Comparison

Spelling Notebook vs The Spelling Bee

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

Head to head
About

Spelling Notebook

Create personalized spelling lists, practice words with audio pronunciation, and test your knowledge. Earn stars for correct answers and focus on words you need to master. Ideal for students and anyone looking to improve their spelling skills.

Highlights
  • Create personalized word lists
  • Audio pronunciation for words
  • Test spelling knowledge
  • Earn stars for correct words
  • Practice words needing mastery
  • Record your own voice
  • Extensive searchable dictionary
Features
Read full description

Create a personalized list of words to practice. Test your spelling - hear each word spoken. Get a star for each correct word. Practice just the words you have yet to master. Retest your words at anytime. Students can practice their words independently. Originally designed to be a replacement for a student's spelling notebook which lists words to be learnt for school each week. Unlike a paper notebook, SpellingNotebook can speak each of the words to enable testing and practice without seeing the written word. SpellingNotebook contains a full searchable spelling dictionary so that words can be added directly to the student's word list, minimizing entry errors. User Reviews * This app is awesome I have a spelling test coming up and I can spell every word correctly thanks to this app!!! (US) * Makes spelling practice fun (UK) * So fun!!!! This is a great app for kids and adults! (US) * Great App!!! Whole class uses it!! (Australia) Spelling Notebook features: * Students can practice independently * More than 100,000 words - add new words to the built in spelling dictionary when needed * Spelling Notebook has a built in voice that can say all words in its extensive dictionary and any new english words added * Optionally Record your own voice for the word you want to practice. You can record just the word, or even a whole phrase to help you recognize which word to spell. * Multiple English regions: UK, US, Canada, Australia and NZ * Earn a star for correct words * Keep multiple word lists * Edit word lists: add or delete words, add or delete an entire word list, rename your list * Import words from one wordlist into another * Words are selected from an extensive dictionary - minimizing entry errors * Help available in app to guide and support * Word list Copy and Paste * History of Word list tests and practice * Email test results * 8 words per list: Upgrade to Premium for unlimited words per list and a selection of UK, US and Australian voices. The built-in spelling dictionary is automatically selected by region. For countries outside US, Canada, Australia and NZ, the UK spelling dictionary is selected. Follow us on Instagram: @spellingnotebook Recommended Ages: All, Kids Categories: Education, Productivity, Apps for Kids

About

The Spelling Bee

Practice spelling with fun games and customizable word lists. Track progress with badges and history. Ideal for students preparing for tests or learning new words.

Highlights
  • Spelling games (Swarm, Scramble, Alphabetize, Test)
  • Customizable word lists
  • Pre-loaded word lists (850+ words)
  • Progress tracking with history
  • Earnable badges for mastery
  • Multiple user profiles
Features
Read full description

The Spelling Bee has fun game modes to practice spelling! Enter your weekly spelling words or choose from one of the pre-loaded lists with over 850 words! This app is recommended for preschool – 5th grade. It is great for practicing for tests at school, but it is also awesome for enrichment or summer practice! *We have added new features!!!* •You can now copy word lists from one profile to another on the same device. •You can now email word lists to other users. This is a great way for teachers to send out weekly word lists! GAMES AND FEATURES- •Spelling Swarm: Tap the bees as they move across the screen to spell the words. •Honeycomb Scramble: Unscramble the letters to reveal the spelling words. •Alpha “Bee” tize: Tap and drag the words in the list to arrange them in alphabetical order. This is a great way to practice (or learn) the skill of alphabetizing while also becoming familiar with the spelling of the words. •Spelling Bee: This is the standard test mode where you simply type in the correct spelling. •Word Lists: You have the option of recording your own spelling word lists or using the lists pre-loaded in the app. The pre-loaded lists have over 850 words separated into 4 different levels and some special categories. Level 1 begins with lists like “at” words and “2 letter sight words” which are perfect for starting spelling with preschoolers or kindergarteners. The levels gradually progress to words like photosynthesis and camouflage at the end of level 4. Category lists such as numbers, colors, animals, days and months are also included! When you record your own words, you can also include a sentence with the recording. •Badges: For each word list, you can try to earn 4 different badges for each of the game modes. Those include the “Alpha ‘Bee’ Tize” badge, the “Honeycomb Scramble” badge, the “Spelling Swarm” badge and the “Spelling Bee” badge. Badges are earned when a word list is completed without any mistakes. The badges help to show progress at a glance and motivate kids to master the word lists. •Profiles: Set up as many profiles as you like, so that each child can earn their own badges. •History: Shows the “Spelling Bee” (test) history, so that students and parents can track progress and see which words are being missed. WHO SHOULD USE THIS APP? 1.Students with weekly spelling tests: This app lets them practice in a fun way, and keeps records so there is no doubt when they are ready for the test at school. 2.Homeschoolers: The built in lists would be great as pretests or a starting point for a spelling curriculum. And of course additional words can be added to fit your specific needs. 3.Those just learning to spell: Our lists start at the BEGINNING! Starting kids with words like “cat”, “bat”, “mat” and fun games is a way to introduce spelling without being overwhelming. All of the words in level 1 only have one or two sound “chunks” and are only 2 or 3 letters. Because the words are played audibly, it can also help with beginning reading skills as well! 4.Students who need more spelling practice: If your child tends to forget how to spell words even after being tested on them at school, this app could serve as a refresher of many of the spelling words he/she needs to know. 5.Those that need a challenge: If your child is getting all of the spelling words at school correct without even studying, this app could be a great enrichment tool. Have your child work some of the more difficult lists built into the app, or challenge them with creative lists of your own. For questions or feedback, please contact us at: spelling@tictaptech.com

Screenshots

Spelling Notebook4 screens
The Spelling Bee4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Spelling Notebook at Free against The Spelling Bee's $1.99. Spelling Notebook also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (2.7K vs 148). The Spelling Bee's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). On update cadence, ads and device support 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

Spelling Notebook is free to download; The Spelling Bee costs $1.99 up front. Spelling Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Spelling Bee asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Spelling Notebook holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spelling Notebook has 2.7K ratings behind it against 148, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Spelling Notebook's written reviews are positive against 71% of The Spelling Bee's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spelling Notebook ships an update every 3 months, The Spelling Bee every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Spelling Notebook versus The Spelling Bee: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpelling NotebookThe Spelling Bee
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.6 (2.7K ratings) — better4.0 (148 ratings)
Positive reviews86.3% of reviews — better70.7% of reviews
Number of ratings2.7K — better148
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAko Software Ltd.TicTapTech, LLC

Customer experience

Spelling Notebook

All ratings2,660 ratings
Positive89.8%
Neutral3.8%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews270 reviews
Positive86.3%
Neutral5.9%
Negative7.8%

The Spelling Bee

All ratings148 ratings
Positive73.6%
Neutral5.4%
Negative20.9%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive70.7%
Neutral3.4%
Negative25.9%

User reviews

Spelling Notebook

From 2.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Helps improve spelling
  • 💡 Ability to record own voice
  • 👍 Customizable word lists
  • 👍 Tracks progress and mistakes

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Pronunciation issues with some words
  • 💰 Limited free version, need to pay for more features
  • 🔍 Difficult to manage long word lists in free version

The Spelling Bee

From 148 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helps kids learn spelling
  • 👍 Keeps kids engaged
  • 👍 Solves meltdowns over spelling prep
  • 👍 Thriving with the app
  • 👍 Best app for studying words

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Games are not great
  • 🐛 Super glitchy
  • 🐛 Keyboard has too many unneeded features
  • 🐛 Microphone feature can be used to cheat
  • 🐛 Crashes all the time

Bugs and requests

Spelling Notebook

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Word lists disappearing after device change
  • Keyboard issues causing app crashes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add dictionary definitions
  • Improve pronunciation quality
  • Allow more words in free version
  • Implement a dark mode
  • Add ability to share/sync word lists

The Spelling Bee

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • App is super glitchy
  • App crashes all the time
  • App freezes screen
  • App won't record any word
  • App keeps crashing
Show 12 more
  • App closes after a few words
  • App constantly shutting down
  • Cannot edit word list after shutdown
  • App stops suddenly
  • App glitches continuously
  • App crashes when recording
  • No word heard in honeybee swarm
  • Record/stop button functions in reverse
  • Two games do not work
  • Marks correct spelling as wrong
  • Buggy app
  • App hasn't been updated

Requested features

10 requests
  • Fix the keyboard issue in spelling tests
  • Improve the games
  • Make letters lowercase
  • More user-friendly selection for kids
  • Limit honeycombs to 1 or 2 rows
Show 5 more
  • Fix bugs
  • Fix audio problems
  • Add to study section (say word, spell aloud)
  • Sync between devices
  • Offer money back guarantees for apps

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Spelling Notebook

One-time1
  • Upgrade to Premium$1.99
None

The Spelling Bee

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Spelling Notebook free?
Spelling Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The Spelling Bee free?
The Spelling Bee costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Spelling Notebook or The Spelling Bee?
Spelling Notebook is rated higher. Spelling Notebook averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while The Spelling Bee averages 4.0 from 148 ratings.
Do Spelling Notebook or The Spelling Bee have ads?
Neither Spelling Notebook nor The Spelling Bee shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spelling Notebook or The Spelling Bee?
Spelling Notebook ships an update every 3 months, and The Spelling Bee every 2 months. Most recently, Spelling Notebook was updated on October 17, 2026 and The Spelling Bee on October 17, 2026.

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