# LetterSchool vs Pattern Blocks+ by mathies

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pattern Blocks+ by mathies at 100% against LetterSchool's 54%. Pattern Blocks+ by mathies also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 14) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). LetterSchool's advantage is ratings volume (17K vs 3) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. LetterSchool sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Pattern Blocks+ by mathies asks for nothing beyond the download.

LetterSchool holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LetterSchool has 17K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of LetterSchool's written reviews are positive against 100% of Pattern Blocks+ by mathies'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, Pattern Blocks+ by mathies every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LetterSchool | Pattern Blocks+ by mathies |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/letterschool-learn-to-write/id481067676/reviews)** | [4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pattern-blocks-plus-by-mathies/id1451545067/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 54.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 158 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Letterschool Enabling Learning B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1133082101) | [OAME](https://appshunter.io/developer/868343673) |

## 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 engaging animations. It offers progress tracking and is designed by educational professionals to be safe and fun for toddlers and preschoolers.

**Highlights:** Block and cursive letter tracing, Uppercase and lowercase letters, Numbers 1-10 tracing, Geometric shape tracing, Progress tracking for multiple players, Interactive animations and sound effects, CVC, CVCC, and long sound word practice

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Access Pass | $4.99 | per month |
| LetterSchool - Monthly Pass | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Access Pass | $9.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Access Pass | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| LetterSchool - Monthly Pass | $14.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Access Pass | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual Access Pass | $44.99 | per year |
| LetterSchool - Annual Pass | $59.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access Pass | $59.99 | per year |
| LetterSchool - Annual Pass | $74.99 | 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


### Pattern Blocks+ by mathies

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pattern-blocks-plus-by-mathies/id1451545067)

This app provides a virtual manipulative tool for creating designs and exploring mathematical concepts. Users can drag, move, copy, rotate, and reflect various shapes to build patterns, represent fractions and decimals, and calculate area and perimeter. It's designed to support learning in the classroom or at home.

**Highlights:** Virtual pattern blocks, Drag, move, copy, rotate, reflect shapes, Create patterns and designs, Represent fractions and decimals, Calculate area and perimeter, Save and open work files, Built-in annotation tool

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LetterSchool free?

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

### Is Pattern Blocks+ by mathies free?

Pattern Blocks+ by mathies is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, LetterSchool or Pattern Blocks+ by mathies?

LetterSchool is rated higher. LetterSchool averages 4.5 out of 5 from 17K ratings, while Pattern Blocks+ by mathies averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do LetterSchool or Pattern Blocks+ by mathies have ads?

Neither LetterSchool nor Pattern Blocks+ by mathies shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LetterSchool or Pattern Blocks+ by mathies?

LetterSchool ships an update every 2 months, and Pattern Blocks+ by mathies every 6 weeks. Most recently, LetterSchool was updated on October 14, 2026 and Pattern Blocks+ by mathies on October 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.*