Comparison

Patterns Colors and Shapes vs Writing Wizard

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Patterns Colors and Shapes

This app helps children practice completing repeating patterns using colors or shapes. Users can select from pre-made patterns or create their own, with options to hear the names of colors and shapes spoken aloud. It provides visual feedback for correct and incorrect placements.

Highlights
  • Complete repeating color patterns
  • Complete repeating shape patterns
  • Create custom patterns
  • Hear color and shape names spoken
  • Visual feedback for placements
  • Adjust pattern length
Read full description

Part of the Math Practice Tools CFS Bundle Practice completing repeating patterns made with colors or shapes. Patterns are initially shown with five to eight elements completed. Complete the pattern by dragging the color or shape tiles from the bottom of the screen to the appropriate point on the pattern. You may complete the pattern in any order you want to. Select from eight patterns or create your own pattern to complete with two to five elements. As you tap a color or shape, the name is shown on the screen. Turn on the sound option to hear the name spoken. Feedback provided while dragging (with a white highlight) and for correct (green highlight), and incorrect (red highlight) placements. Use the Options menu to: 1) select to use colors or shapes, 2) select from eight pre-made patterns or create your own, 3) select the number of elements in the pattern: 10, 13, or 17, and 4) whether to start the pattern at the far left or at random point.

About

Writing Wizard

This app helps children learn to trace letters, numbers, and words with a fun, motivating system. It offers customizable tracing practice, interactive games, and progress reports for parents and educators.

Highlights
  • Trace letters, numbers, and words
  • Customizable tracing practice
  • Interactive games and animated stickers
  • Create custom word lists with audio
  • Progress reports for tracking
  • Printable PDF worksheets
Features
Read full description

"Fantastic, customizable tracing practice with fun rewards." 5 Stars - Common Sense Media 500,000+ units sold (including 300,000+ to schools) ! Writing Wizard is designed to help every child learn how to trace letters, numbers, and words through a fun system carefully designed to maintain motivation. • Show and enforce how to trace letters correctly • Letter names and phonics (customizable) • 16 Fonts available (including 3 most popular in the US) • Fun tracing using 50+ animated stickers, sound effects and interactive games that animate letters at the end of tracing • Uppercase & lowercase letters, numbers, and words • Ability to create your own word lists (and record audio for each word) • Fully customizable to suit every child’s needs (letter size, difficulty,...) • Check progress thanks to reports that display what the child has traced • Shapes tracing activity for toddlers • Create PDF Worksheets and print them to help your child to write on paper • Use Apple pencil to write at a very small size All the shapes, the first 7 letters, numbers, and words are free. The remaining letters and the ability to add your own words can be unlocked with a one-time purchase or a monthly subscription. _______ ACCOLADES • "Writing Wizard is the most complete and intelligent letter tracing app we’ve seen"" AppoLearning.com • "This brand-new app should be the go-to for every parent, teacher and therapist to work on handwriting" - TOP PICKS - 5 stars - SmartAppsForKids.com • "Writing Wizard by L’Escapadou is everything a parent wants in a handwriting app, and more." 5/5 - kids-app-reviews.com • "L’Escapadou has made handwriting fun." AppyMall.com 5/5 • Listed in "20 best educational iPhone and iPad apps for kids of 2013" - appsplayground.com • Editor's Choice Award for Excellence in Design - Children's Technology Review _______ PERFECT FOR KIDS Kids want to have fun, and Writing Wizard offers a lot of fun to keep them motivated in the learning process! • They can trace using 50+ animated stickers and sound effects • Once tracing is complete, they can interact with them on 4 games that animate letters • They can trace any word - like their name - and record their voice for each word • They can collect stars in 5-Stars play mode _______ PERFECT FOR PARENTS & TEACHERS • Ability to create your own word lists (and record audio for each word) • Detailed reports provide information on what kids have done, including the ability to replay and export the tracings to view kids' progress • Share word lists via iCloud Drive or other cloud providers, adhoc network, or email • Multiple parameters to customize the app according to the child’s current education level (e.g. letter size, difficulty, show/hide model, allow to stop between key points, etc.) • 3 most popular fonts in the US (ZB, DN & HWT) and 13 international fonts (UK, Scandinavia, Australia, Germany and France) • Upper and lower case letters, numbers (and word lists) • Letter names and letter sounds (which can be customized) • A customizable 5-Stars play mode prompting the child to trace a letter or a word 5 times using different parameters (each step is more challenging) • Create an unlimited number of users • Many settings to customize the app (sound, game time limit, black background,...) • In the A-Z section, special graphics available to match letters (e.g. ant graphic for A/a) _______ Privacy Policy KNOW WHAT'S INSIDE As a Moms with Apps member, we follow the "Know what's inside" best practices for kids’ apps L’Escapadou takes children’s privacy seriously. We believe you should not have to worry about your kids being tracked by apps or websites. This app: • Does not collect any user information (we do not use data collection tools) • External Links : Before accessing a parent section, an operation must be solved so that young kids cannot access it. Terms of use : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Writing Wizard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Writing Wizard at 4.4 against Patterns Colors and Shapes's 1.0. Writing Wizard also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 33%) and ratings volume (5.2K vs 1). Patterns Colors and Shapes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.6). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Writing Wizard sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Patterns Colors and Shapes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Writing Wizard holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Writing Wizard has 5.2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Patterns Colors and Shapes's written reviews are positive against 74% of Writing Wizard's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Patterns Colors and Shapes ships an update every 12 months, Writing Wizard every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Patterns Colors and Shapes versus Writing Wizard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPatterns Colors and ShapesWriting Wizard
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)4.4 (5.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews73.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings15.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperClassroom Focused SoftwarePierre Abel

Customer experience

Patterns Colors and Shapes

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Writing Wizard

All ratings5,184 ratings
Positive84.3%
Neutral6.0%
Negative9.7%
Written reviews208 reviews
Positive73.6%
Neutral6.7%
Negative19.7%

Bugs and requests

Patterns Colors and Shapes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Writing Wizard

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes when trying to access locked features
  • Purchased content not unlocking properly
  • Inconsistent letter formation guidance

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more letters, numbers, and shapes
  • Allow recording of custom voice instructions
  • Improve compatibility with stylus/digital pens
  • Provide more customization options

In-app purchases

None

Patterns Colors and Shapes

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Writing Wizard

Subscriptions1
  • Full Access - Monthly$2.491 Month
One-time3
  • All Letters and Numbers$5.99
  • Add Your Words and Word Lists$5.99
  • Lifetime Full Access$9.99

Questions

Is Patterns Colors and Shapes free?
Patterns Colors and Shapes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Writing Wizard free?
Writing Wizard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Patterns Colors and Shapes or Writing Wizard?
Writing Wizard is rated higher. Patterns Colors and Shapes averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Writing Wizard averages 4.4 from 5.2K ratings.
Do Patterns Colors and Shapes or Writing Wizard have ads?
Neither Patterns Colors and Shapes nor Writing Wizard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Patterns Colors and Shapes or Writing Wizard?
Patterns Colors and Shapes ships an update every 12 months, and Writing Wizard every 4 months. Most recently, Patterns Colors and Shapes was updated on October 7, 2026 and Writing Wizard on October 22, 2026.

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