Comparison

ABC SPELLING MAGIC vs Learning Patterns

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ABC SPELLING MAGIC

This educational app helps children learn to spell CVC words using the principles of the Science of Reading. It focuses on letter sounds and word construction with two levels of challenge, aiding early literacy development.

Highlights
  • Teaches letter sounds
  • Word construction with CVC words
  • Two levels of challenge
  • Incorporates Science of Reading principles
  • Montessori-inspired learning
  • Customizable voice and font options (DELUXE)
Read full description

Introducing ABC Spelling Magic, where learning to spell is fun and engaging! ABC SPELLING MAGIC incorporates the main principles of the Science of Reading. This app is designed to teach children the sounds of the letters and how to construct words, aligning with the science of reading. With two levels of challenge, it indirectly imparts the essential reading skill of segmenting while focusing on the skill of learning to spell words with three phonetic sounds using short vowel words. Incorporating the science of reading, the app's comprehensive approach is tailored to assist children in learning the sounds of the alphabet and honing their blending and segmenting skills, essential for early literacy development based on the science of reading. SPELLING MAGIC 1 focuses on CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, such as cat, box, and pig, which are fundamental for phonics instruction based on the science of reading. The app categorizes words by middle vowel sounds in the first part and by categories in the second part, offering a well-rounded approach to phonics and word construction, rooted in the principles of the science of reading. The DELUXE version provides 245 words and offers a variety of options in the menu, including two types of voices, three types of fonts, two letter color styles, a special feature to connect the letters together, and over 185 additional words from the free version, enhancing the learning experience based on the principles of the science of reading. Developed by a team of educators utilizing accelerated learning techniques and Montessori principles, this app has been tested and approved by preschoolers, aligning with the science of reading and providing an enjoyable and beneficial experience in learning letter sounds. We welcome your feedback and suggestions as we strive to provide an enriching educational experience for young learners, rooted in the science of reading.

About

Learning Patterns

This interactive game helps children develop critical thinking and mental reasoning skills by teaching them to recognize and complete various patterns. It offers two learning modes with adjustable difficulty and a wide variety of objects for engaging, long-term learning.

Highlights
  • Pattern recognition and completion
  • Two learning modes
  • Adjustable difficulty levels
  • Variety of object collections
  • Automatic session summaries
  • Supports 8 unique patterns
Features
Read full description

"This app is the gold standard if you want to help your little one learn how to have fun while learning patterns." Sonja - mom and teacher Learning Patterns helps your child develop critical thinking and mental reasoning skills thus expanding a very important part of their mind. Plus, even adults will have fun playing with this app at the more advanced levels. :-) Approved by parents, teachers, and kids the world over. Learning Patterns is an exciting interactive game that helps you learn how to recognize and complete patterns all with just the touch of your finger. Pattern recognition and completion represents an important developmental skill for kids of all ages. The interface is so easy to use that even a toddler will delight in moving their first objects around the page. The app supports two modes to learning patterns. In the first mode, you decide the type of objects you want to use to learn to recognize patterns such as numbers, letters, images, etc. Once you start, the app will start with the most basic patterns such as ABABAB and it automatically increases the difficulty based on the users skills. The difficulty increases in two ways. First, the patterns get increasingly difficulty. Second, the missing tile moves from the last place to the second place and later the last two tiles are missing. The second mode allows you to zero in on specific patterns and lets students master that pattern with a huge variety of different images. The patterns included in this app are: ABABAB AABBAA ABBABB AABAAB AAABBB ABCABC ABCDAB ABCCBA IF there are other types of patterns you would like us to add please let us know and we can easily get them added. In total, the app focuses on 8 unique patterns and includes 3 levels of difficulty for each pattern like this: ABABA? A?ABAB ABAB?? The app also comes with over 25 unique collections of items to learn patterns. This way you can learn patterns by letters, numbers, colors, shapes, dots, balloons, hats, fruits, vegetables, animals, vehicles, etc. The huge variety of patterns and collections means that there are almost an infinite way of learning patterns which ensures to keep kids excited and engaged vs. getting bored by always staring at the same content. Not only that, at the end of every session you automatically get a beautiful summary to see exactly how your little one did. HEROIC SUPPORT Heroic Support is not just what we do. It's really what makes us, well, us. It's that drive to make a difference in your life - no matter how big or small. Really, it's our way of life because we want you to be our customer for a lifetime of fun and learning. Have questions? We are here to help. Email us at support@alligatorapps.com

Screenshots

ABC SPELLING MAGIC4 screens
Learning Patterns4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Learning Patterns at 4.3 against ABC SPELLING MAGIC's 3.8. Learning Patterns also leads on ratings volume (174 vs 42) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.4). ABC SPELLING MAGIC's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 22 months) and review sentiment (94% vs 78%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ABC SPELLING MAGIC sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Learning Patterns sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Learning Patterns holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 42 and 174 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 94% of ABC SPELLING MAGIC's written reviews are positive against 78% of Learning Patterns's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ABC SPELLING MAGIC ships an update every 6 weeks, Learning Patterns every 22 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ABC SPELLING MAGIC versus Learning Patterns: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterABC SPELLING MAGICLearning Patterns
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (42 ratings)4.3 (174 ratings) — better
Positive reviews94.2% of reviews — better78.0% of reviews
Number of ratings42174 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 22 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.48.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size132 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPRESCHOOL UNIVERSITYInnovative Mobile Apps

Customer experience

ABC SPELLING MAGIC

All ratings42 ratings
Positive69.0%
Neutral11.9%
Negative19.0%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive94.2%
Neutral3.8%
Negative1.9%

Learning Patterns

All ratings174 ratings
Positive79.3%
Neutral7.5%
Negative13.2%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive78.0%
Neutral6.8%
Negative15.3%

User reviews

ABC SPELLING MAGIC

From 42 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for learning basic CVC words
  • 👍 Helps build and spell words
  • 👍 Good introduction to phonics
  • 👍 Focuses on spelling and building CVC words
  • 👍 Teaches letter sounds effectively

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Letters won't move for spelling
  • 🇺🇸 American accent only
  • 🤔 Vowels in blue, consonants in red is confusing
  • 🖼️ Pictures can be misleading
  • 🎨 Interface could be more attractive

Learning Patterns

From 174 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for learning patterns
  • 👍 Visually appealing interface
  • 👍 User-friendly for young children
  • 👍 Good for special needs students
  • 👍 Educational and engaging

Room to improve

  • 😞 App stopped working suddenly
  • 😞 Too easy and too little content
  • 😞 Paid version doesn't transfer to new devices
  • 😞 Micro-transactions/subscriptions disliked
  • 😞 In-app purchases not supported by VPP

Bugs and requests

ABC SPELLING MAGIC

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Letters will not move to be dragged into place
  • Screen freezing

Requested features

8 requests
  • Ability to hear the full word, slowly articulated
  • Option for English accent
  • Vowels in red and consonants in blue
  • More advanced content
  • Animated graphics for interactivity
Show 3 more
  • Option to pick letters from the full alphabet
  • Improve sound quality
  • Improve graphics and sounds

Learning Patterns

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App suddenly stopped working
  • Screen bounces when scrolling
  • Incompatible with older iPads (requires iOS 6+)
  • App will not allow object selection/movement at times

Requested features

9 requests
  • More patterns on paid version
  • Option to permanently own the app
  • Educational version for schools (VPP compatible)
  • Option to keep completed pattern visible
  • Longer patterns with three repeats
Show 4 more
  • Option to choose specific pattern types (e.g., ABAB)
  • Easier/medium/harder difficulty levels
  • Option to choose pictures for patterns
  • Slide and drop selection instead of immediate selection

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ABC SPELLING MAGIC

One-time1
  • Deluxe Upgrade$1.99
10 purchases

Learning Patterns

One-time10
  • ABC - Hard Game$0.99
  • Shapes - Easy Game$0.99
  • Shapes - Hard Game$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Colors - Easy Game$0.99
  • Animals - Easy Game$0.99
  • Animals - Hard Game$0.99
  • Food - Hard Game$0.99
  • Pattern 8 Game$0.99
  • Food - Easy Game$0.99
  • Unlock All Games$1.99

Questions

Is ABC SPELLING MAGIC free?
ABC SPELLING MAGIC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Learning Patterns free?
Learning Patterns is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ABC SPELLING MAGIC or Learning Patterns?
Learning Patterns is rated higher. ABC SPELLING MAGIC averages 3.8 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while Learning Patterns averages 4.3 from 174 ratings.
Do ABC SPELLING MAGIC or Learning Patterns have ads?
Neither ABC SPELLING MAGIC nor Learning Patterns shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ABC SPELLING MAGIC or Learning Patterns?
ABC SPELLING MAGIC ships an update every 6 weeks, and Learning Patterns every 22 months. Most recently, ABC SPELLING MAGIC was updated on November 1, 2026 and Learning Patterns on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons