Comparison

SPELLING MAGIC 2 vs Oz Phonics 4

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

Head to head
About

SPELLING MAGIC 2

This app teaches children to read by focusing on consonant blend words. It uses interactive activities to help build words and understand letter sounds, aligning with Science of Reading principles. Two versions are available, offering different word counts and customization options.

Highlights
  • Teaches CVCC and CCVC words
  • Focuses on letter sounds and word construction
  • Word Building section
  • Moveable Alphabet section
  • Two levels of challenge
  • Developed with educators and Montessori principles
Read full description

Introducing SPELLING MAGIC 2, a key to your child's future reading success. SPELLING MAGIC 2 incorporates the main principles of the Science of Reading. SPELLING MAGIC 2 is tailored to focus on CVCC (consonant-vowel-consonant-consonant) words like "hand," "sent," and "gift," as well as CCVC (consonant-consonant-vowel-consonant) words such as "spin," "flap," and "stop." These types of words are also known as "consonant blend words" and are categorized into themes for enhanced learning. This app is designed to teach children the sounds of letters and how to construct words. It emphasizes the skill of building CCVC/CVCC words with four phonemes using short vowel words, indirectly imparting the essential reading skill of segmenting. With two levels of challenge, it offers a comprehensive learning experience. In the "Word Building" section of the app, only the components (letters) of the word are used for building, while the "Moveable Alphabet" section utilizes the entire alphabet for word construction. Please note that the purpose of this app is to provide ample opportunities for practicing building CCVC & CVCC words, presenting a chance to expand vocabulary. When tapped, the pictures always pronounce the sound of the word that the app prompts the child to build. The free version of SPELLING MAGIC 2 includes 72 words, while the DELUXE version offers 235 words and provides several choices in the options menu, including two types of voices, three font styles, two letter color options, a special feature to connect letters, and over 160 additional words from the free version. Developed by a team of educators using accelerated learning techniques and Montessori principles, this app has been tested and approved by preschoolers, who found it enjoyable and beneficial for learning letter sounds. We eagerly await your feedback and suggestions as we strive to provide a rewarding educational experience for young learners.

About

Oz Phonics 4

Features
Read full description

Oz Phonics 4 has 5 lesson groups that build on the content of the Oz Phonics Intro, 1, 2 and 3 apps. Lesson group 1 introduces some new sound/letter relationships. The ‘c’ making the /s/ sound, as in ‘city’. The ‘g’ making the /j/ sound, as as in ‘gentle’. The /ng/ sound at the end of the word ‘ring’ is also introduced, with the letter ‘n’ by itself, also making this sound, as in the word ‘bank’. Lesson groups 2, 3, and 4 introduce the long vowel sounds(letter name sounds) and some of their spellings. These 3 lesson groups also follow the same format as lesson group 1, demonstration, missing letter exercise, word finder, reading practice. More long vowel spellings will be covered in the Oz Phonics 5 app. Lesson group 2 covers ‘letters by themselves” in a word (/long a/ sound in the word baby, /long e/ in the word ‘be', etc.). Lesson 3 covers “letters with an ‘e’ separated by a consonant” (tape, note, cube, etc.). Note that the ‘u-e’ combination produces two different sounds, /oo/ in ‘nude’ and /yoo/ on ‘cube’. Lesson group 4 covers “letters next to an ‘e’” (pie, bee, toe, blue). Also included is the ‘ye’ making the long ‘I’ sound as in the word ‘bye’. Lesson group 5 introduces r-Controlled Vowels. ‘er’, ‘ir’, ‘ur’ all making the same sound, and the sounds ‘ar’ and ‘or’. Visit ozphonics.com for details of other apps in our step-by-step series.

Screenshots

SPELLING MAGIC 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: SPELLING MAGIC 2 at Free against Oz Phonics 4's $2.99. SPELLING MAGIC 2 also leads on update cadence (every 4 months vs every 27 months) and device support (3 vs 1). Oz Phonics 4's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads 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

SPELLING MAGIC 2 is free to download; Oz Phonics 4 costs $2.99 up front. SPELLING MAGIC 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Oz Phonics 4 asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SPELLING MAGIC 2 ships an update every 4 months, Oz Phonics 4 every 27 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
SPELLING MAGIC 2 versus Oz Phonics 4: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSPELLING MAGIC 2Oz Phonics 4
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.3 (16 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings16 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 27 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS12.4 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size185 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPRESCHOOL UNIVERSITYDSP Learning Pty Ltd

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SPELLING MAGIC 2

One-time1
  • Deluxe Upgrade$1.99
None

Oz Phonics 4

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SPELLING MAGIC 2 free?
SPELLING MAGIC 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Oz Phonics 4 free?
Oz Phonics 4 costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Oz Phonics 4 have ads?
Neither SPELLING MAGIC 2 nor Oz Phonics 4 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Oz Phonics 4?
SPELLING MAGIC 2 ships an update every 4 months, and Oz Phonics 4 every 27 months. Most recently, SPELLING MAGIC 2 was updated on October 7, 2026 and Oz Phonics 4 on October 9, 2026.

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