# LessonNote vs Monster Phonics

The clearest difference is price: LessonNote at Free against Monster Phonics's $2.99. LessonNote also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (10 vs 1). Monster Phonics's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

LessonNote is free to download; Monster Phonics costs $2.99 up front. LessonNote sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per 3 months. Monster Phonics asks for nothing beyond the download.

Monster Phonics holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LessonNote has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of LessonNote's written reviews are positive against 73% of Monster Phonics's.

LessonNote ships an update monthly, Monster Phonics every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LessonNote | Monster Phonics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lessonnote/id507466065/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monster-phonics/id892665116/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 65.2% of reviews | **72.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 62 MB | 784 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lesson Study Alliance](https://appshunter.io/developer/507466068) | [Ingrid Connors](https://appshunter.io/developer/892665119) |

## What reviewers say

### LessonNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lessonnote/id507466065)

This tool helps educators document classroom lessons by tracking student interactions, capturing notes, and recording time spent in various learning modalities. It facilitates data-driven conversations to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

**Highlights:** Track student interactions and conversation duration, Record handwritten notes and observations, Capture photos of student work, Measure time spent in different learning modalities, Review data for student-focused discussions, Ideal for peer observation and coaching

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 Months of Pro | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| 6 Months of Pro | $44.99 | per 6 months |
| 1 Year Pro | $64.99 | per year |
| 6-month LessonNote Pro subscription | $89.99 | one-time |
| 1-year LessonNote Pro subscription | $149.99 | one-time |
| 2-year LessonNote Pro subscription | $249.99 | one-time |


### Monster Phonics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monster-phonics/id892665116)

This app uses a multi-sensory approach with character phoneme cues and color coding to teach reading and spelling of high-frequency words. It aims to accelerate learning progress for young children by simplifying "tricky" words.

**Highlights:** Multi-sensory phonics learning, Character phoneme cues, Color coding for sounds, Teaches first 100 high-frequency words, Supports reading and spelling, Handwriting and letter formation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LessonNote free?

LessonNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Monster Phonics free?

Monster Phonics costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, LessonNote or Monster Phonics?

Monster Phonics is rated higher. LessonNote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Monster Phonics averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do LessonNote or Monster Phonics have ads?

Neither LessonNote nor Monster Phonics shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LessonNote or Monster Phonics?

LessonNote ships an update monthly, and Monster Phonics every 9 months. Most recently, LessonNote was updated on September 13, 2026 and Monster Phonics on September 25, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*