# LetterSchool vs Sound Boxes for Word Study

The clearest difference is rating: LetterSchool at 4.5 against Sound Boxes for Word Study's 3.1. LetterSchool also leads on ratings volume (17K vs 7) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). Sound Boxes for Word Study's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. LetterSchool sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Sound Boxes for Word Study asks for nothing beyond the download.

LetterSchool holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LetterSchool has 17K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of LetterSchool's written reviews are positive against 60% of Sound Boxes for Word Study's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

LetterSchool ships an update every 2 months, Sound Boxes for Word Study every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LetterSchool | Sound Boxes for Word Study |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/letterschool-learn-to-write/id481067676/reviews)** | [3.1 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-boxes-for-word-study/id1075114312/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | **60.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 158 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Letterschool Enabling Learning B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1133082101) | [Classroom Focused Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/406741679) |

## What reviewers say

### LetterSchool

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/letterschool-learn-to-write/id481067676)

This app helps young children learn to write letters, numbers, and shapes through interactive tracing and spelling games. It offers progress tracking and engaging animations to make learning fun and effective for toddlers and preschoolers.

**Highlights:** Block and cursive letter tracing, Uppercase and lowercase letters, Number tracing (1-10), Geometric shape tracing, Word spelling and phonics, Progress tracking for multiple players, Interactive animations and sound effects

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Access Pass | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access Pass | $9.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Access Pass | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Quarterly Access Pass | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual Access Pass | $44.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access Pass | $59.99 | per year |
| Unlock All Shapes | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Full Block Alphabet | $6.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Full Cursive Alphabet | $6.99 | one-time |
| All-in-one Package | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Engaging and interactive
- 🚀 Helps improve handwriting
- 💡 Supports multiple writing styles (print, cursive, d'nealian)
- 👍 Motivating with rewards and animations
- 👍 Useful for children with learning challenges

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Subscription issues (app reverts to lite version, need to restore purchases)
- 🐛 Glitches and crashes (especially with Dari letters)
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔍 Limited free version
- 🔍 Inconsistent letter formation (not aligned with school standards)

**Reported bugs**

- Dari letter (پ) keeps glitching
- Subscription issues (app reverts to lite version, need to restore purchases)
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Login screen freezes

**Requested features**

- Add more languages (Russian, Serbian, Thai, Korean, Hebrew, Hindi, etc.)
- Allow creating custom words/names to practice
- Improve letter sound pronunciations
- Add more visual options (fonts, themes, etc.)
- Integrate with International Phonetic Alphabet


### Sound Boxes for Word Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-boxes-for-word-study/id1075114312)

This educational app helps children develop foundational literacy skills by teaching them how letters and sounds combine to form words. It uses sound boxes to aid in segmenting word sounds, supporting both reading and writing development.

**Highlights:** Letter-sound association, Word segmentation, Supports reading skills, Supports writing skills, Foundational literacy development

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LetterSchool free?

LetterSchool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Sound Boxes for Word Study free?

Sound Boxes for Word Study is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, LetterSchool or Sound Boxes for Word Study?

LetterSchool is rated higher. LetterSchool averages 4.5 out of 5 from 17K ratings, while Sound Boxes for Word Study averages 3.1 from 7 ratings.

### Do LetterSchool or Sound Boxes for Word Study have ads?

Neither LetterSchool nor Sound Boxes for Word Study shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LetterSchool or Sound Boxes for Word Study?

LetterSchool ships an update every 2 months, and Sound Boxes for Word Study every 6 months. Most recently, LetterSchool was updated on November 6, 2026 and Sound Boxes for Word Study on November 2, 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.*