Comparison

Spell, Write and Read vs Reading Train Starter Books

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

Head to head
About

Spell, Write and Read

This app makes learning to spell, write, and read fun for young children aged 3-6. It uses interactive tracing, letter matching, and audio cues to build literacy skills at a child's own pace. Features include multisensory activities and positive reinforcement to encourage steady progress.

Highlights
  • Trace and write letters and words
  • Spell and match letters with feedback
  • Hear letter sounds and phonics
  • Kid-friendly rewards system
  • 10 themed books with common words
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Learn to spell, write, and read — step by step. Spell, Write and Read turns early literacy into play for ages 3–6 with friendly visuals, clear voice audio, and gentle rewards. Start by matching and tracing letters, connect sounds to words, and then spell common sight words—at a pace that grows with your child. What’s inside • Trace & Write: Follow guided arrows to form letters and complete words. • Spell & Match: Drag and drop letters to build words with instant feedback. • Hear & Read: Clear voice audio reinforces letter sounds, phonics, and whole-word reading. • Kid-Friendly Rewards: Earn stars and cheerful cues that motivate without pressure. Books First Words, Animals, Colors, Food, Jobs, Shapes, Weather, Sports, Emotions, Clothes (12 words each). Why it works • Multisensory learning (see, hear, trace, do) builds confidence. • Short, repeatable activities fit real family and classroom routines. • Positive reinforcement encourages steady progress. Great for Preschool, Pre-K, Kindergarten, Grade 1. Parent & teacher friendly • All content unlocked (no subscriptions) • No ads; works offline after download

About

Reading Train Starter Books

This app offers a growing library of over 300 beginner books, songs, and quizzes designed to help children develop reading skills, confidence, and a love for reading. It includes professional narration, a word dictionary, and interactive games.

Highlights
  • 300+ beginner books
  • Songs and quizzes
  • Professional narration
  • 450+ word dictionary
  • Interactive train game
  • Leveled reading
  • Unlimited user accounts
Features
Read full description

Every child can learn to read with this growing library of 300+ engaging beginner books, songs and quizzes. Complete reading curriculum building skills, self confidence, vocabulary and a love of reading. FREE: Try 33 books, 21 songs, play the train games and use the 450+ word dictionary for FREE. Grand Prize Winner of the 2015 Technology and Reading Award, International Literacy Association. "No other app is as specifically tailored to the needs of beginning readers." KinderTown.com "Beautifully designed storybooks and related games that teach foundational reading": Appolicious.com "A vast selection of mini books to help kids reach reading independence" Geeks With Juniors. Access the whole library of over 300 books with a FREE trial for 30 days when you sign up for an auto-renewing subscription. Choose $1.99/month; 6.99 for 6 months or 9.99 for a year! (U.S. Dollars) All subscriptions are renewing. You may turn off auto-renewal at any time from your iTunes account settings. Safe for Kids: The Learning Station is a Proud Member of Moms With Apps and the Know What's Inside Program. Kid tested and parent/teacher approved. We are ad-free and take our users privacy seriously. View our Privacy Policy here: http://www.readingtrain.org * Listen, read and record books at 3 different beginning reading levels. * Professional narration: American English. All books can be recorded by users. * Play the train game after every book. * 450+ word integrated dictionary * 20 free song books * Unlimited user accounts * Powerful reporting tools Books Kids CAN Read. Books Kids LOVE to Read. Leveled books on numbers, colors, animals, shapes, and science help build the foundational knowledge kids need to succeed in school. Keep in Touch We welcome your feedback: support@readingtrain.org facebook.com/readingtrain How the Reading Train Works- * Free users can read/listen/record the first book in every unit, (33 books in all), play the train game, use the integrated 450+ word dictionary, and listen to 21 song books. * Subscribers get access to all 300+ books, with new books added regularly. * To access our entire library of books, FREE for the first month, choose an automatically renewing subscription for $1.99/one month; $6.99/six months; 9.99/twelve months. (U.S. Dollars) * After subscribing, you may need to touch the "Restore" button on the "buy" screen where you purchased the subscription. (You will not be charged again.) * The service can be shared with additional iPads you own. * Your subscription is for your iTunes account and payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase (subscribing is optional and in a parent-only section of the app). * Your Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period * Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal * You may turn off auto-renewal at any time from your iTunes account settings- Manage Subscriptions. * No refunds for unused portions of the current subscription are allowed during active subscription period. * For help or additional information please contact us at http://www.readingtrain.org/contact/ or send an email to support@readingtrain.org * Our apps take privacy very seriously. We do not collect, access or transmit any personal information. Full details of our privacy policy are available here- https://www.readingtrain.org/privacy-policy/ Please read our Terms of Use here- https://www.readingtrain.org/terms-of-use * Not compatible with iPad 1.

Screenshots

Spell, Write and Read4 screens
Reading Train Starter Books4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Reading Train Starter Books at 4.1 against Spell, Write and Read's 2.3. Reading Train Starter Books also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 50%) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 13 months). Spell, Write and Read's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Spell, Write and Read sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Reading Train Starter Books sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Reading Train Starter Books holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reading Train Starter Books has 28 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Spell, Write and Read's written reviews are positive against 78% of Reading Train Starter Books's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spell, Write and Read ships an update every 13 months, Reading Train Starter Books every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Spell, Write and Read versus Reading Train Starter Books: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpell, Write and ReadReading Train Starter Books
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (3 ratings)4.1 (28 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews78.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings328 — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.011.0
Further details — not scored
Size95 MB1.3 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRipple Digital PublishingThe Learning Station, LLC

Customer experience

Spell, Write and Read

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Reading Train Starter Books

All ratings28 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral7.1%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews73 reviews
Positive78.1%
Neutral2.7%
Negative19.2%

Bugs and requests

Spell, Write and Read

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Reading Train Starter Books

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App has no sound
  • App does not open/crashes
  • Charged after trial period
  • Cannot unsubscribe after trial
  • Error with earning coins for songs

Requested features

5 requests
  • Higher level books
  • More songs
  • Update progress across devices
  • Dark mode option
  • Option to buy content outright (no subscription)

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Spell, Write and Read

One-time9
  • Pack "Animals"$0.99
  • Pack "Color"$0.99
  • Pack "Food"$0.99
Show 6 more
  • Pack "Jobs"$0.99
  • Pack "Shapes"$0.99
  • Pack "Sports"$0.99
  • Pack "Emotions"$0.99
  • Pack "Clothes"$0.99
  • Pack "Weather"$0.99
3 purchases

Reading Train Starter Books

Subscriptions3
  • The Reading Train1 Month trial$1.991 Month
  • The Reading Train1 Month trial$6.996 Months
  • The Reading Train1 Month trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Spell, Write and Read free?
Spell, Write and Read is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Reading Train Starter Books free?
Reading Train Starter Books is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Spell, Write and Read or Reading Train Starter Books?
Reading Train Starter Books is rated higher. Spell, Write and Read averages 2.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Reading Train Starter Books averages 4.1 from 28 ratings.
Do Spell, Write and Read or Reading Train Starter Books have ads?
Neither Spell, Write and Read nor Reading Train Starter Books shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spell, Write and Read or Reading Train Starter Books?
Spell, Write and Read ships an update every 13 months, and Reading Train Starter Books every 3 months. Most recently, Spell, Write and Read was updated on November 1, 2026 and Reading Train Starter Books on November 1, 2026.

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