Comparison

LetterSchool vs Hoopla

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

Head to head
About

LetterSchool

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
Read full description

The #1 alphabet tracing and words spelling app for toddlers & pre-schoolers. Recommended and used by parents, teachers, and occupational therapists! Loved & played by more than 2 million kids and used at more than 5,000 schools! - Winner of 'National Parenting Product Awards' - NAPPA Awards - ‘Best Mobile App Platinum Award’ nominee! – BMA SPECIAL FEATURES: - Block & Cursive Letters, - Uppercase and Lowercase, - Numbers 1-10, - 24 geometric shapes for toddlers! - Keep track of your child’s progress, - Unlock Golden Levels! - 72 CVC words, 36 CVCC words, and 39 long sound words! - Progress and settings stored for up to three players on the same device, - Interactive and visually attractive fun animations, - Available for both iPads and iPhones! IMPORTANT: The first five letters of the alphabet (both uppercase and lowercase), five shapes, and the first three CVC flashcards (nine words) are completely for free. They can be played entirely (on 3 game steps). Enjoy this trial and have fun! PERFECT FOR KIDS: Kids want to have fun and LetterSchool offers an educational journey with the most engaging and entertaining educational material! - Learn while engaging with over 20+ exciting animations, graphics, and sound effects. - Associate letters with words, master and memorize tracing directions and the correct formation of each character. - Learn phonics, the formation of words, understand syllable formations, and spell entire words. - Perfect for home-schooling kids and kindergartens. A user-friendly app for children with special educational needs. PERFECT FOR PARENTS & TEACHERS: - Choice of the three most popular font families in handwriting education (Handwriting Without Tears, D’Nealian, and Zaner-Bloser). - Complete a set of letters, numbers, or shapes to unlock the Golden Levels! - Golden Level allows progress tracking and displays exactly how the letter was drawn! - A new challenge at every step: Your child traces a letter, number or shape 3 times using different parameters. SAFE: - An educational app created together with parents and educational professionals. - NO ADS! - Advanced settings or purchases only accessible by an adult! - Extremely committed Customer Support ready to answer all questions and fix any issues. LET'S PLAY & LEARN! Join LetterSchool on this exciting educational journey! Download the app and allow your toddler to discover the magical world of letters and words. Before you know it, your kid will become a pro in writing and spelling! SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS: LetterSchool offers several auto-renewing subscription options: per month. quarter, and year. - You can cancel your subscription anytime without an extra cancellation fee. - Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. - The account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours before the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during an active subscription period. - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. - Your iTunes account will be charged automatically after the 7-day free trial. CONTACT For more reviews and information, visit our website www.letterschool.com If you have any question or suggestions, please contact us at support@letterschool.com You can also check our FAQ page on https://www.letterschool.com/en/help. Terms of service and privacy policy: https://www.letterschool.com/legal/terms-of-use & https://www.letterschool.com/legal/privacy-policy

About

Hoopla

This app uses fun, expert-designed activities to help children aged 3-8 reduce anxiety and build emotional skills. It offers meditations, games, and songs to improve sleep, manage tantrums, and strengthen family bonds through interactive play.

Highlights
  • Expert-backed activities for children
  • Interactive family games
  • Multi-sensory emotional regulation tools
  • Quick, effective mindfulness exercises
  • Builds emotional skills
  • Simplifies parenting resources
Features
Read full description

Reduce anxiety and promote mental wellness in children aged 3-8 through fun, engaging activities. Hoopla combines the power of play with evidence-based strategies. Each activity is under 5 minutes instilling healthy habits and designed by experts to calm tantrums, improve sleep, and strengthen emotional bonds. Discover our collection of meditations, mindfulness exercises, songs, and interactive games crafted to relieve stress, enhance emotional growth, and deepen family connections. Start transforming screen time into positive family time with Hoopla. Why Hoopla Stands Out: Expert-Backed for Kids: Developed with child psychologists and educators, tailored for young children’s developmental stages. Interactive Family Fun: All games and activities are designed for parents and kids to enjoy together, strengthening family connections. Multi-Sensory Tools: Using the vibration of the phone, calm and regulate emotions by effectively engaging your child’s senses with tools designed to mimic physical sensory toys. Quick and Effective: Fit mindfulness, emotional regulation, and social-emotional learning seamlessly into your child’s day, requiring no special setup or props. Build Emotional Skills: Equip your children with essential skills to manage emotions, navigate challenges, and thrive through active play and engaging activities. Simplify Parenting: Access resources, tips, and follow-up activities that support your child’s and your own mental health. Start Your Free Trial: Download Hoopla today for a 7-day free trial. Manage subscriptions easily within the app. Privacy and Terms: We prioritize your family's privacy. Read our full privacy policy and terms of service at https://hooplafun.com.

Screenshots

LetterSchool4 screens
Hoopla4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hoopla at 100% against LetterSchool's 55%. Hoopla also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). LetterSchool's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (17K vs 5). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Both are free to download. LetterSchool sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Hoopla sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LetterSchool holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LetterSchool has 17K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of LetterSchool's written reviews are positive against 100% of Hoopla's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LetterSchool ships an update every 2 months, Hoopla every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
LetterSchool versus Hoopla: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLetterSchoolHoopla
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (17K ratings) — better4.2 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews54.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings17K — better5
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size158 MB60 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperLetterschool Enabling Learning B.V.Hoopla FZ-LLC

Customer experience

LetterSchool

All ratings17,001 ratings
Positive87.6%
Neutral6.1%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews253 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral8.3%
Negative37.2%

Hoopla

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

LetterSchool

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Hoopla

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

LetterSchool

Subscriptions6
  • Monthly Access Pass7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Monthly Access Pass7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Quarterly Access Pass7 Days trial$12.993 Months
Show 3 more
  • Quarterly Access Pass7 Days trial$19.993 Months
  • Annual Access Pass7 Days trial$44.991 Year
  • Yearly Access Pass7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time4
  • Unlock All Shapes$2.99
  • Unlock Full Block Alphabet$6.99
  • Unlock Full Cursive Alphabet$6.99
Show 1 more
  • All-in-one Package$79.99
4 purchases

Hoopla

Subscriptions4
  • Hoopla$9.991 Month
  • Hoopla$12.991 Month
  • Hoopla$39.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Hoopla$44.991 Year

Questions

Is LetterSchool free?
LetterSchool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hoopla free?
Hoopla is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LetterSchool or Hoopla?
LetterSchool is rated higher. LetterSchool averages 4.5 out of 5 from 17K ratings, while Hoopla averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.
Do LetterSchool or Hoopla have ads?
Hoopla shows ads; LetterSchool does not.
Which is updated more often, LetterSchool or Hoopla?
LetterSchool ships an update every 2 months, and Hoopla every 3 weeks. Most recently, LetterSchool was updated on November 6, 2026 and Hoopla on November 3, 2026.

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