Splash Reading vs StringMaster
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Splash Reading
This app helps children from Kindergarten to Grade 5 master English Language Arts skills through engaging, game-based activities. It covers phonics, sight words, spelling, grammar, and comprehension, fostering reading fluency and writing confidence.
- Phonics and letter sound recognition
- Sight word and vocabulary building
- Spelling and grammar practice
- Reading comprehension exercises
- Interactive game-based learning
- Progressive guided learning path
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Award-winning reading app trusted by millions of families and educators! Splash Reading helps kids master English Language Arts (ELA) skills from Kindergarten through Grade 5. Designed by experts, it combines structured lessons with fun, game-based activities to build strong readers and confident writers. Awards & Recognition - Winner of the Tabby Award for Best Educational App - Featured as “No. 1 Education App” by Apple - Loved by millions of kids, teachers, and parents worldwide About Splash Reading Splash Reading turns learning into an engaging journey. Through phonics, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and comprehension lessons, children progress step-by-step at their own pace. Each activity helps them strengthen reading fluency, boost confidence, and enjoy learning. What Your Child Will Learn → Kindergarten - Recognize letters and sounds - Trace letters and learn sequencing - Explore sight words, rhyming words, and phonics basics → Grade 1 - Build foundational reading and writing skills - Master sight words, bossy R words, and silent e - Practice rhyming, digraphs, and vowel blends → Grade 2 - Strengthen fluency and phonics understanding - Learn diphthongs, trigraphs, and consonant clusters - Expand vocabulary and spelling accuracy → Grade 3 - Develop reading comprehension and word usage - Improve writing and spelling through fun activities - Practice cursive writing and sentence construction → Grade 4 - Advance grammar and vocabulary - Analyze text meaning and improve comprehension - Strengthen writing structure and creativity → Grade 5 - Master advanced grammar and vocabulary - Read complex passages with understanding - Enhance creative and analytical writing skills Why Families Love SplashLearn - Guided Learning Path: Lessons build progressively for smooth skill development - Playful Practice: Interactive games turn reading and writing into fun challenges - Independent Learning: Kids learn confidently at their own pace - Safe and Ad-Free: A secure environment designed by educators Parent Reviews - “My son struggled with reading until we tried Splash Reading. Now he enjoys it every day!” – Parent of a 2nd Grader - “The phonics games are amazing. My daughter’s fluency has improved so much.” – Parent of a 1st Grader - “A fantastic app for independent learning. My kids are having fun while improving.” – Parent of a 4th Grader Subscription & Free Trial Try it free! Get full access during your free trial, then choose a flexible plan that fits your family. Enjoy unlimited access to reading and writing activities for your child. Need Help? We’re here for you → https://support.splashlearn.com/hc/en-us Privacy & Terms Your child’s safety comes first. - https://www.splashlearn.com/privacy - https://www.splashlearn.com/terms-of-use
StringMaster
This comprehensive music learning app offers tools for chord building, scale visualization, songwriting, and instrument tuning. It supports a wide range of instruments and provides features for both beginners and seasoned musicians.
- Chord building and detection
- Scale visualization and playback
- Songwriting tools
- Chromatic tuner and metronome
- Fretboard learning
- Alternate tuning and capo support
- Piano keyboard mapping
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Introducing StringMaster, the original heart of the StringMaster family of applications that represent the pinnacle of advanced music applications for iPad and Mac, tailored for musicians ranging from relative beginners to seasoned guitarists. The StringMaster family has five versions catering to diverse needs with StringMaster providing most of the features of the Pro version, with the exception of Fretlight Guitar support and the Jam/MIDI capability, though in app upgrades are available for these features. Unlock a world of possibilities with support for chord building and detection, chord tones, scales, and songwriting, backed by a chromatic tuner, metronome, fretboard learning, flexible alternate tuning and capo support for any instrument in any orientation, and more. The StringMaster family boasts over 150,000 users and having held the #1 Music App position in 34 countries. It supports an array of instruments, from acoustic and electric guitars to bass guitars, banjos, mandolins, ukuleles, pianos, and even balalaikas. Dive into a rich sound library with distortion, reverb, or piano options for any instrument. Whether you're a guitarist, bassist, or multi-instrumentalist, StringMaster has you covered. Key features include chord building and detection, a comprehensive fretboard learning system, advanced songwriting tools, and flexible alternate tuning and capo support for any instrument in any orientation. StringMaster 4 introduces piano keyboard support, allowing seamless mapping of guitar chords to the piano keyboard. Explore the robust capabilities of StringMaster: * Play and discover chords and fingering with natural tones. * Display and play scales, including scale runs up the fretboard. * Visualize chord notes, suggested fingering, and Chord Tones. * Utilize the unique Note Finding capability to learn notes and their relative positions on the fretboard. * Benefit from the integrated Chromatic Tuner and Metronome, playable in the background. * Leverage StringMaster's chord-naming algorithms based on finger positions. * Unleash your creativity with the Song Writer, recommending chord progressions and facilitating songwriting. * Master instruments by comparing chords, patterns, and fingerings across a variety of instruments. * Output MIDI from played notes. Experience the next level of musical exploration and education with StringMaster – where versatility meets excellence. Join the global community of musicians who have made StringMaster their go-to app for musical innovation. Download StringMaster now and elevate your musical journey to new heights! Note that the App Purchase of StringMaster Pro includes full Fretlight Wireless support as well as the "Jam" capability.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Splash Reading at Free against StringMaster's $14.99. Splash Reading also leads on ratings volume (2.5K vs 24) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). StringMaster's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (80% vs 64%). On ads, 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
Splash Reading is free to download; StringMaster costs $14.99 up front. Splash Reading sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and StringMaster sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
StringMaster holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Splash Reading has 2.5K ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Splash Reading's written reviews are positive against 80% of StringMaster's.
Splash Reading ships an update every 3 weeks, StringMaster every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Splash Reading | StringMaster |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $14.99 |
| Rating | 4.3 (2.5K ratings) | 4.7 (24 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.7% of reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.5K — better | 24 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 494 MB | 172 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | StudyPad, Inc. | Great Apptitude Pty Ltd |
Customer experience
Splash Reading
StringMaster
Bugs and requests
Splash Reading
Reported bugs
3 issues- Login issues
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Syncing problems between app and parent account
Requested features
4 requests- More free content and levels
- Ability to customize difficulty
- Multi-language support
- Better sync across devices
StringMaster
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Splash Reading
- SplashLearn Mela Monthly Plan7 Days trial$8.991 Month
- Monthly Subscription7 Days trial2 variants$9.991 Month
- 1 Month Math & Reading Games7 Days trial$11.991 Month
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- SplashLearn Solo - Monthly7 Days trial$11.991 Month
- SplashLearn Membership Monthly7 Days trial$11.991 Month
- Quarterly Subscription7 Days trial$23.993 Months
- 3 Month Full Access7 Days trial$29.993 Months
- One Year Full Access7 Days trial$59.991 Year
- SplashLearn Mela Yearly Plan7 Days trial$69.991 Year
- SplashLearn Solo - Yearly7 Days trial$69.991 Year
- SplashLearn Membership Yearly7 Days trial$69.991 Year
- Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$79.991 Year
- 1 Year Math & Reading Games7 Days trial$89.991 Year
- Grade 4 Lifetime$9.99
StringMaster
- Fretlight Support$4.99
- StringMaster Pro Upgrade$7.99
Questions
Is Splash Reading free?
Is StringMaster free?
Which has better reviews, Splash Reading or StringMaster?
Do Splash Reading or StringMaster have ads?
Which is updated more often, Splash Reading or StringMaster?
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