Primary Writer vs iTrace
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Primary Writer
This app allows children and adults to create and customize stories with various backgrounds and colors. Once complete, users can share their creations as PDFs or print them directly from their iPad.
- Story writing interface
- Customizable paper backgrounds
- Color customization options
- PDF export
- AirPrint direct printing
- Kid-friendly design
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Primary Writer is an app for kids (or the kid at heart) who like to write. Write your story, choose your paper's background and further customize the look with color and other choices. When you're done, you can share the pdf version of your creation to your friends or relatives. If you have access to an AirPrint printing device, you can print it out directly from your iPad.
iTrace
This app helps children learn to write letters, numbers, words, and shapes through guided tracing and playful repetition. It's designed for preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary students to develop handwriting skills and fine-motor control in an engaging way.
- Guided letter and number tracing
- Print and cursive writing
- Custom word lists with photos/voice
- Multiple handwriting styles
- Progress tracking
- Printable worksheets
- Rewards and mini-games
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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. PRIVACY POLICY: https://itraceapp.com/privacy-policy.html TERMS OF USE: https://itraceapp.com/terms-of-use.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: iTrace at 4.4 against Primary Writer's 3.7. iTrace also leads on ratings volume (2.5K vs 3). Primary Writer's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Primary Writer sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and iTrace sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
iTrace holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iTrace has 2.5K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Primary Writer's written reviews are positive against 76% of iTrace's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Primary Writer | iTrace |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (3 ratings) | 4.4 (2.5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | 76.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 2.5K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 130 MB | 173 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Winztech Services LLC | DEVPOCKET LLC |
Customer experience
Primary Writer
iTrace
Bugs and requests
Primary Writer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
iTrace
Reported bugs
3 issues- Sound not working after updates
- Inability to restore purchases on multiple devices
- Incorrect letter formation displayed in the app
Requested features
4 requests- Option to adjust difficulty/letter formation requirements
- Ability to connect cursive letters
- Addition of lowercase letters in the free version
- Ability to set number of letter repetitions
In-app purchases
Primary Writer
- Animals 1$0.99
- Valentine Fun$0.99
- Halloween Treat$0.99
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- Spring Faves$0.99
- We Love Mom$0.99
- We Love Dad$0.99
- Summertime$0.99
- Christmas$0.99
iTrace
- iTrace Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
- Unlock Premium Features$3.99
- Lifetime purchase$19.99









