# Stack the States® vs Phonics Blaster

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Stack the States® at 91% against Phonics Blaster's 33%. Stack the States® also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 3). Phonics Blaster's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Stack the States® costs $2.99 and Phonics Blaster $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Stack the States® holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stack the States® has 2.2K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Stack the States®'s written reviews are positive against 33% of Phonics Blaster's.

Stack the States® ships an update every 3 months, Phonics Blaster every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stack the States® | Phonics Blaster |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.4 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stack-the-states/id381342267/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonics-blaster/id1102944994/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **90.8% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 99 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Freecloud Design, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/324355664) | [Blast Off to Learning, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1089311556) |

## What reviewers say

### Stack the States®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stack-the-states/id381342267)

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Paid · Education, #154 Top Paid (US App Store)

Learn about the 50 US states through a fun and interactive game. Collect all states, unlock bonus games, and master capitals, shapes, flags, and more. This app makes geography engaging for all ages.

**Highlights:** Learn state capitals, shapes, and flags, Interactive drag-and-drop gameplay, Collect all 50 states on a personalized map, Unlock four bonus educational games, Hundreds of unique questions, Create multiple player profiles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 No ads/tracking
- 👍 Fun and educational
- 👍 Helpful for learning states
- 👍 Nostalgic/childhood game
- 👍 Great for all ages

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Capital drop glitch
- 🔍 Needs more content after completing all states
- 🔍 Difficulty level may be too high for younger kids

**Reported bugs**

- Washington state mapping issue
- Battery drain when app returns to home screen

**Requested features**

- Ability to view completed states again
- Add more state facts/trivia
- Include background photos related to states
- Add a country-wide puzzle mode
- Option to turn off state faces


### Phonics Blaster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonics-blaster/id1102944994)

This game provides phonics practice for children struggling with reading, including those with dyslexia. It focuses on identifying specific vowel sounds through an engaging space-themed adventure where players collect sounds to build a robot.

**Highlights:** Phonics-based learning, Identifies specific vowel sounds, Engaging space adventure theme, Robot building game mechanic, Suitable for children with dyslexia, No ads or in-app purchases

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stack the States® free?

Stack the States® costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Phonics Blaster free?

Phonics Blaster costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Stack the States® or Phonics Blaster?

Stack the States® is rated higher. Stack the States® averages 4.4 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Phonics Blaster averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Stack the States® or Phonics Blaster have ads?

Neither Stack the States® nor Phonics Blaster shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stack the States® or Phonics Blaster?

Stack the States® ships an update every 3 months, and Phonics Blaster every 5 months. Most recently, Stack the States® was updated on October 1, 2026 and Phonics Blaster on September 27, 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.*