Comparison

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.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Multi-syllable word focus
  • Science of Reading principles
  • Word building activities
  • Themed vocabulary categories
  • Two challenge levels
  • Pronunciation aid via pictures
  • Progress tracker (DELUXE)
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Sight word recognition
  • Sound association
  • Grade-level categories (Pre-primary, K, 1st, 2nd)
  • Question Mode for testing
  • Customizable practice list
  • Ad-free upgrade option
Features
Read full description

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

SPELLING MAGIC 34 screens
SightWordsPlay with flashcards4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SPELLING MAGIC 3 ships an update every 5 months, SightWordsPlay with flashcards every 8 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
SPELLING MAGIC 3 versus SightWordsPlay with flashcards: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSPELLING MAGIC 3SightWordsPlay with flashcards
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (11 ratings) — better3.4 (125 ratings)
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better33.7% of reviews
Number of ratings11125 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.4 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size184 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPRESCHOOL UNIVERSITYeFlashApps, LLC

Customer experience

SPELLING MAGIC 3

All ratings11 ratings
Positive72.7%
Neutral9.1%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%

SightWordsPlay with flashcards

All ratings125 ratings
Positive56.0%
Neutral9.6%
Negative34.4%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive33.7%
Neutral17.4%
Negative48.9%

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
Show 5 more
  • 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
Show 5 more
  • 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

1 purchases

SPELLING MAGIC 3

One-time1
  • Deluxe Upgrade$1.99
1 purchases

SightWordsPlay with flashcards

One-time1
  • Sight Words Flash Cards Ad Free$4.99

Questions

Is SPELLING MAGIC 3 free?
SPELLING MAGIC 3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SightWordsPlay with flashcards free?
SightWordsPlay with flashcards is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SPELLING MAGIC 3 or SightWordsPlay with flashcards?
SPELLING MAGIC 3 is rated higher. SPELLING MAGIC 3 averages 3.9 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while SightWordsPlay with flashcards averages 3.4 from 125 ratings.
Do SPELLING MAGIC 3 or SightWordsPlay with flashcards have ads?
Neither SPELLING MAGIC 3 nor SightWordsPlay with flashcards shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SPELLING MAGIC 3 or SightWordsPlay with flashcards?
SPELLING MAGIC 3 ships an update every 5 months, and SightWordsPlay with flashcards every 8 months. Most recently, SPELLING MAGIC 3 was updated on November 1, 2026 and SightWordsPlay with flashcards on November 1, 2026.

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