Touch and Write vs iTrace for Schools
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Touch and Write
This app helps children learn to write letters and words by simulating various tactile experiences like finger painting or writing in shaving cream. It offers customizable word lists and diverse writing textures and papers to make learning engaging and effective for young learners.
- Simulated tactile writing experiences
- Customizable word and name lists
- Toggle letter sounds or names
- Phoneme database for 80,000 words
- Multiple writing textures and papers
- Visual, kinesthetic, and tactile learning integration
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"My son loves Touch and Write - Fantastic app and the customising options are great!" - from parent review ***** "Love, love, love your app Touch and Write:)" - from parent review ***** "Touch and Write has moved to the top of my list for learning to write. It's extremely fun for my 4 year old with classic autism and the easiest app for me to customize!" - from parent review ***** "I would highly highly highly recommend this app" - WelcomeToTheirWorld app reviews ***** "I have recommended Touch and Write to all my colleagues and parents. I think it is fabulous! My students do not get frustrated and quit. They are able to focus for extended periods of time and I get to make my own target list. Thanks for this great app." - Speech Therapist in California ***** "I just wanted to tell you about my session with my student today using 'Touch and Write.' He is a kindergarten student... he resists writing and acts out to avoid it. Today I showed him the 'Touch and Write' program... he was totally attentive for 30 minutes, quickly learned to move between the different writing textures and understood the use of the 'little monster' to make the letter correctly." – Teacher ***** "The k and 1st grade kids are really engaged! One of them worked for 15 minutes - the most we have seen him do in weeks." - Teacher FizzBrain featured on CBS's "60 Minutes"! Kids love learning to write - especially when they can use shaving cream, paint, and jello! "Touch and Write" was developed by real classroom teachers, and recreates the fun and effective teaching strategy used in classrooms every day: learning letters by writing with shaving cream, jello, finger paint, and more! "Touch and Write" uses a letter style similar to those most commonly taught in schools, so it prepares children for a real classroom. "Touch and Write" also allows you to create your own lists of names and words so that you can individualize the learning experience for your child! And it comes with 6 of its own word lists, including the most important words for young children to learn – high frequency sight words! FEATURES: >>Toggle letter SOUNDS or letter names >>Database includes phonemes for 80,000 words and names >>Easy to make your own word lists! Children can practice writing their own names and individualized spelling lists. Parents and teachers can create as many word lists as they want. >>Integrates visual, kinesthetic and simulated tactile modalities to enhance learning – and fun! >>Created by elementary classroom teachers – based on best teaching practices! >>Comes with 16 different writing textures: shaving cream, ketchup, lime gelatin, chocolate frosting, chalk, pencil, blue pen, lemon gelatin, chocolate pudding, syrup, grape jelly, whipped cream, pumpkin pie, red paint, and vanilla pudding >>Comes with 28 different writing papers, including 4 different line patterns children are most likely to find in real classrooms, food papers, animal papers, nature papers, and more >>Includes 2 high frequency word lists to help children practice the most common words encountered by early learners >>Includes word family lists, such as the -AT family and -AN family >>Includes 2 alphabet word lists – short words from a to z – providing practice in both upper and lower case letters >>Includes 1 alphabet list – for just practicing the letters a to z, both upper and lower case >>Brief reward at the end of each word reinforces learning and motivates children, without becoming a distraction! Search YouTube for "Touch and Write App" to see how our other writing apps work, or locate the FizzBrainApps channel. Please contact us at fizzbrain@gmail.com with any questions, problems, or suggestions. We will get right back to you – we listen to our customers! And if you have additional textures or papers you would like to see included in an update, let us know!
iTrace for Schools
This app guides children in learning to write letters, numbers, words, and shapes through interactive tracing and repetition. Designed for early learners, it fosters proper formation and fine-motor skills with positive reinforcement and adaptive pacing.
- Guided letter and number tracing
- Print and cursive writing practice
- Custom word lists with photos/voice
- Multiple handwriting styles
- Progress tracking and rewards
- Printable worksheets
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iTRACE — HANDWRITING AND LETTER TRACING FOR CLASSROOMS AND HOME LEARNING iTrace helps children learn to write letters, numbers, words, and shapes through guided tracing and playful repetition. Designed with educators, it turns handwriting practice into an engaging and effective learning experience for preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary students. Each exercise teaches proper letter formation and fine-motor control step by step. Children trace each shape or letter multiple times, building confidence through repetition, gradual improvement, and positive reinforcement. The app adapts to each child’s pace, helping develop strong handwriting habits that transfer to pencil-and-paper writing. iTrace is suitable for both classroom use and learning at home, supporting structured instruction as well as independent practice. KEY FEATURES • Basic shapes for handwriting warm-up • Uppercase and lowercase letters • Numbers 0–9 • Print (block) and cursive writing • 350+ preloaded words plus custom word lists • Create custom words with your own photos and voice recordings • Multiple handwriting styles: Zaner-Bloser, Handwriting Without Tears, and D’Nealian • Left- and right-handed modes • Progress tracking for each student • Rewards, animations, and mini-games that motivate practice • 5 animated scenes with 50+ interactive objects • Printable worksheets for offline practice • Supports English and Spanish alphabets for handwriting practice • Safe, ad-free learning environment FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS iTrace for Schools makes it easy to support multiple students, personalize learning goals, and monitor progress over time. It works well in classrooms, homeschool settings, and early-childhood programs focused on handwriting, tracing, and fine-motor development. Consistent structure and clear guidance help children practice correct stroke order and letter formation—skills that are essential for long-term writing success. FREE VERSION & SUBSCRIPTION The free version includes all handwriting warm-up exercises, three letters, and one interactive scene, allowing children to experience the core learning approach of iTrace. A subscription unlocks the full program, including all letters and numbers, additional scenes, and custom words. PRIVATE AND SECURE No ads. No personal data collected or shared.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Touch and Write at $2.99 against iTrace for Schools's $19.99. Touch and Write also leads on review sentiment (94% vs 80%) and iOS requirement (14.1 vs 17.1). iTrace for Schools's advantage is ratings volume (845 vs 9) and rating (4.4 vs 4.2). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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
Touch and Write costs $2.99 and iTrace for Schools $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
iTrace for Schools holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iTrace for Schools has 845 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 94% of Touch and Write's written reviews are positive against 80% of iTrace for Schools's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Touch and Write ships an update every 5 weeks, iTrace for Schools every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Touch and Write | iTrace for Schools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $19.99 |
| Rating | 4.2 (9 ratings) | 4.4 (845 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 93.5% of reviews — better | 80.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 9 | 845 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.1 — better | 17.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 154 MB | 174 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | FIZZBRAIN LLC | DEVPOCKET LLC |
Customer experience
Touch and Write
iTrace for Schools
Bugs and requests
Touch and Write
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
iTrace for Schools
Reported bugs
3 issues- Lowercase 'a' not recognized correctly
- Parental controls math problem not visible
- Sound stopped working after updates
Requested features
7 requests- Save completed words
- Option to practice just custom words
- Add letter names and sounds
- Cursive letter connections
- French language support
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- Worksheet printing improvements
- Progress report printing
In-app purchases
Touch and Write
No in-app purchases
iTrace for Schools
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Touch and Write free?
Is iTrace for Schools free?
Which has better reviews, Touch and Write or iTrace for Schools?
Do Touch and Write or iTrace for Schools have ads?
Which is updated more often, Touch and Write or iTrace for Schools?
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