First Letters and Phonics vs Upper and Lowercase Letters
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
First Letters and Phonics
This app helps young children learn letter shapes, names, and sounds through interactive matching and songs. It features delightful illustrations and engaging audio to develop pre-reading skills and fine motor control.
- Letter shape recognition
- Letter name identification
- Phonics sound learning
- Alphabet Song (two versions)
- Word association with letters
- Fine motor skill development
Read full descriptionHide full description
Match the letters and listen to the song! First Letters teaches the youngest iPhone kids about letter shapes, letter names and phonics. The game includes two original renditions of the Alphabet Song by popular children's musician Debi Derryberry. Toddler tested and approved, First Letters keeps the littlest kids entertained and engaged while developing important pre-reading skills. Educational: - learn to recognize letters, both uppercase and lowercase - learn the names of letters - learn the sounds that letters make (phonics) - develop fine motor skills - learn words that begin with each letter Entertaining: - a beautiful picture for each letter of the alphabet - a cute voice saying each letter, phoneme, and word - two versions of the Alphabet Song: one using letter names and one using phonics First Letters features great music and the voice of popular kids' entertainer Debi Derryberry. Find out more about Debi's songs, live shows, and kid's games at www.mybabybanana.com. First Letters is the best way for your child to learn their letters. Filled with delightful illustrations and fun songs, it's full of fun and learning! If your child is old enough to ask for your phone, they're old enough for First Letters!
Upper and Lowercase Letters
This app helps young children aged 3-8 learn uppercase and lowercase letters through a matching game. Designed for iPads, it uses a visual and tactile approach with short, engaging sessions ideal for young learners.
- Uppercase and lowercase letter matching
- Visual and tactile learning
- Short, engaging game sessions
- Portrait mode only gameplay
- Developed for young learners (ages 3-8)
Read full descriptionHide full description
Teach young learners (ages 3-8) the uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet with this simple and clever matching system! Developed for your iPad, this easy game will teach and reinforce the uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet. Game play is based on the popular pocket charts used in classrooms around the world. Uppercase and Lowercase Letter Matching requires 3-5 minutes for a young learner to complete, making this iPad app ideal for students with short attention spans or those requiring highly visual or tactile learning experiences. Additionally, the activities have been uniquely designed to lock and play only in the portrait mode to simplify game play and eliminate an orientation switch if young learners jostle the iPad while playing. Good Neighbor Press has specialized in the development, illustration, design, and production of educational material since 1991. High quality, developmentally-appropriate educational material with clean, charming instructional design is our specialty. For additional information on our activity book series, downloadable worksheet units, or student planners please visit www.hellopress.net. Look for Beginning Letter Sounds and Long and Short Vowel Sounds in the App Store today! Good Neighbor Press, Inc. is a member of Moms with Apps, a collaborative group of family-friendly developers seeking to promote quality apps for kids and families. Recommended Ages: 1-3, 4-7 Categories: Early Learning, Matching, Letters, Reading, Spelling "A Must Buy! All these apps are terrific. I currently use them with my six year old, and he loves them! This is just the right tool for any homeschooler learning the basic phonics, and recognition of letters and numbers. The graphics and encouraging sounds along with the charming animations cater to what appeal to all little ones; making this one of those must have apps for any parent who wants to supplement or reenforce their child's education."
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: First Letters and Phonics at 4.1 against Upper and Lowercase Letters's 3.3. First Letters and Phonics also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 50%) and ratings volume (44 vs 3). Upper and Lowercase Letters's advantage is update cadence (every 9 months vs every 23 months) and price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On 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
First Letters and Phonics costs $1.99 and Upper and Lowercase Letters $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
First Letters and Phonics holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Letters and Phonics has 44 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of First Letters and Phonics's written reviews are positive against 50% of Upper and Lowercase Letters's.
First Letters and Phonics ships an update every 23 months, Upper and Lowercase Letters every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Letters and Phonics | Upper and Lowercase Letters |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | $0.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.1 (44 ratings) — better | 3.3 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 44 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 23 months | Every 9 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Learning Touch LLC | Good Neighbor Press, Inc |
Customer experience
First Letters and Phonics
Upper and Lowercase Letters
In-app purchases
First Letters and Phonics
No in-app purchases
Upper and Lowercase Letters
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is First Letters and Phonics free?
Is Upper and Lowercase Letters free?
Which has better reviews, First Letters and Phonics or Upper and Lowercase Letters?
Do First Letters and Phonics or Upper and Lowercase Letters have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Letters and Phonics or Upper and Lowercase Letters?
Other comparisons
