# Writing Wizard vs Hairy Phonics 2

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Writing Wizard at 90% against Hairy Phonics 2's 33%. Writing Wizard also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.1) and ratings volume (3.3K vs 9). Hairy Phonics 2's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $13.99) and chart position (#194 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Writing Wizard costs $13.99 and Hairy Phonics 2 $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Writing Wizard holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Writing Wizard has 3.3K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Writing Wizard's written reviews are positive against 33% of Hairy Phonics 2's.

Writing Wizard ships an update every 4 months, Hairy Phonics 2 every 12 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Writing Wizard | Hairy Phonics 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $13.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writing-wizard-school-ed/id631446426/reviews)** | [3.1 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hairy-phonics-2/id938109205/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **89.7% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#194** |
| Size | 69 MB | 250 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **9.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pierre Abel](https://appshunter.io/developer/367460664) | [Nessy Learning Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/410276291) |

## 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)


### Hairy Phonics 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hairy-phonics-2/id938109205)

**Currently charting:** #194 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

This educational app helps children aged 4-6 learn vowel digraphs through interactive games and animations. It guides users through a structured learning sequence, reinforcing sounds and letter formation, and is particularly beneficial for children with dyslexia.

**Highlights:** Learn 9 vowel digraph phonemes, Structured learning sequence, Phonic animations with actions, Letter tracing for writing practice, Games for blending phonemes, Sounding out words

**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 Hairy Phonics 2 free?

Hairy Phonics 2 costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Writing Wizard or Hairy Phonics 2?

Writing Wizard is rated higher. Writing Wizard averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while Hairy Phonics 2 averages 3.1 from 9 ratings.

### Do Writing Wizard or Hairy Phonics 2 have ads?

Neither Writing Wizard nor Hairy Phonics 2 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Writing Wizard or Hairy Phonics 2?

Writing Wizard ships an update every 4 months, and Hairy Phonics 2 every 12 months. Most recently, Writing Wizard was updated on November 6, 2026 and Hairy Phonics 2 on November 6, 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.*