Comparison

iWriteWords vs iTrace for Schools

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

Head to head
About

iWriteWords

This app combines drawing letters with a fun game where players guide a character to collect numbered balls. Successfully drawing all letters reveals a cute illustration and allows progression to new levels.

Highlights
  • Draw letters to collect numbered balls
  • Guide character with finger
  • Reveal cute drawings upon word completion
  • Slide letters into a spinning hole
  • Advance through levels
Read full description

How to play: Help Mr. Crab collect the numbered balls by dragging him with your finger - and drawing the letter at the same time. Once all the letters in the word are drawn properly, a cute drawing appears. Slide the letters into the spinning hole and advance to the next level. --------------------------------------- Featured by Apple in "Back to School Apps" Featured by Apple in "Apps for Learning to Write" Featured by Apple in "Words for the Wise" Featured by Apple in "Summer Learning Fun for Kids" Featured by Apple in "Apps for Learning to Read" Featured by Apple in "Special Education" Featured by Apple in "Games for Kids" Featured by Apple in "Apps for Kids" Featured by Apple in "Staff Favorites".

About

iTrace for Schools

This app guides children in learning to write letters, numbers, words, and shapes through interactive tracing and repetition. Designed for early learners, it fosters proper formation and fine-motor skills with positive reinforcement and adaptive pacing.

Highlights
  • Guided letter and number tracing
  • Print and cursive writing practice
  • Custom word lists with photos/voice
  • Multiple handwriting styles
  • Progress tracking and rewards
  • Printable worksheets
Read full description

iTRACE — HANDWRITING AND LETTER TRACING FOR CLASSROOMS AND HOME LEARNING iTrace helps children learn to write letters, numbers, words, and shapes through guided tracing and playful repetition. Designed with educators, it turns handwriting practice into an engaging and effective learning experience for preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary students. Each exercise teaches proper letter formation and fine-motor control step by step. Children trace each shape or letter multiple times, building confidence through repetition, gradual improvement, and positive reinforcement. The app adapts to each child’s pace, helping develop strong handwriting habits that transfer to pencil-and-paper writing. iTrace is suitable for both classroom use and learning at home, supporting structured instruction as well as independent practice. KEY FEATURES • Basic shapes for handwriting warm-up • Uppercase and lowercase letters • Numbers 0–9 • Print (block) and cursive writing • 350+ preloaded words plus custom word lists • Create custom words with your own photos and voice recordings • Multiple handwriting styles: Zaner-Bloser, Handwriting Without Tears, and D’Nealian • Left- and right-handed modes • Progress tracking for each student • Rewards, animations, and mini-games that motivate practice • 5 animated scenes with 50+ interactive objects • Printable worksheets for offline practice • Supports English and Spanish alphabets for handwriting practice • Safe, ad-free learning environment FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS iTrace for Schools makes it easy to support multiple students, personalize learning goals, and monitor progress over time. It works well in classrooms, homeschool settings, and early-childhood programs focused on handwriting, tracing, and fine-motor development. Consistent structure and clear guidance help children practice correct stroke order and letter formation—skills that are essential for long-term writing success. FREE VERSION & SUBSCRIPTION The free version includes all handwriting warm-up exercises, three letters, and one interactive scene, allowing children to experience the core learning approach of iTrace. A subscription unlocks the full program, including all letters and numbers, additional scenes, and custom words. PRIVATE AND SECURE No ads. No personal data collected or shared.

Screenshots

iWriteWords4 screens
iTrace for Schools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: iWriteWords at $2.99 against iTrace for Schools's $19.99. iWriteWords also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (94% vs 80%). iTrace for Schools's advantage is ratings volume (845 vs 12). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

iWriteWords costs $2.99 and iTrace for Schools $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iWriteWords holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iTrace for Schools has 845 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of iWriteWords's written reviews are positive against 80% of iTrace for Schools's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iWriteWords ships an update every 6 weeks, iTrace for Schools every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
iWriteWords versus iTrace for Schools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriWriteWordsiTrace for Schools
Price$2.99 — better$19.99
Rating4.8 (12 ratings) — better4.4 (845 ratings)
Positive reviews93.8% of reviews — better80.3% of reviews
Number of ratings12845 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better17.1
Further details — not scored
Size156 MB174 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRoy WinataDEVPOCKET LLC

Customer experience

iWriteWords

All ratings12 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews162 reviews
Positive93.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative3.1%

iTrace for Schools

All ratings845 ratings
Positive85.0%
Neutral8.4%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive80.3%
Neutral14.5%
Negative5.3%

User reviews

iWriteWords

From 12 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy for a preschooler to use
  • 👍 Awesome app - best of class
  • 👍 Helping my toddler write and spell words
  • 👍 Very good
  • 👍 Really cool

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glad to see the update
  • 🐛 Good, but more realistic and fun pictures please!
  • 🐛 Good BUT ....
  • 🐛 Needs a little more.
  • 🐛 Some things arnt great.

iTrace for Schools

From 845 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Wonderful app for practicing handwriting
  • 🎨 Ability to add custom words and pictures
  • 📈 Tracks progress and mistakes
  • 🚫 No ads or data collection
  • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Helps whole family learn

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive compared to free versions
  • 🐛 Strict on letter tracing, not forgiving for early learners
  • 🔙 Back button causes loss of progress
  • 🔇 Sound issues and missing audio features
  • 🔍 Difficult to access parent controls

Bugs and requests

iWriteWords

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Occasional crashes
  • Incompatible with iOS 6
  • Letters not dropping in correct orientation
  • Freezes almost every time used

Requested features

17 requests
  • Add your own word option
  • additional practice
  • option to pick letters
  • phonics option
  • ability to input words and names
Show 12 more
  • option to hear letter sounds instead of names
  • ability to choose which letters to practice
  • speak the word after it's written
  • speak the letters and word in a clear voice
  • option for uppercase and lowercase letters
  • ability to write numbers
  • different skill levels with narrower thresholds
  • ability to play alphabet song without shaking
  • add more words and game center integration
  • add more letters like J, Q, V
  • add profiles for different users
  • reset game option

iTrace for Schools

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Lowercase 'a' not recognized correctly
  • Parental controls math problem not visible
  • Sound stopped working after updates

Requested features

7 requests
  • Save completed words
  • Option to practice just custom words
  • Add letter names and sounds
  • Cursive letter connections
  • French language support
Show 2 more
  • Worksheet printing improvements
  • Progress report printing

In-app purchases

None

iWriteWords

No in-app purchases

None

iTrace for Schools

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iWriteWords free?
iWriteWords costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is iTrace for Schools free?
iTrace for Schools costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iWriteWords or iTrace for Schools?
iWriteWords is rated higher. iWriteWords averages 4.8 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while iTrace for Schools averages 4.4 from 845 ratings.
Do iWriteWords or iTrace for Schools have ads?
Neither iWriteWords nor iTrace for Schools shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iWriteWords or iTrace for Schools?
iWriteWords ships an update every 6 weeks, and iTrace for Schools every 2 months. Most recently, iWriteWords was updated on October 29, 2026 and iTrace for Schools on October 21, 2026.

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