First Letters and Phonics vs Starfall Numbers
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
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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!
Starfall Numbers
This app uses interactive activities and songs to help children learn number recognition and counting skills. It connects numbers to real-world objects and introduces basic math concepts for early learners.
- Number symbol and value recognition
- Counting activities
- Interactive introductions for numbers 0-100
- Coin counting and math expressions
- 15 animated math songs
- Closed captioning for songs
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Explore numbers through the magic of curiosity and the power of motivation: the Starfall way! With this app, your child will learn to recognize number symbols and values by connecting them to real-world objects (such as 1 sun, 5 fingers, and 10 toes). Your child will then apply these concepts with counting activities and songs! Starfall Numbers includes interactive introductions for numbers 0-20, 25, 50, and 100. Counting activities introduce coins, math symbols, and simple expressions while building counting skills from 0 to 100 in entertaining and practical ways. Your child will also enjoy singing along with 15 Starfall math songs! Counting song favorites and calendar concepts are animated playfully, with a closed caption option to display song lyrics. Each activity and song reinforces simple language and basic vocabulary, making this app an excellent choice for pre-readers, emerging readers, and English language learners alike.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: First Letters and Phonics at 79% against Starfall Numbers's 25%. First Letters and Phonics also leads on rating (4.1 vs 3.2) and price ($1.99 vs $4.99). Starfall Numbers's advantage is chart position (#189 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 11 months vs every 23 months). On ratings volume, 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
First Letters and Phonics costs $1.99 and Starfall Numbers $4.99 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 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 44 and 35 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of First Letters and Phonics's written reviews are positive against 25% of Starfall Numbers's.
First Letters and Phonics ships an update every 23 months, Starfall Numbers every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Letters and Phonics | Starfall Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (44 ratings) — better | 3.2 (35 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews — better | 25.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 44 — better | 35 |
| Update frequency | Every 23 months | Every 11 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #189 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 78 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Learning Touch LLC | Starfall Education Foundation |
Customer experience
First Letters and Phonics
Starfall Numbers
In-app purchases
First Letters and Phonics
No in-app purchases
Starfall Numbers
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is First Letters and Phonics free?
Is Starfall Numbers free?
Which has better reviews, First Letters and Phonics or Starfall Numbers?
Do First Letters and Phonics or Starfall Numbers have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Letters and Phonics or Starfall Numbers?
Other comparisons
