Comparison

Barton Tiles® vs Reading Mountain

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

Head to head
About

Barton Tiles®

This app enhances the Barton Reading & Spelling System for tutors and students. It automates lesson setup, word generation, and student progress tracking, saving valuable teaching time per session. Features include student profiles, lesson notes, and direct email communication.

Highlights
  • Student progress tracking
  • Automated lesson setup
  • Digital tile manipulation
  • Word generation
  • Note-taking
  • Email communication
Read full description

This app is only for people who own or use the Barton Reading & Spelling System. More than just tiles on an iPad, this app will save Barton tutors at least 10 minutes each session. How? Student tracking Set up each student once. This app keeps track of their current level and lesson. You can enter notes after each lesson. You can even send an email to the student and/or their parents or teacher – right from the app. Tiles appear automatically Tap on a student’s name and their lesson appears – with all the tiles needed for that lesson. Words appear automatically No need to build the words when you are teaching. Just click on the Next Word button. You will gain at least 10 minutes of teaching time per session. Never put tiles away When spelling with tiles, your student will pull down a COPY of each tile. When he is done, just click on the “Erase Screen” button. You never have to put tiles away.

About

Reading Mountain

This structured literacy program uses a systematic, multisensory approach inspired by Orton-Gillingham to build strong reading and writing skills. It breaks down words into sounds and spelling patterns, offering interactive lessons, movable tiles, and decodable books for learners of all ages.

Highlights
  • Structured and cumulative learning
  • Interactive 'New Learning' module
  • Movable sound tiles for word building
  • Integrated spelling and writing practice
  • Level-appropriate decodable books
  • Interactive reinforcement games
  • Speech recognition for reading feedback
Features
Read full description

BUILD READING, SPELLING, AND WRITING SKILLS STEP BY STEP Reading Mountain is a structured literacy program for learners of all ages, including new readers and learners who struggle with reading, spelling, or writing. Inspired by the Orton-Gillingham approach, the program teaches English in a clear, systematic sequence so learners understand how sounds, letters, and spelling patterns work together. A CLEAR PATH TO LITERACY Reading Mountain moves from foundational sounds to increasingly advanced word patterns. Each lesson builds on earlier skills and combines direct instruction with guided practice, review, and application. KEY FEATURES • Structured, cumulative lessons New phonics concepts, spelling rules, and sound patterns are introduced in a purposeful order, with review built into the journey. • Multisensory sound tiles Learners move and arrange tiles to read and spell words one sound at a time, strengthening the connection between spoken sounds and written letters. • Reading, spelling, and writing together Each lesson connects word reading, sentence reading, spelling, handwriting, and keyboard writing so learners apply the same concept in multiple ways. • Truly decodable books Books use the sound patterns and sight words learners have already been taught, helping them practice new skills in meaningful stories without relying on guessing. • AI-supported reading feedback Reading Mountain listens during supported reading activities and helps identify sounds and words that may need more practice. Lesson feedback can be emailed to parents or instructors. • Tap any word for help Learners can explore a word’s sounds, spelling pattern, pronunciation, and supporting visuals when they need extra guidance. • Skill-focused games Interactive games reinforce the exact reading and spelling skills taught in each lesson. • Family learning Individual plans support one learner. Family plans support up to four learners, each with a separate profile and progress. WHO IT’S FOR • Children learning to read • Older learners strengthening foundational skills • Learners with dyslexia or other reading difficulties • Parents, homeschool families, tutors, and educators seeking systematic literacy practice Reading Mountain uses a focused, age-flexible design that is engaging without being overstimulating. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Reading Mountain offers auto-renewing Individual and Family subscriptions with monthly and annual options. Individual plans cover one learner; Family plans cover up to four learners. U.S. BASE PRICES • Individual Monthly: $29.00 per month • Individual Annual: $239.00 per year • Family Monthly: $49.00 per month • Family Annual: $399.00 per year These are U.S. base prices. Actual prices may vary by country or region and are displayed in the app before purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID account settings. Privacy Policy: https://readingmountain.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Reading Mountain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Barton Tiles® at free against Reading Mountain's free with in-app purchases. Reading Mountain's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 76%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, 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

Both are free to download. Barton Tiles® sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Reading Mountain sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $29.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Reading Mountain holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Barton Tiles®'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Reading Mountain's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Barton Tiles® ships an update every 2 months, Reading Mountain every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Barton Tiles® versus Reading Mountain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarton Tiles®Reading Mountain
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (17 ratings)4.3 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings17 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB79 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBright Solutions for Dyslexia, Inc.LEARN MOUNTAIN LLC

Customer experience

Barton Tiles®

All ratings17 ratings
Positive76.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative17.6%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative17.6%

Reading Mountain

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Barton Tiles®

One-time10
  • Phonemic Awareness$29.99
  • Consonants & Short Vowels$29.99
  • Closed & Unit Syllables$29.99
Show 7 more
  • Multi-Syllable words and Vowel Teams$29.99
  • Prefixes & Suffixes$29.99
  • Six Reasons for Silent-E$29.99
  • Vowel-R's$29.99
  • Advanced Vowel Teams$29.99
  • Influence of Foreign Languages$29.99
  • Latin Roots and Greek Combining Forms$29.99
5 purchases

Reading Mountain

Subscriptions5
  • Individual Monthly$29.001 Month
  • Reading Mountain Full Access$29.991 Month
  • Family Monthly$49.001 Month
Show 2 more
  • Individual Annual$239.001 Year
  • Family Annual$399.001 Year

Questions

Is Barton Tiles® free?
Barton Tiles® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Reading Mountain free?
Reading Mountain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Barton Tiles® or Reading Mountain?
Reading Mountain is rated higher. Barton Tiles® averages 4.1 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Reading Mountain averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.
Do Barton Tiles® or Reading Mountain have ads?
Neither Barton Tiles® nor Reading Mountain shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Barton Tiles® or Reading Mountain?
Barton Tiles® ships an update every 2 months, and Reading Mountain every 3 weeks. Most recently, Barton Tiles® was updated on October 16, 2026 and Reading Mountain on October 5, 2026.

Other comparisons