SPELLING MAGIC 2 vs Counting 123
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Counting 123
This app offers a playful and engaging way for children to learn counting and number recognition. It features four distinct mini-games designed to make learning fun and interactive, with colorful animations and illustrations.
- Learn numbers 1-10
- Pronunciation of digits
- Tap & catch fish counting game
- Spot the differences memory game
- Interactive grasshopper activity
- Dresses fashion show game
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Your ultimate counting teacher!!! Watch your children as they play & quickly learn how to count and recognize numbers in this fun and simple children’s game. Your children will be counting in no time!!! Completely FREE & packed with 4 different mini-games Fish Tap challenge, Spot the Differences, Jumping Grasshopper and a Dresses Fashion Show. Enjoy remarkable animation technology which introduces a first look at numbers for the whole family to enjoy. What’s Inside - Learn to count 1 to 10 with 4 mini-games: > Numbers - Fun to learn digits and pronunciation > Tap & catch the fish - catch & count your fish > Spot the Differences - memorize & find the differences > Help the Grasshopper leap through the snow - interactive activity > Dresses Fashion Show - a celebration of colors Features: > Beautiful HD illustrations and a rich narrative on every page > Enjoy numerous engaging and fun animations on each page ABOUT TabTale With over 1.5 billion downloads and growing, TabTale has established itself as the creator of pioneering virtual adventures that kids and parents love. TabTale’s apps spark children’s imaginations and inspire them to think creatively while having fun! Visit us: http://www.tabtale.com/ Like us: http://www.facebook.com/TabTale Follow us:@TabTale Watch us: http://www.youtube.com/Tabtale CONTACT US Let us know what you think! Questions? Suggestions? Technical Support? Contact us 24/7 at: WeCare@TabTale.com. FOR PARENTS The app is free to play but certain in-game items may require payment. You may restrict in-app purchases by disabling them on this device. The app may include advertising for TabTale and certain third parties which will redirect users to our sites, apps or third-party sites. Your privacy matters. The app may enable collection of limited user data by TabTale or its carefully selected providers (e.g. ad networks and analytics) for limited purposes described in our Privacy Policy (e.g. respond to support queries; enable, analyze and improve the app’s features and services; serve contextual ads and measure their performance). For more information (notably on the providers), please read our Privacy Policy: https://tabtale.com/privacy-policy/ . By downloading, updating or using the app you consent (in your personal capacity and for other users of your device) to this collection and use of limited device information for ad display and reporting purposes and you accept our Terms of Use: https://tabtale.com/terms-of-use/.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: SPELLING MAGIC 2 at 63% against Counting 123's 28%. SPELLING MAGIC 2 also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.9). Counting 123's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.4). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and 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
Both are free to download. SPELLING MAGIC 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Counting 123 sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SPELLING MAGIC 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 14 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of SPELLING MAGIC 2's written reviews are positive against 28% of Counting 123's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SPELLING MAGIC 2 | Counting 123 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (16 ratings) — better | 3.9 (14 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews — better | 28.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 14 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 185 MB | 76 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PRESCHOOL UNIVERSITY | KID BABY TODDLER LTD. |
Customer experience
SPELLING MAGIC 2
Counting 123
Bugs and requests
SPELLING MAGIC 2
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Counting 123
Reported bugs
7 issues- Ads cover tap locations
- Paid features locked after purchase
- App crashes occasionally
- Inappropriate ads shown
- App restarts each time it's entered
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- Loading time increased
- Unable to purchase message persists
Requested features
4 requests- Move ads to a less intrusive location
- Add an ads bar below gameplay
- Improve game engagement for older children
- Offer more stages or challenges
In-app purchases
SPELLING MAGIC 2
- Deluxe Upgrade$1.99
Counting 123
- Remove Ads!$0.99
- Unlock 12 Jigsaw Puzzles$1.99
- Unlock 4 Match It Games$1.99
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- Unlock 12 Coloring Pages$1.99
- Super Deal!$3.99
Questions
Is SPELLING MAGIC 2 free?
Is Counting 123 free?
Which has better reviews, SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Counting 123?
Do SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Counting 123 have ads?
Which is updated more often, SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Counting 123?
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