# First Words With Phonics vs Phonics Connections

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Phonics Connections at none against First Words With Phonics's 4. First Words With Phonics's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 28 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

First Words With Phonics costs $1.99 and Phonics Connections $1.99 up front. First Words With Phonics sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Phonics Connections asks for nothing beyond the download.

First Words With Phonics ships an update every 2 months, Phonics Connections every 28 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Words With Phonics | Phonics Connections |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[3.8 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-words-with-phonics/id448163359/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **23** | — |
| Positive reviews | 68.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 28 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 86 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Read 'n' Learn](https://appshunter.io/developer/1005499252) | [Ventura Educational Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/371324172) |

## What reviewers say

### First Words With Phonics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-words-with-phonics/id448163359)

This educational app helps young children learn their first words through phonics and letter recognition. It offers adjustable difficulty levels, engaging visuals, and interactive features to make learning fun and effective. Expand the word library with in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Learn letter sounds with synthetic phonics, Spelling and word recognition, Interactive animal exploration, Adjustable difficulty settings, Child-friendly interface, Engaging artwork and sound effects, In-app purchases for more words

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vehicles 20 Words | $0.99 | one-time |
| Shapes and Colors 25 Words | $0.99 | one-time |
| 30 Household Items | $0.99 | one-time |
| 15 Numbers | $0.99 | one-time |


### Phonics Connections

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonics-connections/id1501592853)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Words With Phonics free?

First Words With Phonics costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Phonics Connections free?

Phonics Connections costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do First Words With Phonics or Phonics Connections have ads?

Neither First Words With Phonics nor Phonics Connections shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, First Words With Phonics or Phonics Connections?

First Words With Phonics ships an update every 2 months, and Phonics Connections every 28 months. Most recently, First Words With Phonics was updated on November 1, 2026 and Phonics Connections on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*