# LetterSchool vs Shape Up! Lite

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Shape Up! Lite at 100% against LetterSchool's 55%. Shape Up! Lite also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 14). LetterSchool's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 34 months) and ratings volume (17K vs 2). On price, 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. Shape Up! Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shape Up! Lite holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LetterSchool has 17K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of LetterSchool's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shape Up! Lite's.

LetterSchool ships an update every 2 months, Shape Up! Lite every 34 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LetterSchool | Shape Up! Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/letterschool-learn-to-write/id481067676/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shape-up-lite-busy-things/id482562699/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **17K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 54.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 34 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 158 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **6.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Letterschool Enabling Learning B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1133082101) | [Busy Things Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/482059850) |

## 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 (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


### Shape Up! Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shape-up-lite-busy-things/id482562699)

This educational game encourages young children to interact with basic shapes through tracing and coloring activities. Completed creations come to life with animations and sound effects, fostering curiosity and learning about colors and sizes.

**Highlights:** Shape tracing, Color filling, Animated creations, Sound effects, Shape identification, Color recognition

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LetterSchool free?

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

### Is Shape Up! Lite free?

Shape Up! Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, LetterSchool or Shape Up! Lite?

Shape Up! Lite is rated higher. LetterSchool averages 4.5 out of 5 from 17K ratings, while Shape Up! Lite averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do LetterSchool or Shape Up! Lite have ads?

Neither LetterSchool nor Shape Up! Lite shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LetterSchool or Shape Up! Lite?

LetterSchool ships an update every 2 months, and Shape Up! Lite every 34 months. Most recently, LetterSchool was updated on October 31, 2026 and Shape Up! Lite on October 30, 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.*