# First Phrases vs HB Phonological Awareness

The clearest difference is price: HB Phonological Awareness at Free against First Phrases's $15.99. HB Phonological Awareness also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). First Phrases's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.4) and review sentiment (94% vs 67%). On ratings volume, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

HB Phonological Awareness is free to download; First Phrases costs $15.99 up front. First Phrases sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. HB Phonological Awareness asks for nothing beyond the download.

First Phrases holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 24 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of First Phrases's written reviews are positive against 67% of HB Phonological Awareness's.

First Phrases ships an update every 4 months, HB Phonological Awareness every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Phrases | HB Phonological Awareness |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $15.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.2 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-phrases/id473894018/reviews)** | [3.4 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hb-phonological-awareness/id667457445/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **24** |
| Positive reviews | **93.8% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 612 MB | 239 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hamaguchi Learning & Development, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/460288922) | [Super Duper Publications](https://appshunter.io/developer/427263142) |

## What reviewers say

### First Phrases

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-phrases/id473894018)

This interactive app helps young children learn to combine words into meaningful phrases. It features animated characters performing actions and allows for recording and playback to aid language development. Ideal for speech therapy and early literacy support.

**Highlights:** 72 verb + noun phrase combinations, Animated characters performing actions, Record and playback speech, Group setting for multiple users, Data collection and reporting, Visual support for learning

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| In-app purchase | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Engaging animations
- 👍 Effective for speech therapy
- 👍 Customizable settings
- 👍 Good for language development
- 👍 Interactive learning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy after updates
- 🐛 Screen share disconnects
- 💰 In-app purchases for characters
- 💰 Price considered high by some
- 🐛 App crashes frequently

**Reported bugs**

- Screen share disconnects during animations
- App crashes frequently
- Settings do not save
- Words do not flip to show phrases after update
- App not working after new iPad purchase (resolved)

**Requested features**

- Store recordings for progress tracking
- Add more phrases
- Allow more student profiles
- Save multiple recordings
- Repeat targeted phrase with icons on all pages


### HB Phonological Awareness

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hb-phonological-awareness/id667457445)

This educational app helps students improve listening and phonological awareness skills through interactive sound-based activities. Students learn to segment, blend, and manipulate sounds to build a virtual rock band, with a multi-level program that gradually increases in difficulty.

**Highlights:** Targets nine phonological awareness skills, Systematic sound segmentation and blending, Multi-level program with increasing difficulty, Monitors progress and provides feedback, Teaches listening skills for reading, Customizable program settings

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Phrases free?

First Phrases costs $15.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is HB Phonological Awareness free?

HB Phonological Awareness is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, First Phrases or HB Phonological Awareness?

First Phrases is rated higher. First Phrases averages 4.2 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while HB Phonological Awareness averages 3.4 from 24 ratings.

### Do First Phrases or HB Phonological Awareness have ads?

Neither First Phrases nor HB Phonological Awareness shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, First Phrases or HB Phonological Awareness?

First Phrases ships an update every 4 months, and HB Phonological Awareness every 2 months. Most recently, First Phrases was updated on November 6, 2026 and HB Phonological Awareness on November 5, 2026.

---

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