Comparison

Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 vs ASLHelper

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

Head to head
About

Simplex Spelling Phonics 3

This app enhances English spelling and reading skills through phonics lessons, word patterns, and a unique reverse phonics approach. It scientifically helps students improve their spelling, covering over 750 high-frequency words and 52 instructional lists.

Highlights
  • Phonics lessons and word patterns
  • Reverse phonics approach
  • 750+ high-frequency words
  • 52 instructional lessons
  • Contextual spelling rule hints
  • Progress tracking for 40 users
  • Exportable progress reports
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Simplex Spelling is one of the best ways to improve English spelling and reading skills. Using a powerful combination of phonics lessons, spelling/word patterns, syllabication, our unique “reverse phonics” (phonics encoding) approach and contextually relevant spelling rules. Scientifically validated as a highly effective approach to improving spelling skills, a published study revealed that students demonstrated an average spelling improvement of 1.9 grades among children in a classroom setting who regularly used Simplex Spelling over a 18 week period. The largest student improvement observed over the same time period was 4.4 grade levels as assessed by administering the Schonell Spelling Test. 

Teaching over a year of spelling curriculum with more than 750 high frequency words divided into 52 lists that are organized by spelling patterns and difficulty levels. Each of the 52 lists comes with a lesson that teaches one of the basic building blocks of spelling in the English language. Students learn a new concept for each lesson building on the skills learned from previous lessons and those covered in Simplex Spelling Phonics 1 & 2. Simplex Spelling Phonics Advanced Phonograms guides the student and acts as a personal spelling coach with every word, while teaching students "how to spell" English words. Every word is broken down into its syllables both visually and auditorily to help students build phonological awareness skills. Our “reverse phonics” hint feature breaks each word down further into individual phonemes to improve phonemic awareness, a critical skill in achieving literacy. Simplex Spelling Advanced Phonograms focuses on some of the more difficult phonograms in the English language in addition to lessons covering contractions and the capitalization of proper nouns. Recommended age 9+
 
Note: You can not create your own spelling lists.

 Features: 
 - Over 750 high frequency spelling words to help build literacy. - Words are spoken and used in a sentence to establish context and improve vocabulary. 
 - Introductory spelling list seamlessly leads a student through all of the application’s features.
 - 52 instructional lessons teach phonics, phonograms, spelling rules, contractions and the capitalization of proper nouns. 
- A full “reverse phonics” approach that builds phonemic awareness. - Contextually relevant spelling rule hints that help explain “how to spell” English words.
 - Letter by letter feedback system provides feedback while the student is in the process of spelling each word. 
 - Support for 40 user accounts. 
 - Remembers each user’s progress in every list.
 - User stats screen track progress with every word. - Export and email progress reports. - Ability to set the number of times a word must be spelled correctly to become mastered. 
 - Supports upper and lower case letters.
 - Supports alphabetic and QWERTY keyboard layouts. 
- Supports US, UK and Canadian English spelling of words.

 Please check the word lists provided on www.pyxwise.com to ensure that the word lists provided in Simplex Spelling meet your educational needs. - Advanced Phonograms has previously been featured by Apple as New & Noteworthy in 20 countries. - "Best Educational App of 2014" - Balefire Labs. -iTeach: Apps For The Classroom - "I was immediately in awe of the design and educational thought that has gone into this product." -Teachers With Apps - Certified Developer - Academics' Choice Award. Privacy Disclosure: 
- Does not contain 3rd party ads 
 - Does not share any data 
 - Does not contain In-App purchases 
 - Contains child protected links in app to developer's website for additional information, support and teaching tips. - Contains child protected link to developer email support. 

COPPA Compliant 
https://pyxwise.com/privacy-policy/

About

ASLHelper

Learn American Sign Language with an interactive app. Search for words and phrases to find instructional videos, practice with flashcards, and track your progress through achievements and statistics. Build your ASL vocabulary and communication skills.

Highlights
  • Instant video learning for English words/phrases
  • Interactive flashcard practice system
  • Progress tracking with achievements
  • Save favorite signs and phrases
  • Searchable ASL vocabulary library
  • Visual progress monitoring
Features
Read full description

ASL Helper - Learn American Sign Language ASL Helper is a comprehensive iOS app designed to make learning American Sign Language accessible and engaging for everyone. Whether you're a beginner starting your ASL journey or looking to expand your vocabulary, our app provides an intuitive and interactive learning experience. Key Features: Instant Video Learning - Search for any English word or phrase to find high-quality ASL instructional videos - Curated YouTube content from certified ASL educators and native signers - Smart ranking algorithm prioritizes educational content and proper technique 5-Tab Learning System - Learn: Main interface for discovering new signs with quick-start phrase buttons - Practice: Interactive flashcard system with 150+ common ASL vocabulary - Progress: Track your learning journey with achievements and statistics - Favorites: Save important phrases for quick reference - Learned: Manage your mastered vocabulary with easy video replay Advanced Learning Tracking - Mark phrases as learned to build your personal ASL vocabulary - Save favorites without automatically marking as learned - Achievement system with unlockable badges for motivation - Visual progress tracking with statistics and milestones Smart Practice System - Comprehensive flashcard library with essential ASL vocabulary - Practice previously learned phrases to reinforce memory - Quick video lookup for any practice word - Seamless integration between practice and video learning Progress Monitoring - Real-time statistics showing words learned and favorites saved - Achievement badges for reaching learning milestones - Recent activity tracking to maintain learning momentum - Visual progress indicators throughout the app Enhanced User Experience - Intuitive search functionality across all learning materials - Quick-access phrase buttons for common expressions - Expandable cards with detailed options and video replay - Consistent visual design with smooth navigation Perfect For: - ASL students and beginners - Family members learning to communicate with deaf relatives - Healthcare workers, teachers, and service professionals - Anyone interested in expanding their communication skills ASL Helper transforms passive video watching into an active learning experience with native iOS features that track your progress, organize your vocabulary, and help you build lasting ASL skills. Start your sign language journey today!

Screenshots

Simplex Spelling Phonics 34 screens
ASLHelper4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ASLHelper at Free against Simplex Spelling Phonics 3's $4.99. ASLHelper also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and update cadence (monthly vs every 13 months). Simplex Spelling Phonics 3's advantage is chart position (#187 vs unranked) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On ads and in-app purchases 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

ASLHelper is free to download; Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ASLHelper holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Simplex Spelling Phonics 3's written reviews are positive against 100% of ASLHelper's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 ships an update every 13 months, ASLHelper monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 versus ASLHelper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimplex Spelling Phonics 3ASLHelper
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (5 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews92.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#187 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size230 MB1 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperPyxwise Software Inc.Jigar Desai

Customer experience

Simplex Spelling Phonics 3

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive92.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative0.0%

ASLHelper

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Simplex Spelling Phonics 3

No in-app purchases

None

ASLHelper

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 free?
Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ASLHelper free?
ASLHelper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 or ASLHelper?
ASLHelper is rated higher. Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 averages 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while ASLHelper averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 or ASLHelper have ads?
Neither Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 nor ASLHelper shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 or ASLHelper?
Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 ships an update every 13 months, and ASLHelper monthly. Most recently, Simplex Spelling Phonics 3 was updated on September 13, 2026 and ASLHelper on June 1, 2026.

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