# Writing Wizard vs Shape Patterns

The clearest difference is price: Shape Patterns at Free against Writing Wizard's $13.99. Shape Patterns also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Shape Patterns is free to download; Writing Wizard costs $13.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Writing Wizard ships an update every 4 months, Shape Patterns every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Writing Wizard | Shape Patterns |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $13.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writing-wizard-school-ed/id631446426/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 90.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 69 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pierre Abel](https://appshunter.io/developer/367460664) | [IPN - Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education](https://appshunter.io/developer/1655344872) |

## What reviewers say

### Writing Wizard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writing-wizard-school-ed/id631446426)

This app helps children learn to trace letters, numbers, and words with a fun, motivating system. It offers customizable tracing, interactive games, and progress reports for parents and educators.

**Highlights:** Customizable tracing practice, Interactive games and rewards, Letter names and phonics, Create custom word lists, Progress reports, Printable worksheets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Customizable word lists and recording
- 🎨 Engaging graphics and animations
- 🏫 Great for teaching handwriting and spelling
- 🔒 No ads or in-app purchases
- 🎓 Helpful for children with special needs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezing
- 🔤 Limited font options, especially for UK users
- 🔒 Difficulty accessing parental controls
- 🖋️ Apple Pencil not supported
- 🔄 Difficulty clearing tracing history

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect letter formation for some characters
- Inconsistent performance on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add more font options, including cursive and UK-specific styles
- Improve parental control accessibility
- Integrate Apple Pencil support
- Allow easier clearing of tracing history
- Expand character support (e.g., Latin Extended, Cyrillic, Arabic)


### Shape Patterns

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shape-patterns/id1479210664)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Writing Wizard free?

Writing Wizard costs $13.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shape Patterns free?

Shape Patterns is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Writing Wizard or Shape Patterns have ads?

Neither Writing Wizard nor Shape Patterns shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Writing Wizard or Shape Patterns?

Writing Wizard ships an update every 4 months, and Shape Patterns every 2 months. Most recently, Writing Wizard was updated on September 23, 2026 and Shape Patterns on September 14, 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.*