Comparison

SPELLING MAGIC 2 vs Journals alive

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

Journals alive

This app enhances printed journals for early learners, bringing letters, numbers, and shapes to life with interactive zoo animals. It offers an engaging way to master foundational educational concepts at home or in the classroom.

Highlights
  • Interactive learning experience
  • Master alphabet letters
  • Learn numbers 0-20
  • Explore basic geometric shapes
  • Augmented reality zoo animals
  • Engaging for home and classroom
Read full description

This app makes our printed journals (My Letters alive Journal and My Math alive Journal) come alive for an interactive learning experience. Early learners can master the 26 letters of the English alphabet, numbers 0 to 20 (0 to 10 for Pre-K), and basic geometric shapes. Watch our zoo animals come alive for an engaging experience in the classroom or at home!

Screenshots

SPELLING MAGIC 24 screens
Journals alive1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Journals alive at none against SPELLING MAGIC 2's 1. Journals alive also leads on iOS requirement (8.1 vs 12.4). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. SPELLING MAGIC 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Journals alive asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for SPELLING MAGIC 2 against 4.4 for Journals alive. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 11 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SPELLING MAGIC 2 ships an update every 4 months, Journals alive every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
SPELLING MAGIC 2 versus Journals alive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSPELLING MAGIC 2Journals alive
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (16 ratings)4.4 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings16 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.48.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size185 MB273 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPRESCHOOL UNIVERSITYAlive Studios, LLC

Customer experience

SPELLING MAGIC 2

All ratings16 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative25.0%

Journals alive

All ratings10 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SPELLING MAGIC 2

One-time1
  • Deluxe Upgrade$1.99
None

Journals alive

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SPELLING MAGIC 2 free?
SPELLING MAGIC 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Journals alive free?
Journals alive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Journals alive?
Journals alive is rated higher. SPELLING MAGIC 2 averages 4.3 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Journals alive averages 4.4 from 11 ratings.
Do SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Journals alive have ads?
Neither SPELLING MAGIC 2 nor Journals alive shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Journals alive?
SPELLING MAGIC 2 ships an update every 4 months, and Journals alive every 6 months. Most recently, SPELLING MAGIC 2 was updated on November 1, 2026 and Journals alive on November 3, 2026.

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