# ABC MAGIC PHONICS vs Jolly Phonics

ABC MAGIC PHONICS and Jolly Phonics both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of ABC MAGIC PHONICS's written reviews are positive against 42% of Jolly Phonics's. ABC MAGIC PHONICS also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Jolly Phonics sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. ABC MAGIC PHONICS asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for ABC MAGIC PHONICS against 4.4 for Jolly Phonics. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14K and 4.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of ABC MAGIC PHONICS's written reviews are positive against 42% of Jolly Phonics's.

ABC MAGIC PHONICS ships an update every 6 weeks, Jolly Phonics every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ABC MAGIC PHONICS | Jolly Phonics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc-magic-phonics/id404048724/reviews) | **[4.4 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jolly-phonics-learn-to-read/id1149029299/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 4.8K |
| Positive reviews | **78.6% of reviews** | 42.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 147 MB | 227 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PRESCHOOL UNIVERSITY](https://appshunter.io/developer/404048727) | [Jolly Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/897894555) |

## What reviewers say

### ABC MAGIC PHONICS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc-magic-phonics/id404048724)

This app teaches children the sounds of alphabet letters, crucial for developing reading skills. It uses visual and auditory methods, matching phonetic images to letters, and focuses on lowercase letters for a strong reading foundation. Developed with educators, it aims to help young learners associate letters with their sounds effectively.

**Highlights:** Teaches letter sounds for reading, Matches phonetic images to letters, Focuses on lowercase letters, Customizable letter selection, Uses rhythm and repetition, Visual and auditory learning, Distraction-free learning environment

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Engaging and fun for children
- 🚀 Straightforward and effective for learning letter sounds
- 💡 Focuses on lowercase letters and sounds, which is more useful for reading
- 👍 Simple and clean design without distractions
- 👍 Helpful for struggling readers and dyslexic individuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some letter sounds (like 'L') are mispronounced by the child voice
- 🔍 Lack of option to hear letter names along with sounds
- 🔍 No continuous mode to cycle through letters without swiping
- 🔍 Inconsistent pronunciations between male, female, and child voices

**Reported bugs**

- Sound not working on some devices
- Incorrect information for the letter 'X' sound

**Requested features**

- Add an option to hear letter names along with sounds
- Improve pronunciation of certain letter sounds
- Provide a continuous mode to cycle through letters without swiping
- Add more visual aids like pictures for each letter
- Include a British or Australian voice option


### Jolly Phonics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jolly-phonics-learn-to-read/id1149029299)

This interactive app teaches children to read and write using a systematic synthetic phonics approach. It offers engaging lessons, songs, and games to build phonemic awareness and handwriting skills, aligned with the Science of Reading.

**Highlights:** Explore 42 letter sounds with songs and audio, Interactive tools for reading practice, Step-by-step handwriting animations, Phonics learning games, Progress tracking and assessments

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full access (monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Writing | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sounding | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alternatives | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tricky Words | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sound Groups 2 to 7 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Everything | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent for teaching phonics
- 🎓 Helpful for learning letter sounds
- 🎨 Multi-sensory approach (writing, reading, signing, singing)
- 🏫 Aligns with school curriculum

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔇 Audio issues (sound cutting out, missing sounds)
- 🤖 Unresponsive touch controls
- 💰 Expensive for limited content
- 🔁 Requires re-purchase on new devices

**Reported bugs**

- Account login issues
- Inability to restore purchases
- Blank/white screen problems
- Compatibility issues with newer devices

**Requested features**

- More games and interactive activities
- Print letter option instead of pre-cursive
- Ability to share purchases across devices
- Improved customer support and bug fixes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ABC MAGIC PHONICS free?

ABC MAGIC PHONICS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Jolly Phonics free?

Jolly Phonics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ABC MAGIC PHONICS or Jolly Phonics?

Jolly Phonics is rated higher. ABC MAGIC PHONICS averages 4.3 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Jolly Phonics averages 4.4 from 4.8K ratings.

### Do ABC MAGIC PHONICS or Jolly Phonics have ads?

Neither ABC MAGIC PHONICS nor Jolly Phonics shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ABC MAGIC PHONICS or Jolly Phonics?

ABC MAGIC PHONICS ships an update every 6 weeks, and Jolly Phonics every 5 weeks. Most recently, ABC MAGIC PHONICS was updated on October 28, 2026 and Jolly Phonics on October 29, 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.*