iSpellBetter vs Simplex Spelling Light
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iSpellBetter
This educational game makes spelling practice fun and challenging with increasingly difficult word puzzles. It helps users improve their general spelling skills by tapping into their natural ability to form and retrieve visual images of words. The app features adjustable difficulty and power-ups for strategic players.
- Challenging word puzzles
- Adjustable difficulty modes
- Power-up system
- Visual word image retrieval
- Customizable word lists
- Upside-down and backwards words
Read full descriptionHide full description
Completely updated with a fresh, new look, our iOS 11 version of iSpellBetter reinvents the educational game genre. You’ll believe it when you play it. Like all compelling video games, it is great fun, with increasingly challenging levels, adjustable difficulty modes and delightful surprises for the determined, strategic player. Amazingly, at the same time, you will become a better speller, as you vanquish words that are not just right-side-up, but once you get to Level 4, upside-down, backwards, plus both upside-down and backwards! You had better earn and save your power-ups, since you’re sure to need them. It’s not just practice or a test of what you already know… no letter scramble disguised as a game. Rather, our straightforward and engaging approach taps your natural capacity to form, hold and retrieve visual images. You’ll not only easily and enjoyably learn the words you encounter in the game – including your own word lists, if you choose – you’ll actually become a much better speller in general.
Simplex Spelling Light
This app enhances spelling and reading skills with a unique "reverse phonics" approach and contextually relevant spelling rules. It offers interactive learning for various student types, providing immediate feedback and explanations for word construction.
- Reverse phonics approach
- Contextual spelling rule hints
- Letter-by-letter feedback
- Over 50 high-frequency words
- Spoken words in sentences
- User stats and reporting
Read full descriptionHide full description
Simplex Spelling Light improves spelling and reading skills in a fun and interactive way using a unique “reverse phonics” approach in combination with contextually relevant spelling rules. It has the same critically acclaimed design and features as the full versions of Simplex Spelling but comes with its own new high frequency word spelling lists. This Light version has been made available so that customers can evaluate the Simplex Spelling software to decide if they want to purchase a full version of Simplex Spelling Sight Words, CVC Words, Phonics1, Phonics2, or Phonics3. Simplex Spelling Light contains the main features of the full versions, while targeting more than 50 all new high frequency words in the English language. This makes the Light version a beautiful compliment to the full versions of Simplex Spelling. The Light version also includes placement tests in the Phonics1, Phonics2, and Phonics 3 classrooms to help customers determine which app is the best fit. In contrast with many of the current approaches that use flash cards, Simplex Spelling enables the student to build each word. Students gain skills above and beyond the sheer memorization of words, as the informative spelling rule hint feature explains why words are spelled in a particular manner. Simplex Spelling's unique, immediate letter by letter feedback system is designed with clues and hints that will enable every student to spell each word successfully. Simplex Spelling enhances understanding in a variety of students as it appeals to audio, visual and tactile learners. It is great tool to have for kids learning to spell, remedial students, or those learning English as a second language. Recommended for ages 5+. Note: You can not create your own spelling lists in Simplex Spelling Light. Features: - Over 50 high frequency spelling words to help build literacy. - Spelling words are spoken and used in a sentence to establish context. - The introduction spelling list seamlessly leads a student through all of the application’s features by providing spoken information while having the student spell new words. - A powerful phonics hint feature sounds out each word and provides a list of possible phonograms for each sound. - Features a full “reverse phonics” approach that includes sounds made by all the different letter combinations. This is in addition to the basic “single letter” phonics that most applications are limited to. - Contextually relevant spelling rule hints that help explain “how to spell” English words. - Unique letter by letter feedback system that provides feedback while the student is in the process of spelling each word. - Guaranteed success on every word. - Support for 40 user accounts. - User stats screen that allows you to see at a glance words that have been mastered and words that require further practice. - Ability to export & email student reports. - Remembers each user’s position in every list, so that you can immediately resume from where you last left off. - Supports both upper and lower case letters. - Supports both alphabetic and QWERTY keyboard layouts. - Supports both US, UK and Canadian English spelling of words. - An approach that appeals to audio, visual and tactile learners. Privacy Disclosure: - No 3rd party ads - Does not share any data - No In-App purchases - Contains child protected links to Apple App Store. - Contains child protected links in app to developer's website for additional information, support and teaching tips. - Contains child protected link to developer email support. COPPA Compliant https://pyxwise.com/privacy-policy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Simplex Spelling Light at 3.8 against iSpellBetter's 3.3. Simplex Spelling Light also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 60%) and update cadence (every 10 months vs every 21 months). iSpellBetter's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Simplex Spelling Light holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of iSpellBetter's written reviews are positive against 77% of Simplex Spelling Light's.
iSpellBetter ships an update every 21 months, Simplex Spelling Light every 10 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | iSpellBetter | Simplex Spelling Light |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (7 ratings) | 3.8 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | 77.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 11 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 21 months | Every 10 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 257 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Next Learning LLC | Pyxwise Software Inc. |
Customer experience
iSpellBetter
Simplex Spelling Light
Bugs and requests
iSpellBetter
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Simplex Spelling Light
Reported bugs
3 issues- Consonant digraphs don't match phonemes
- Letters sounded out individually instead of phonemes
- No volume
Requested features
10 requests- Ability to create custom word lists
- Option to lock lists until mastered
- More word lists/grade levels
- Option to make sentences with words
- Illustrations for engagement
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Practice and learn section
- Option to select English spellings
- English accent option
- Sticker collecting feature
- More expansions/spelling lists
In-app purchases
iSpellBetter
No in-app purchases
Simplex Spelling Light
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is iSpellBetter free?
Is Simplex Spelling Light free?
Which has better reviews, iSpellBetter or Simplex Spelling Light?
Do iSpellBetter or Simplex Spelling Light have ads?
Which is updated more often, iSpellBetter or Simplex Spelling Light?
Other comparisons















