Comparison

iTrace vs Cursive Words

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

Head to head
About

iTrace

This app helps children learn to write letters, numbers, words, and shapes through guided tracing and playful repetition. It's designed for preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary students to develop handwriting skills and fine-motor control in an engaging way.

Highlights
  • Guided letter and number tracing
  • Print and cursive writing
  • Custom word lists with photos/voice
  • Multiple handwriting styles
  • Progress tracking
  • Printable worksheets
  • Rewards and mini-games
Features
Read full description

iTRACE — HANDWRITING AND LETTER TRACING FOR CLASSROOMS AND HOME LEARNING iTrace helps children learn to write letters, numbers, words, and shapes through guided tracing and playful repetition. Designed with educators, it turns handwriting practice into an engaging and effective learning experience for preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary students. Each exercise teaches proper letter formation and fine-motor control step by step. Children trace each shape or letter multiple times, building confidence through repetition, gradual improvement, and positive reinforcement. The app adapts to each child’s pace, helping develop strong handwriting habits that transfer to pencil-and-paper writing. iTrace is suitable for both classroom use and learning at home, supporting structured instruction as well as independent practice. KEY FEATURES • Basic shapes for handwriting warm-up • Uppercase and lowercase letters • Numbers 0–9 • Print (block) and cursive writing • 350+ preloaded words plus custom word lists • Create custom words with your own photos and voice recordings • Multiple handwriting styles: Zaner-Bloser, Handwriting Without Tears, and D’Nealian • Left- and right-handed modes • Progress tracking for each student • Rewards, animations, and mini-games that motivate practice • 5 animated scenes with 50+ interactive objects • Printable worksheets for offline practice • Supports English and Spanish alphabets for handwriting practice • Safe, ad-free learning environment FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS iTrace for Schools makes it easy to support multiple students, personalize learning goals, and monitor progress over time. It works well in classrooms, homeschool settings, and early-childhood programs focused on handwriting, tracing, and fine-motor development. Consistent structure and clear guidance help children practice correct stroke order and letter formation—skills that are essential for long-term writing success. FREE VERSION & SUBSCRIPTION The free version includes all handwriting warm-up exercises, three letters, and one interactive scene, allowing children to experience the core learning approach of iTrace. A subscription unlocks the full program, including all letters and numbers, additional scenes, and custom words. PRIVATE AND SECURE No ads. No personal data collected or shared. PRIVACY POLICY: https://itraceapp.com/privacy-policy.html TERMS OF USE: https://itraceapp.com/terms-of-use.html

About

Cursive Words

Practice cursive writing with this educational app designed for families. Customize settings to tailor the learning experience and play until mastery is achieved. It's a fun way to improve handwriting skills.

Highlights
  • Cursive writing practice
  • Family-friendly
  • Customizable settings
  • Mastery-based gameplay
  • Educational tool
Features
Read full description

Cursive Words is a great way for the family to practice cursive writing. Select the options in the "Settings" screen. Play until you master the game. If you like this app, please consider giving it a rating. Your support will help keep the updates coming! Thank you for your support!

Screenshots

iTrace4 screens
Cursive Words4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: iTrace at 4.4 against Cursive Words's 3.8. iTrace also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 12 months). Cursive Words's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.1). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. iTrace sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Cursive Words sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iTrace holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iTrace has 2.5K ratings behind it against 353, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of iTrace's written reviews are positive against 57% of Cursive Words's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iTrace ships an update every 3 weeks, Cursive Words every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and July 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
iTrace versus Cursive Words: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriTraceCursive Words
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (2.5K ratings) — better3.8 (353 ratings)
Positive reviews76.3% of reviews — better57.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2.5K — better353
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 12 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size173 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDevPocketHorizon Business, Inc.

Customer experience

iTrace

All ratings2,455 ratings
Positive83.7%
Neutral8.8%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews135 reviews
Positive76.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative20.0%

Cursive Words

All ratings353 ratings
Positive66.6%
Neutral11.9%
Negative21.5%
Written reviews86 reviews
Positive57.0%
Neutral10.5%
Negative32.6%

User reviews

iTrace

From 2.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Positive feedback and achievement tracking
  • 👍 Excellent visual feedback and positive reinforcement
  • 👍 Multi-user support for different learning speeds
  • 👍 Perfect blend of learning and play
  • 👍 Makes handwriting fun with rewards and stickers

Room to improve

  • 💰 In-app purchases required to unlock additional content
  • 🐛 Sound not working for some users
  • 🐛 Family sharing not working properly
  • 🐛 Strict letter formation requirements can be frustrating for beginners

Cursive Words

From 353 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful for learning cursive
  • 🤩 Great for practicing cursive writing
  • 💕 Enjoyable and fun to use
  • ✨ Smooth brush stroke
  • 🆓 Completely free with no ads

Room to improve

  • 🙏 Needs more words and longer words
  • ❌ Doesn't check if writing is correct
  • 💻 Harder to use on electronic devices vs paper
  • 🥱 Can get repetitive and boring
  • 🤔 Lacks different difficulty levels

Bugs and requests

iTrace

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Sound not working after updates
  • Inability to restore purchases on multiple devices
  • Incorrect letter formation displayed in the app

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option to adjust difficulty/letter formation requirements
  • Ability to connect cursive letters
  • Addition of lowercase letters in the free version
  • Ability to set number of letter repetitions

Cursive Words

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes or stops working after a few days of use
  • Occasional freezing or unresponsiveness

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add uppercase letters and more advanced words
  • Implement feedback/correction on writing
  • Allow use of pen/stylus instead of just finger
  • Incorporate mini-games or challenges to make it more engaging
  • Introduce different difficulty levels or progression

In-app purchases

3 purchases

iTrace

Subscriptions1
  • iTrace Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
One-time2
  • Unlock Premium Features$3.99
  • Lifetime purchase$19.99
2 purchases

Cursive Words

One-time2
  • Remove Ads$4.99
  • Uppercase Words$4.99

Questions

Is iTrace free?
iTrace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cursive Words free?
Cursive Words is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iTrace or Cursive Words?
iTrace is rated higher. iTrace averages 4.4 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Cursive Words averages 3.8 from 353 ratings.
Do iTrace or Cursive Words have ads?
Cursive Words shows ads; iTrace does not.
Which is updated more often, iTrace or Cursive Words?
iTrace ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cursive Words every 12 months. Most recently, iTrace was updated on September 23, 2026 and Cursive Words on July 29, 2026.

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