# Bluster! vs READING MAGIC

Bluster! and READING MAGIC both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 73% of Bluster!'s written reviews are positive against 62% of READING MAGIC's. Bluster! also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.7). READING MAGIC's advantage is update cadence (every 6 months vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (42 vs 8). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bluster! sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and READING MAGIC sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Bluster! against 4.6 for READING MAGIC. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: READING MAGIC has 42 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Bluster!'s written reviews are positive against 62% of READING MAGIC's.

Bluster! ships an update every 13 months, READING MAGIC every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bluster! | READING MAGIC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluster/id416160693/reviews) | **[4.6 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-magic-learning-to-read/id416896853/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **42** |
| Positive reviews | **72.7% of reviews** | 62.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Every 6 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 208 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 13.7 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [McGraw-Hill School Education Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/413312889) | [PRESCHOOL UNIVERSITY](https://appshunter.io/developer/404048727) |

## What reviewers say

### Bluster!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluster/id416160693)

This word matching game enhances vocabulary and word comprehension for school-aged children and adults. Engage in single-player practice, team collaboration, or competitive head-to-head battles with weather-themed attacks. It offers over 800 words and various skill-building activities.

**Highlights:** Vocabulary building, Word matching, Single-player mode, Two-player collaboration, Head-to-head versus mode, Over 800 vocabulary words, Grade-level appropriate content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Base Words | $0.99 | one-time |
| Extra Rhyming Words | $0.99 | one-time |
| Extra Prefixes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Extra Synonyms | $0.99 | one-time |
| Extra Words | $0.99 | one-time |
| Extra Word Roots | $0.99 | one-time |
| Extra Adjectives | $0.99 | one-time |


### READING MAGIC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-magic-learning-to-read/id416896853)

This app makes learning to read an exciting adventure for young children. It focuses on CVC words and uses science-based phonics principles to build essential reading skills like blending and segmenting.

**Highlights:** CVC word focus, Blending and segmenting practice, Phonemic awareness building, Phonological processing improvement, Engaging games and activities, Discourages picture guessing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Deluxe Upgrade | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bluster! free?

Bluster! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is READING MAGIC free?

READING MAGIC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bluster! or READING MAGIC?

READING MAGIC is rated higher. Bluster! averages 4.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while READING MAGIC averages 4.6 from 42 ratings.

### Do Bluster! or READING MAGIC have ads?

Neither Bluster! nor READING MAGIC shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bluster! or READING MAGIC?

Bluster! ships an update every 13 months, and READING MAGIC every 6 months. Most recently, Bluster! was updated on November 6, 2026 and READING MAGIC on November 1, 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.*