $9.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Shakespeare Pro | $12.99 | one-time |
| All Lexicons | $12.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (All Works) | $14.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (All Works) | $19.99 | one-time |
| Shakespeare Ultimate | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best app out there
- 👍 Excellent app
- 👍 Terrific app for Shakespeare lovers
- 👍 Remarkable level of detail and care
- 👍 Invaluable for actors and students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes, buggy, unstable
- 💰 Nickel-and-diming for features
- 💰 Upgrade to pro is misleading
- 💰 Constant nagging to upgrade
- 🤔 Abbreviated character names

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch or opening plays
- Scrolling and UI issues
- Incompatible with latest iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add modern translations
- Include line numbers
- Improve search and navigation
- Add more content like sonnets
- Sync purchases across devices


### Interactive IPA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/interactive-ipa/id873308318)

Explore the International Phonetic Alphabet with an interactive demonstration. Click any symbol to hear its pronunciation and learn more about it, enhancing your understanding of phonetics. Features official IPA charts and a unique chart of English diphthongs and triphthongs.

**Highlights:** Interactive IPA symbol exploration, Hear pronunciations of IPA symbols, Learn detailed information about each symbol, Official IPA charts included, Custom chart of English diphthongs and triphthongs

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shakespeare free?

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

### Is Interactive IPA free?

Interactive IPA costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Shakespeare or Interactive IPA?

Shakespeare is rated higher. Shakespeare averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Interactive IPA averages 3.2 from 34 ratings.

### Do Shakespeare or Interactive IPA have ads?

Neither Shakespeare nor Interactive IPA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shakespeare or Interactive IPA?

Shakespeare ships an update every 3 weeks, and Interactive IPA every 79 months. Most recently, Shakespeare was updated on October 12, 2026 and Interactive IPA on October 7, 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.*