# Starfall ABCs vs Learn to Read

The clearest difference is rating: Learn to Read at 4.7 against Starfall ABCs's 4.2. Learn to Read also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (81K vs 478). Starfall ABCs's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Learn to Read sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $12.49 per month. Starfall ABCs asks for nothing beyond the download.

Learn to Read holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Learn to Read has 81K ratings behind it against 478, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Starfall ABCs's written reviews are positive against 81% of Learn to Read's.

Starfall ABCs ships an update every 7 months, Learn to Read weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Starfall ABCs | Learn to Read |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (478 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starfall-abcs/id395623983/reviews) | **[4.7 (81K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-to-read-readingcom/id1534938305/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 478 | **81K** |
| Positive reviews | 62.1% of reviews | **81.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#16** |
| Size | 62 MB | 264 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Starfall Education Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1771099820) | [Teaching.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526854604) |

## What reviewers say

### Starfall ABCs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starfall-abcs/id395623983)

This app offers a free introduction to foundational reading skills, featuring interactive activities that engage children through sight, sound, and play. It's designed to help young learners recognize letters and develop essential reading abilities, with special considerations for English language learners and children with disabilities.

**Highlights:** Interactive letter and sound activities, Positive reinforcement and play-based learning, Develops letter recognition, Builds foundational reading skills, Accessible for children with impairments

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy for kids to navigate
- 🚀 Engaging and educational
- 🎓 Helps with letter recognition and sounds
- 💖 Great for young learners
- 🏆 Recommended by teachers and pediatricians

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive for limited content
- 🤔 Misleading advertising for full website features
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔇 Sound issues and lack of voice assistance
- 🤷‍♀️ Gender representation concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Black screen issues
- Repeated crashes and freezing
- Incompatibility with latest iOS updates
- Inability to exit app on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Expand app to include more Starfall website features
- Add more advanced learning content beyond just ABCs
- Improve compatibility and stability across devices
- Integrate voice assistant and accessibility features
- Address gender representation issues in content


### Learn to Read

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-to-read-readingcom/id1534938305)

**Currently charting:** #16 Top Grossing · Education, #106 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

This app offers a guided, co-play experience for parents and children aged 3-8 to learn reading skills. It uses research-backed phonics lessons, interactive storybooks, videos, and games to build foundational reading abilities.

**Highlights:** 99 step-by-step phonics lessons, 67 interactive digital storybooks, 42 educational videos, 3 expert-designed reading games, Printable offline activities, Family subscription with 3 profiles, Ad-free experience

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $12.49 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $12.49 | per month |
| Monthly (With Free Trial) | $12.49 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $12.49 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $14.99 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Yearly) | $74.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Engaging and fun for kids
- 🚀 Effective at teaching reading skills
- 💡 Structured, step-by-step approach
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Promotes parent-child bonding
- 🎨 Colorful and visually appealing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤑 Expensive subscription model
- 🐢 Slow progression for more advanced learners
- 🤖 Lack of flexibility to customize or skip lessons
- 🤔 Placement assessment not accurate for all levels
- 🤯 Frustrating when app crashes or logs out

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional app crashes or freezes
- User data loss after app updates
- Inability to redeem promo codes

**Requested features**

- Option to learn cursive writing
- More independent practice games and activities
- Ability to jump to appropriate lesson level
- Support for multiple languages or accents
- Printable resources like flashcards or worksheets


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Starfall ABCs free?

Starfall ABCs is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Learn to Read free?

Learn to Read is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Starfall ABCs or Learn to Read?

Learn to Read is rated higher. Starfall ABCs averages 4.2 out of 5 from 478 ratings, while Learn to Read averages 4.7 from 81K ratings.

### Do Starfall ABCs or Learn to Read have ads?

Neither Starfall ABCs nor Learn to Read shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Starfall ABCs or Learn to Read?

Starfall ABCs ships an update every 7 months, and Learn to Read weekly. Most recently, Starfall ABCs was updated on November 10, 2026 and Learn to Read on November 13, 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.*