SPELLING MAGIC 3 vs SightWordsPlay with flashcards
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SPELLING MAGIC 3
This app helps children develop reading skills by focusing on multi-syllable words. It teaches letter sounds and word building through engaging activities and themed categories. Offers two challenge levels and a DELUXE version with expanded vocabulary and customization.
- Multi-syllable word focus
- Science of Reading principles
- Word building activities
- Themed vocabulary categories
- Two challenge levels
- Pronunciation aid via pictures
- Progress tracker (DELUXE)
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Introducing SPELLING MAGIC 3 – the key to unlocking your child's future reading success! SPELLING MAGIC 3 incorporates the main principles of the Science of Reading. SPELLING MAGIC 3 is designed to focus on words with multiple syllables, providing an engaging platform for learning. From everyday words like "pretzel" and "button" to compound words such as "bobcat" and "hotdog," this app covers a wide range of vocabulary, all grouped into themed categories for easy organization and enhanced interest. With a strong emphasis on teaching letter sounds and word building, SPELLING MAGIC 3 not only helps children learn the sounds of the alphabet but also indirectly teaches essential reading skills like segmenting. The app offers two levels of challenge to cater to different learning abilities. In the "Word Building" section, children use the components (letters) of the word to build it, while the "Moveable Alphabet" section allows them to use the entire alphabet for word construction. It's important to note that SPELLING MAGIC 3 aims to provide ample opportunities for practicing building multiple-syllable words, even including words that may not be part of a young learner's everyday vocabulary. This presents a unique chance to expand their word bank and vocabulary. Additionally, tapping on pictures will prompt the app to pronounce the word, aiding in pronunciation and comprehension. The free version of SPELLING MAGIC 3 offers 72 words, while the DELUXE version boasts an impressive 335 words, along with a range of customizable options such as two types of voices, three types of fonts, two letter color styles, a special feature to connect the letters, and a lesson progress tracker. This version includes over 260 additional words compared to the free version, providing an even more comprehensive learning experience. This app was developed by a team of educators using the Science of Reading Principles, accelerated learning techniques and Montessori principles. SPELLING MAGIC 3 has been thoroughly tested and approved by preschool children and their teachers in various settings. Your feedback and suggestions are highly valued as we continue to refine and enhance the app for an optimal learning experience.
SightWordsPlay with flashcards
This app helps young children develop pre-reading skills by teaching them to recognize common words by sight and sound. It offers flashcards divided by grade level and includes a question mode to test comprehension. Difficult words can be saved for later review to reinforce learning.
- Sight word recognition
- Sound association
- Grade-level categories (Pre-primary, K, 1st, 2nd)
- Question Mode for testing
- Customizable practice list
- Ad-free upgrade option
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Sight Words Flash Cards is designed to develop pre-reading skills such as recognizing common words by sight and sound. Parents, teachers, schools and educational institutions worldwide use this app to enhance early reading, spelling and word recognition skills. Sight Words Flash Cards are divided into 4 categories: Pre-primary, kindergarten, 1st grade & 2nd grade. Each grade has an accompanying Question Mode to test and enhance reading skills. Repetition is the key to learning! By simply clicking on the flag button provided in each flashcard, kids or parents can add difficult words to the practice list for revision at a later time. In-app purchase available to upgrade the app to make it Ad-free.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: SPELLING MAGIC 3 at 80% against SightWordsPlay with flashcards's 34%. SPELLING MAGIC 3 also leads on rating (3.9 vs 3.4) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.1). SightWordsPlay with flashcards's advantage is ratings volume (125 vs 11). On price, 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
Both are free to download. SPELLING MAGIC 3 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SightWordsPlay with flashcards sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SPELLING MAGIC 3 holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SightWordsPlay with flashcards has 125 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of SPELLING MAGIC 3's written reviews are positive against 34% of SightWordsPlay with flashcards's.
SPELLING MAGIC 3 ships an update every 5 months, SightWordsPlay with flashcards every 8 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | SPELLING MAGIC 3 | SightWordsPlay with flashcards |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (11 ratings) — better | 3.4 (125 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better | 33.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 11 | 125 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 8 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 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 184 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PRESCHOOL UNIVERSITY | eFlashApps, LLC |
Customer experience
SPELLING MAGIC 3
SightWordsPlay with flashcards
Bugs and requests
SPELLING MAGIC 3
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
SightWordsPlay with flashcards
Reported bugs
10 issues- App stuck on loading screen or title screen
- Intro animation loops infinitely
- Sound not working across multiple iOS versions
- Question mode displays incorrect words
- Bottom right card in question mode never changes
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- App crashes after second use
- Random crashes even in paid version
- Ads pop up without user interaction
- Ads cause app to exit to App Store unexpectedly
- Voice functionality inconsistent or missing
Requested features
10 requests- Delayed voice option to let children read first
- Repeat button to hear word again
- Auto-play feature without manual tapping
- Progress tracking and performance analytics
- List view of all sight words in each category
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- More high-frequency words
- Better graphics and engaging visuals
- Multi-user profile support
- Flag words for follow-up practice
- Capitalized 'I' in sight word lists
In-app purchases
SPELLING MAGIC 3
- Deluxe Upgrade$1.99
SightWordsPlay with flashcards
- Sight Words Flash Cards Ad Free$4.99
Questions
Is SPELLING MAGIC 3 free?
Is SightWordsPlay with flashcards free?
Which has better reviews, SPELLING MAGIC 3 or SightWordsPlay with flashcards?
Do SPELLING MAGIC 3 or SightWordsPlay with flashcards have ads?
Which is updated more often, SPELLING MAGIC 3 or SightWordsPlay with flashcards?
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