Comparison

Bob Books Reading Magic #2 vs Phonogram Sounds

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

Head to head
About

Bob Books Reading Magic #2

This app helps young children learn to read through phonics. It connects letters with sounds, teaches how to sound out words, and aids in spelling. It features new scenes and over 50 words for early readers.

Highlights
  • Letter-sound connection
  • Sounding out words
  • Spelling practice
  • New scenes
  • Over 50 words
Features
Read full description

Bob Books Reading Magic #2 brings the popular stories and characters for early readers to life. Parents and educators have raved about Bob Books Reading Magic #1. Reading Magic #2 offers twelve new scenes and over 50 words! Bob Books Reading Magic #2 will show your child how to: -Make the connection between letters and sounds. -Sound out simple words. -Spell the words they’ve read. ************************************************************** Here's what reviewers have said about Bob Books Reading Magic: "Bob Books #1 - Reading Magic for iPad is an incredible app offering under the category Education... It's rare that I find an iPad book that is so full of value... If you have a young child learning to read and an iPad, you will not want to hesitate to download this title. I recommend it whole-heartedly!" --- Digital Storytime "Bob Books #1 - Reading Magic is an excellent introduction to phonics for young children... This app will grow with your learning child, and keep their interest as they read and re-read the sentences on each page." --- Common Sense Media "A fantastic tool for a pre- or early reader -- and a fun way to occupy your toddler during a doctor's visit." --- Infant Bibliophile "Bob Books #1 - Reading Magic is a top learning app for toddlers and for sure one of the best apps for toddlers and preschoolers to learn how to read." --- Fun Educational Apps "One of the best learning app for kids." --- Everything Mom "I'm not sure who is more excited to have this, me or [my kids]... I highly recommend adding this affordable download to your iTunes collection." --- Mundie Kids "It took [my son] no time at all to pick up on how it worked, and he’s definitely learning. The neat thing is, though, that he thinks he’s playing! I love that!" --- Heidi Strawser, Reviews & Reflections "This gets a 5 star, thumbs-up score!" --- My Little Patch of Sunshine "This app keeps the needs of its audience in mind. Without a doubt, we will be spending more time with Reading Magic." --- The Greasy Screen "Perfect for pre-schooler/early elementary readers." --- Cool Progeny "My favorite reading curriculum now has an iphone app!!! Yay Bob Books!!!" --- Quirky Momma ************************************************************** Bob Books respects your privacy! We do not collect, store, or share any personal information or location data. All our apps are ad free, without in-app purchases and are safe for young children. Read more at: http://bobbooks.com/privacy-policy We love getting feedback from our users. If you have questions or comments, please send them to info@bobbooks.com. For more information about Bob Books, visit https://bobbooks.com

About

Phonogram Sounds

This interactive app provides clear audio pronunciations for letter sounds and combinations, featuring all 72 basic phonograms from a popular language arts curriculum. It's designed to support reading and spelling development for learners of all ages.

Highlights
  • Hear correct pronunciation of sounds
  • Clear enunciation of letters and combinations
  • Includes all 72 basic phonograms
  • Supports reading and spelling skills
  • Interactive learning experience
Features
Read full description

Touch a button and hear the correct pronunciation! *Check that your sound is turned on!* This interactive program features clear enunciation of the sounds of the letters and letter combinations (also known as phonograms). Contains all 72 of the basic phonograms as taught in the All About Reading and All About Spelling language arts curriculum. All About Reading is a multisensory, mastery-based program that starts with essential pre-reading skills and continues on to teach all five key components of reading. All About Spelling teaches encoding skills, spelling rules, and multisensory strategies to help your student become a proficient speller for life. Our lightly scripted “open and go” lesson plans and mastery-based approach leave no gaps and make this curriculum a favorite of homeschool families everywhere. Suitable for all ages and learning styles!

Screenshots

Bob Books Reading Magic #24 screens
Phonogram Sounds3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Phonogram Sounds at Free against Bob Books Reading Magic #2's $2.99. Bob Books Reading Magic #2's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (82% vs 70%). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Phonogram Sounds is free to download; Bob Books Reading Magic #2 costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bob Books Reading Magic #2 holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 165 and 84 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Bob Books Reading Magic #2's written reviews are positive against 70% of Phonogram Sounds's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Bob Books Reading Magic #2 versus Phonogram Sounds: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBob Books Reading Magic #2Phonogram Sounds
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (165 ratings) — better4.0 (84 ratings)
Positive reviews82.1% of reviews — better69.6% of reviews
Number of ratings165 — better84
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size182 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBob Books Publications LLCAll About Learning Press, Inc.

Customer experience

Bob Books Reading Magic #2

All ratings165 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral2.4%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive82.1%
Neutral14.3%
Negative3.6%

Phonogram Sounds

All ratings84 ratings
Positive70.2%
Neutral14.3%
Negative15.5%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive69.6%
Neutral13.0%
Negative17.4%

Bugs and requests

Bob Books Reading Magic #2

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Phonogram Sounds

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • R says /er/ instead of /r/
  • Sound not working
  • App crashes
  • No sound when tapping phonograms
  • Sound only works with ringer on
Show 2 more
  • List of phonograms cut off on iPad
  • App is stick, no audio, no movement

Requested features

9 requests
  • Videos showing lip/tongue placement
  • Interactive game app
  • App for building words/movable tiles
  • Level-based sound availability
  • Enlarging tapped tile
Show 4 more
  • Adding missing phonograms (Level 6, Spalding)
  • Adding more sounds for /i/, /e/, /x/, /ou/, /ei/, /oe/, /wor/, /ear/
  • Spelling lists for review
  • All About Reading app with word reading

In-app purchases

None

Bob Books Reading Magic #2

No in-app purchases

None

Phonogram Sounds

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bob Books Reading Magic #2 free?
Bob Books Reading Magic #2 costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phonogram Sounds free?
Phonogram Sounds is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bob Books Reading Magic #2 or Phonogram Sounds?
Bob Books Reading Magic #2 is rated higher. Bob Books Reading Magic #2 averages 4.6 out of 5 from 165 ratings, while Phonogram Sounds averages 4.0 from 84 ratings.
Do Bob Books Reading Magic #2 or Phonogram Sounds have ads?
Neither Bob Books Reading Magic #2 nor Phonogram Sounds shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bob Books Reading Magic #2 or Phonogram Sounds?
Bob Books Reading Magic #2 ships an update every 6 months, and Phonogram Sounds every 6 months. Most recently, Bob Books Reading Magic #2 was updated on October 22, 2026 and Phonogram Sounds on October 20, 2026.

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