Comparison

Splash Reading vs Hooked on Phonics Learning

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Read full description

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

About

Hooked on Phonics Learning

This app transforms screen time into educational fun for children aged 3-8. It offers interactive games and activities across reading, math, and spelling, tailored to individual learning needs. Parents receive real-time progress insights and can track their child's development through a comprehensive ebook library and reward system.

Highlights
  • Reading, Math & Spelling Games
  • 1000+ Educational Activities
  • 100+ Ebook Library
  • Adaptive Learning Program
  • Virtual Rewards System
  • Multi-device Compatibility
  • Customizable Learner Profiles
Read full description

Turn screen time into learning time! Hooked on Phonics has been trusted by parents for over 35 years to provide engaging, educational content for kids. Our app uses cutting-edge research and guidance from top educators to teach essential skills. Tailored to support preschool, kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade learners, our adaptive program targets where each child needs practice. This gives parents real-time progress insights! Learn across different subjects with Hooked on Math and Hooked on Spelling included within our Hooked on Phonics app. Kids can learn, gain rewards, and strengthen early skills that align with your family’s educational goals. Hooked on Phonics helps children (ages 3-8) learn across reading, math, and spelling with:: • 1000+ educational activities designed for preschool, kindergarten, and early grade levels • 100+ ebook library with stories to complement every reading lesson • Multi-device compatibility – keep learning consistent across devices • Three customizable learner profiles to track individual progress Children can: • Gain confidence through interactive learning activities * Earn virtual rewards like cosmetic items for your avatar • Practice reading in our extensive ebook library • Easily resume learning on any device, any time WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU DOWNLOAD: Hooked on Phonics offers a 7-day free trial of the entire program, including: reading, math, and spelling content. Experience your child’s excitement as they read their first book or solve their first math problem! Terms of use: - Hooked on Phonics provides a 7-day free trial, which upon completion, becomes a monthly subscription charged by the Apple App Store. - Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user by going to the “Subscriptions” section in the App store after purchase. https://hookedonphonics.com/terms-of-service/ Practice Packs Mailed Home: Catapult your child's progress by purchasing Practice Packs as an add-on to your App (available on our website). The workbooks, storybooks, and celebration stickers work in tandem with the App to help children develop a deeper understanding of literacy (and mathematics!) concepts. Built by educational experts and reinforced with feedback from our customers, the Practice Pack program includes 5 Pre-reader, and 15 Learn to Read packs that include workbooks, stickers, storybooks, and in the first Pre-reader pack, flashcards that are sent to the home, monthly. Subscribers can customize how often they receive these shipments through their account dashboard to tailor the pacing to each family’s needs. Created in conjunction with the App, the Practice Packs allow children to engage in different modalities of learning, review the skills they’ve gained in the App, and practice hands-on skills—like writing and tracing—that are best mastered in a non-digital environment. The result is an immersive program of learning experiences that keeps kids highly engaged in learning to read. Start your child on the path to becoming a confident lifelong learner, and download Hooked on Phonics now!

Screenshots

Splash Reading4 screens
Hooked on Phonics Learning4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Splash Reading at 63% against Hooked on Phonics Learning's 42%. Splash Reading also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Hooked on Phonics Learning's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.3) and chart position (#69 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Splash Reading sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Hooked on Phonics Learning sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hooked on Phonics Learning holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hooked on Phonics Learning has 18K ratings behind it against 2.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of Splash Reading's written reviews are positive against 42% of Hooked on Phonics Learning's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Splash Reading ships an update every 3 weeks, Hooked on Phonics Learning monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Splash Reading versus Hooked on Phonics Learning: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSplash ReadingHooked on Phonics Learning
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (2.5K ratings)4.5 (18K ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.1% of reviews — better42.2% of reviews
Number of ratings2.5K18K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#69 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size493 MB635 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStudyPad, Inc.Hooked on Phonics

Customer experience

Splash Reading

All ratings2,454 ratings
Positive81.5%
Neutral3.8%
Negative14.7%
Written reviews317 reviews
Positive63.1%
Neutral4.7%
Negative32.2%

Hooked on Phonics Learning

All ratings18,048 ratings
Positive86.9%
Neutral4.4%
Negative8.8%
Written reviews365 reviews
Positive42.2%
Neutral11.8%
Negative46.0%

User reviews

Splash Reading

From 2.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and engaging
  • 🚀 Helps improve math skills
  • 📈 Tracks progress and provides reports
  • 🧠 Challenges kids and keeps them motivated

Room to improve

  • 💰 Paywall limits free access
  • 🐛 App crashes and freezes
  • 📚 Lessons not always aligned with grade level
  • 🤔 Unclear how to cancel subscription

Hooked on Phonics Learning

From 18K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Helped child learn to read quickly
  • 👍 Fun and engaging for kids
  • 🚀 Effective for teaching phonics
  • 👍 Great customer service
  • 👍 Workbooks and app work well together

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App freezes and crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Progress not saved properly
  • 🐛 Difficult to navigate and use
  • 🔋 Slow loading times
  • 🔒 Subscription issues and billing problems

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

Hooked on Phonics Learning

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Avatar creation feature broken
  • Incorrect letter pronunciations
  • Levels not loading properly
  • Login issues after updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • More variety in activities and games
  • Ability to skip or customize lessons
  • Offline mode for using the app without internet
  • Support for larger families with more user profiles

In-app purchases

14 purchases

Splash Reading

Subscriptions13
  • 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
Show 10 more
  • 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
One-time1
  • Grade 4 Lifetime$9.99
18 purchases

Hooked on Phonics Learning

Subscriptions14
  • Hooked on Phonics7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • 1 month 7.997 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Monthly $7.997 Days trial2 variants$7.991 Month
Show 11 more
  • Hooked on Phonics7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • 1 month - 8.997 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Hooked on Phonics7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Hooked on Phonics7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Monthly $12.997 Days trial2 variants$12.991 Month
  • Monthly $14.997 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Semi-Annual $29.997 Days trial$29.996 Months
  • Hooked on Phonics$39.991 Year
  • Annual $49.997 Days trial2 variants$49.991 Year
  • 1 year 49.997 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Annual $79.997 Days trial$79.991 Year
One-time4
  • Can Man eBook$0.99
  • Zap eBook$0.99
  • Unlocking of Step 2 including 3 eBooks$6.99
Show 1 more
  • Unlock Complete 12 Step Set$49.99

Questions

Is Splash Reading free?
Splash Reading is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hooked on Phonics Learning free?
Hooked on Phonics Learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Splash Reading or Hooked on Phonics Learning?
Hooked on Phonics Learning is rated higher. Splash Reading averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Hooked on Phonics Learning averages 4.5 from 18K ratings.
Do Splash Reading or Hooked on Phonics Learning have ads?
Neither Splash Reading nor Hooked on Phonics Learning shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Splash Reading or Hooked on Phonics Learning?
Splash Reading ships an update every 3 weeks, and Hooked on Phonics Learning monthly. Most recently, Splash Reading was updated on September 22, 2026 and Hooked on Phonics Learning on September 23, 2026.

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