Comparison

Hooked on Phonics Learning vs SplashLearn

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

Head to head
About

Hooked on Phonics Learning

This app transforms screen time into educational fun for children aged 3-8. It offers interactive games and activities across reading, math, and spelling, tailored to individual learning needs. Parents receive real-time progress insights and can track their child's development through a comprehensive ebook library and reward system.

Highlights
  • Reading, Math & Spelling Games
  • 1000+ Educational Activities
  • 100+ Ebook Library
  • Adaptive Learning Program
  • Virtual Rewards System
  • Multi-device Compatibility
  • Customizable Learner Profiles
Read full description

Turn screen time into learning time! Hooked on Phonics has been trusted by parents for over 35 years to provide engaging, educational content for kids. Our app uses cutting-edge research and guidance from top educators to teach essential skills. Tailored to support preschool, kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade learners, our adaptive program targets where each child needs practice. This gives parents real-time progress insights! Learn across different subjects with Hooked on Math and Hooked on Spelling included within our Hooked on Phonics app. Kids can learn, gain rewards, and strengthen early skills that align with your family’s educational goals. Hooked on Phonics helps children (ages 3-8) learn across reading, math, and spelling with:: • 1000+ educational activities designed for preschool, kindergarten, and early grade levels • 100+ ebook library with stories to complement every reading lesson • Multi-device compatibility – keep learning consistent across devices • Three customizable learner profiles to track individual progress Children can: • Gain confidence through interactive learning activities * Earn virtual rewards like cosmetic items for your avatar • Practice reading in our extensive ebook library • Easily resume learning on any device, any time WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU DOWNLOAD: Hooked on Phonics offers a 7-day free trial of the entire program, including: reading, math, and spelling content. Experience your child’s excitement as they read their first book or solve their first math problem! Terms of use: - Hooked on Phonics provides a 7-day free trial, which upon completion, becomes a monthly subscription charged by the Apple App Store. - Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user by going to the “Subscriptions” section in the App store after purchase. https://hookedonphonics.com/terms-of-service/ Practice Packs Mailed Home: Catapult your child's progress by purchasing Practice Packs as an add-on to your App (available on our website). The workbooks, storybooks, and celebration stickers work in tandem with the App to help children develop a deeper understanding of literacy (and mathematics!) concepts. Built by educational experts and reinforced with feedback from our customers, the Practice Pack program includes 5 Pre-reader, and 15 Learn to Read packs that include workbooks, stickers, storybooks, and in the first Pre-reader pack, flashcards that are sent to the home, monthly. Subscribers can customize how often they receive these shipments through their account dashboard to tailor the pacing to each family’s needs. Created in conjunction with the App, the Practice Packs allow children to engage in different modalities of learning, review the skills they’ve gained in the App, and practice hands-on skills—like writing and tracing—that are best mastered in a non-digital environment. The result is an immersive program of learning experiences that keeps kids highly engaged in learning to read. Start your child on the path to becoming a confident lifelong learner, and download Hooked on Phonics now!

About

SplashLearn

This app offers curriculum-aligned math and reading lessons for children aged 2-11 through interactive games, books, and activities. It adapts to each child's learning level, providing personalized support and challenges to build foundational skills and confidence.

Highlights
  • Curriculum-aligned math and reading lessons
  • Interactive learning games and activities
  • Personalized learning paths
  • Progress tracking for parents
  • 4000+ games, books, and challenges
  • Safe, ad-free environment
Read full description

Loved by over 60 million kids and used in 1 in 3 US schools, SplashLearn is a learning app for ages 2 to 11. It blends curriculum-aligned lessons with fun learning games, books, worksheets, and rewards that keep children curious, motivated, and confident. With SplashLearn, children build strong foundations in math, reading, and critical thinking through interactive, hands-on activities. The app adapts to each child’s level, offering support when they need it and challenge when they’re ready. Whether your child is tracing letters or solving complex word problems, SplashLearn meets them exactly where they are and guides them forward with confidence. WHY PARENTS TRUST SPLASHLEARN - Covers Preschool to Grade 5 curriculum for both Math and Reading - Perfect blend of educational games, stories, puzzles, activities, and flash cards - Free learning games for kids that build real skills, not just screen time - Designed for independent use- kids can learn on their own - Real-time progress tracking and insights for parents - Safe, ad-free, COPPA & GDPR compliant learning app for kids WHY KIDS LOVE IT - 4000+ fun learning games, decodable books, math challenges, and story books - Exciting learning worlds where they collect coins, rewards, and new characters - Engaging animation, and kid-friendly design - Play math games, reading games, phonics puzzles, spelling challenges- all in one place WHAT MATH SKILLS WILL MY CHILD LEARN? - Preschool & Kindergarten: Counting, shapes, tracing numbers, addition with visuals, patterns - Grade 1: Place value, subtraction, telling time, math facts, measurement, basic word problems - Grade 2: Multiplication, money, regrouping, critical thinking, understanding number relationships - Grade 3: Division, fractions, time, measurement, advanced math games - Grade 4 & 5: Multi-step word problems, decimals, geometry, fractions, data charts, reasoning Each grade has interactive learning games that make abstract concepts easy and memorable. Kids don’t just memorize, they understand by doing. WHAT READING SKILLS WILL MY CHILD LEARN? - Letter recognition (ABC), phonics, sight words, and tracing - Blending sounds to build words - Picture-based vocabulary learning - Fun decodable books and bedtime reading stories - Spelling games and reading fluency boosters - Comprehension through questions, animation, and narration Kids hear the word, see the word, say the word, and use it- making learning natural and playful. PERSONALIZED & SMART LEARNING PATH The app adjusts difficulty based on each child’s progress. If your child needs more help with subtraction or phonics, it slows down and gives extra practice. If they’re ready for more challenge, it moves ahead. It’s like a personal tutor, inside a game. PROVEN & AWARD-WINNING - Featured on Fox News - Editor’s Choice- Children’s Technology Review - Parent Choice Award winner - Trusted by teachers, used in 1 in 3 US schools - Best Educational Game for Kids (Multiple categories) SAFE FOR KIDS, PEACEFUL FOR PARENTS No ads, no pop-ups, no distractions. Just thoughtfully designed kids’ educational games in a clean, safe, and friendly environment. FREE TRIAL & EASY SUBSCRIPTION Try it free! Get full access during your free trial, then choose a flexible plan that fits your family. Enjoy unlimited learning games, lessons, and rewards with one subscription. SUPPORT We’re here for you → https://support.splashlearn.com/hc/en-us PRIVACY & TERMS - https://www.splashlearn.com/privacy - https://www.splashlearn.com/terms-of-use

Screenshots

Hooked on Phonics Learning4 screens
SplashLearn4 screens

Verdict

The call

Hooked on Phonics Learning and SplashLearn both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of SplashLearn's written reviews are positive against 42% of Hooked on Phonics Learning's. SplashLearn also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Hooked on Phonics Learning sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and SplashLearn sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Hooked on Phonics Learning against 4.5 for SplashLearn. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18K and 32K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 42% of Hooked on Phonics Learning's written reviews are positive against 75% of SplashLearn's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hooked on Phonics Learning ships an update monthly, SplashLearn every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Hooked on Phonics Learning versus SplashLearn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHooked on Phonics LearningSplashLearn
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (18K ratings)4.5 (32K ratings)
Positive reviews42.2% of reviews74.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings18K32K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#79#77 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size635 MB493 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHooked on PhonicsStudyPad, Inc.

Customer experience

Hooked on Phonics Learning

All ratings18,048 ratings
Positive86.9%
Neutral4.4%
Negative8.8%
Written reviews365 reviews
Positive42.2%
Neutral11.8%
Negative46.0%

SplashLearn

All ratings32,109 ratings
Positive87.9%
Neutral3.7%
Negative8.5%
Written reviews861 reviews
Positive74.6%
Neutral4.4%
Negative21.0%

User reviews

Hooked on Phonics Learning

From 18K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Helped child learn to read quickly
  • 👍 Fun and engaging for kids
  • 🚀 Effective for teaching phonics
  • 👍 Great customer service
  • 👍 Workbooks and app work well together

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App freezes and crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Progress not saved properly
  • 🐛 Difficult to navigate and use
  • 🔋 Slow loading times
  • 🔒 Subscription issues and billing problems

SplashLearn

From 32K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and engaging learning experience
  • 💡 Effective for reinforcing math and reading skills
  • 🚀 Constant updates and progress reports
  • 👍 Motivating reward system with coins and achievements
  • 💡 Personalized learning paths and curriculum

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Technical issues like crashes, freezing, and loading problems
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Difficulty canceling subscription
  • 🤔 Limited free access, forces paid subscription
  • 🤔 Repetitive content and lack of variety in some areas

Bugs and requests

Hooked on Phonics Learning

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Avatar creation feature broken
  • Incorrect letter pronunciations
  • Levels not loading properly
  • Login issues after updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • More variety in activities and games
  • Ability to skip or customize lessons
  • Offline mode for using the app without internet
  • Support for larger families with more user profiles

SplashLearn

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Progress not saving properly
  • Incorrect answers being marked as correct
  • Profiles not working or logging out unexpectedly

Requested features

4 requests
  • More advanced content for higher grade levels
  • Option to turn off answers and allow more time for students
  • Improved sync between app and web versions
  • Better customer support and responsiveness

In-app purchases

18 purchases

Hooked on Phonics Learning

Subscriptions14
  • Hooked on Phonics7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • 1 month 7.997 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Monthly $7.997 Days trial2 variants$7.991 Month
Show 11 more
  • Hooked on Phonics7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • 1 month - 8.997 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Hooked on Phonics7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Hooked on Phonics7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Monthly $12.997 Days trial2 variants$12.991 Month
  • Monthly $14.997 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Semi-Annual $29.997 Days trial$29.996 Months
  • Hooked on Phonics$39.991 Year
  • Annual $49.997 Days trial2 variants$49.991 Year
  • 1 year 49.997 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Annual $79.997 Days trial$79.991 Year
One-time4
  • Can Man eBook$0.99
  • Zap eBook$0.99
  • Unlocking of Step 2 including 3 eBooks$6.99
Show 1 more
  • Unlock Complete 12 Step Set$49.99
9 purchases

SplashLearn

Subscriptions9
  • SplashLearn Membership Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • SplashLearn Membership Monthly7 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • SplashLearn Membership Monthly7 Days trial2 variants$9.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • SplashLearn Membership Monthly7 Days trial2 variants$11.991 Month
  • SplashLearn Solo - Monthly7 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • SplashLearn Membership 3-Month7 Days trial$23.993 Months
  • SplashLearn Membership Yearly7 Days trial2 variants$69.991 Year
  • SplashLearn Solo - Yearly7 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • SplashLearn Membership Yearly7 Days trial$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Hooked on Phonics Learning free?
Hooked on Phonics Learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SplashLearn free?
SplashLearn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hooked on Phonics Learning or SplashLearn?
Hooked on Phonics Learning and SplashLearn are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 18K and 32K ratings respectively.
Do Hooked on Phonics Learning or SplashLearn have ads?
Neither Hooked on Phonics Learning nor SplashLearn shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hooked on Phonics Learning or SplashLearn?
Hooked on Phonics Learning ships an update monthly, and SplashLearn every 9 days. Most recently, Hooked on Phonics Learning was updated on September 24, 2026 and SplashLearn on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Hooked on Phonics Learning or SplashLearn?
Hooked on Phonics Learning currently peaks at #79 in the App Store charts, and SplashLearn at #77. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons