SPELLING MAGIC 2 vs Hideout
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.
Hideout
This app uses engaging, research-based mini-games to teach early reading skills. Children learn phonic patterns in playful contexts, practicing word recognition and building reading fluency through interactive activities.
- Research-based early reading instruction
- Engaging mini-games for phonic patterns
- Contextualized word learning
- Practice word recognition
- Interactive and playful learning
- Sequenced skill development
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Hideout teaches early reading skills using research-based principles and applications, presenting phonic patterns used in context within an expansive set of captivating (and a little silly) mini-games: -AP (It's stormy and windy outside. Tap the cap and map to zap them away!) -OP (Visit the pop shop to pop the popcorn til it reaches the top of the bucket!) -IT (Hit the rocks to split them into bits so they fit into the pit!) -ET (Catch the pets in the net so they don't get wet; then load them onto a jet!) -EN (Move the ten hens into the pen where ten men can feed them!) -AG (Drage the rags into the bags, and then tag each bag!) -UB (Scrub and rub each cub in the tub until it's clean!) -IP (Dip the chips and watch the dip drip as you feed the little guys.) -OCK (Visit the dock to knock over the towers of blocks and rocks, and then put them into the socks!) -ACK (The snacks are arriving on a track. Stack them on a rack!) -IN (The pictures arrive in a bin. Pin them each to the wall, and then spin them away!) -UG (Tug the plug from each jug so the bug can crawl free!) Letters, sounds, and phonic patterns are introduced and practiced in contexts that are playful and appealing to children, yet give meaning and purpose to the skills they learn. Children practice purposefully sequenced skills and identify word patterns, learning to recognize the words so they can read about what they do and observe. The contexts and activities keep children engaged with constant variety in the way they present and illustrate word meanings. Each captures children’s interest and invites them to read and create words that describe or explain it. Developed at Brigham Young University by those who created and administer the Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy (SEEL) classroom program, Hideout replicates the kind of interactive face-to-face lessons that are taught by SEEL teachers and available on the SEEL website (education.byu.edu/seel).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SPELLING MAGIC 2 at Free against Hideout's $2.99. Hideout's advantage is review sentiment (89% vs 63%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.4). On rating, 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
SPELLING MAGIC 2 is free to download; Hideout costs $2.99 up front. SPELLING MAGIC 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Hideout sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for SPELLING MAGIC 2 against 4.4 for Hideout. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 33 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of SPELLING MAGIC 2's written reviews are positive against 89% of Hideout's.
SPELLING MAGIC 2 ships an update every 4 months, Hideout every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SPELLING MAGIC 2 | Hideout |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.3 (16 ratings) | 4.4 (33 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews | 88.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 16 | 33 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 7 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 | 226 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PRESCHOOL UNIVERSITY | Third Rail Games LLC |
Customer experience
SPELLING MAGIC 2
Hideout
Bugs and requests
SPELLING MAGIC 2
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Hideout
Reported bugs
5 issues- Sound not working on some devices despite volume settings being correct
- No way to exit screens or return to home menu
- App crashes or freezes on certain devices
- In-app purchase system incompatible with school MDM systems
- Support website broken with outdated information
Requested features
7 requests- Add more word families and sound combinations
- Expand content with additional phonetic patterns (ch, wh, th, sh, long vowels)
- Create a paid full version with more content
- Add controls for presentation speed for auditory processing needs
- Implement proper menu buttons for navigation
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- Develop a complete reading program series
- Add more levels and progressive difficulty
In-app purchases
SPELLING MAGIC 2
- Deluxe Upgrade$1.99
Hideout
- Workshop AreaFree
Questions
Is SPELLING MAGIC 2 free?
Is Hideout free?
Which has better reviews, SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Hideout?
Do SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Hideout have ads?
Which is updated more often, SPELLING MAGIC 2 or Hideout?
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