Comparison

Picture Packets vs Pubbly Player

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

Head to head
About

Picture Packets

This app is the final step in a comprehensive reading and writing curriculum for beginning readers. It helps children transition from reading with sounds to reading with letters by providing hints for vowel sounds within words. The goal is to build reading and writing confidence.

Highlights
  • Reading and writing curriculum
  • Focus on vowel sounds
  • Transition from sounds to letters
  • Builds reading confidence
  • Part of a 14-app series
Features
Read full description

Center for Innovation in Education Picture Packets - Vowels Dekodiphukan Description The fourteenth of the fourteen apps that comprise the Baratta-Lorton Reading Program. The Reading Program is a reading and writing curriculum for beginning readers and any child who has already experienced difficulty in learning to read. 99% unique – 100% effective - 100% free Background for the fourteen apps The Baratta-Lorton Reading Program also known as Dekodiphukan (pronounced decode if you can) was developed by the Center for Innovation in Education whose many other offerings include Mathematics Their Way, the first non-traditional math curriculum adopted in by the State of California. Dekodiphukan has been in use in classrooms across the United States and Canada since 1985. The Program has been used to teach thousands of children to read and to write regardless of background or supposed lack of reading readiness. To date, no child using the program in a classroom setting has ever failed to learn to read or to write. This Dekodiphukan reading and writing curriculum is now a series of fourteen apps plus a parent-guide for the iPad that, within a period of six months to a year (or occasionally a bit longer for some special needs children), will enable every child using it to read and to write. Reading with enjoyment. Writing creatively. Dekodiphukan is a full fledged curriculum. It is a set of specific learning activities, not a set of games. The curriculum’s fourteen apps are all free with no ads - popup or otherwise - included. While the apps may be downloaded all at once and stored in a folder on the iPad, no more than two or three of the apps are used at any one time by the child. Picture Packets - Vowels The fourteenth and last of the Fourteen Apps, but not the last of the learning taking place The Picture Packets-Vowels are the next to last step in transitioning the child from reading with sounds to reading with letters.  At the Picture Packets-Transition level, all the sounds that make up a word are shown above the word they represent.  At the Vowels level, only the vowel sounds are included as hints for the letters. The last step takes place in the creative writing that evolves from the child’s work with the Stamping app, and is described in the third phase of the Creative Writing instructions included in The Guide. The goal of the Baratta-Lorton Reading Program is to allow children to learn to read and to write with confidence. Once this goal has been achieved, it is the parent's willing responsibility to insure this reading and writing ability is given opportunity for endless use. The last step is not an app at all. The last step is parents encouraging their child to use the reading and writing skills they now possess. Picture Packets - Vowels Introduced after the child can read Picture Packet-Transition words with ease

About

Pubbly Player

Interactive read-aloud books with animations engage young learners aged 4-8. Practice English and Math skills with educational games, and access Spanish support for Math, Reading, and Science content.

Highlights
  • Read-aloud books with animation
  • Interactive learning content
  • Educational games for Math and English
  • Age-appropriate material (4-8 years)
  • Spanish language support
  • Progress tracking
Features
Read full description

The PUBBLY Player App includes read-aloud books with animation and interactions for young learners and readers. Material is sorted by age appropriateness from ages 4-8 years old. Children are free to explore all the material offered in the app. Educational games allow for practicing English and Math concepts. Programs for Math, Reading, and Science samples have Spanish support on each page.

Screenshots

Pubbly Player4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pubbly Player at 5.0 against Picture Packets's 4.5. Pubbly Player also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 69 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pubbly Player holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Picture Packets ships an update every 69 months, Pubbly Player monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Picture Packets versus Pubbly Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPicture PacketsPubbly Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (4 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings4 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 69 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB84 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBob Baratta-LortonPubbly LLC

Customer experience

Picture Packets

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Pubbly Player

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Picture Packets

No in-app purchases

None

Pubbly Player

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Picture Packets free?
Picture Packets is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pubbly Player free?
Pubbly Player is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Picture Packets or Pubbly Player?
Pubbly Player is rated higher. Picture Packets averages 4.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Pubbly Player averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Picture Packets or Pubbly Player have ads?
Neither Picture Packets nor Pubbly Player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Picture Packets or Pubbly Player?
Picture Packets ships an update every 69 months, and Pubbly Player monthly. Most recently, Picture Packets was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pubbly Player on November 3, 2026.

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