# First Words With Phonics vs Sentence Ninja

The clearest difference is price: First Words With Phonics at $1.99 against Sentence Ninja's $21.99. First Words With Phonics also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (23 vs 5). Sentence Ninja's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and rating (4.2 vs 3.8). On ads there is nothing between them.

First Words With Phonics costs $1.99 and Sentence Ninja $21.99 up front. First Words With Phonics sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Sentence Ninja asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sentence Ninja holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 23 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of First Words With Phonics's written reviews are positive against 86% of Sentence Ninja's.

First Words With Phonics ships an update every 2 months, Sentence Ninja every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Words With Phonics | Sentence Ninja |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $21.99 |
| Rating | [3.8 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-words-with-phonics/id448163359/reviews) | **[4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sentence-ninja/id685971804/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **23** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 68.8% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 86 MB | 196 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Read 'n' Learn](https://appshunter.io/developer/1005499252) | [Smarty Ears](https://appshunter.io/developer/348779167) |

## 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 |


### Sentence Ninja

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sentence-ninja/id685971804)

This app helps users of all ages master sentence structure through a gamified, ninja-themed learning experience. It offers tailored features for families, educators, and speech therapists, with progress tracking and printable resources.

**Highlights:** Ninja-themed progression, 39 levels of difficulty, Printable worksheets, Progress tracking for multiple students, Clinical customization options, Evidence-based linguistic hierarchy

**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 Sentence Ninja free?

Sentence Ninja costs $21.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, First Words With Phonics or Sentence Ninja?

Sentence Ninja is rated higher. First Words With Phonics averages 3.8 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while Sentence Ninja averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.

### Do First Words With Phonics or Sentence Ninja have ads?

Neither First Words With Phonics nor Sentence Ninja shows ads.

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

First Words With Phonics ships an update every 2 months, and Sentence Ninja every 12 months. Most recently, First Words With Phonics was updated on November 1, 2026 and Sentence Ninja on November 6, 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.*