# First Letters and Phonics vs Starfall Gingerbread

The clearest difference is rating: First Letters and Phonics at 4.1 against Starfall Gingerbread's 2.4. First Letters and Phonics also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 44%) and ratings volume (44 vs 12). Starfall Gingerbread's advantage is update cadence (every 12 months vs every 23 months) and price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

First Letters and Phonics costs $1.99 and Starfall Gingerbread $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 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 44 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of First Letters and Phonics's written reviews are positive against 44% of Starfall Gingerbread's.

First Letters and Phonics ships an update every 23 months, Starfall Gingerbread every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Letters and Phonics | Starfall Gingerbread |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | **[4.1 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-letters-and-phonics/id346591226/reviews)** | [2.4 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starfall-gingerbread/id425759273/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **44** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **78.9% of reviews** | 43.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 23 months | **Every 12 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 16 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Learning Touch LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/773246929) | [Starfall Education Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1771099820) |

## What reviewers say

### First Letters and Phonics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-letters-and-phonics/id346591226)

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.

**Highlights:** Letter shape recognition, Letter name identification, Phonics sound learning, Alphabet Song (two versions), Word association with letters, Fine motor skill development

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Starfall Gingerbread

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starfall-gingerbread/id425759273)

Children learn 2D and 3D shapes by creating and decorating virtual gingerbread cookies. They can then navigate a maze, following specific shapes or patterns, with a new maze generated each time they play.

**Highlights:** Create and decorate virtual gingerbread cookies, Learn 2D and 3D shapes, Engage in shape-following mazes, Randomly generated maze challenges, Color recognition activities

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Letters and Phonics free?

First Letters and Phonics costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Starfall Gingerbread free?

Starfall Gingerbread costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, First Letters and Phonics or Starfall Gingerbread?

First Letters and Phonics is rated higher. First Letters and Phonics averages 4.1 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while Starfall Gingerbread averages 2.4 from 12 ratings.

### Do First Letters and Phonics or Starfall Gingerbread have ads?

Neither First Letters and Phonics nor Starfall Gingerbread shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, First Letters and Phonics or Starfall Gingerbread?

First Letters and Phonics ships an update every 23 months, and Starfall Gingerbread every 12 months. Most recently, First Letters and Phonics was updated on October 27, 2026 and Starfall Gingerbread on October 28, 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.*