iTrace vs Cursive Words
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
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.
- Cursive writing practice
- Family-friendly
- Customizable settings
- Mastery-based gameplay
- Educational tool
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | iTrace | Cursive Words |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (2.5K ratings) — better | 3.8 (353 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 76.3% of reviews — better | 57.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.5K — better | 353 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 12 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 173 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | DevPocket | Horizon Business, Inc. |
Customer experience
iTrace
Cursive Words
User reviews
iTrace
From 2.5K App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
iTrace
- iTrace Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
- Unlock Premium Features$3.99
- Lifetime purchase$19.99
Cursive Words
- Remove Ads$4.99
- Uppercase Words$4.99
Questions
Is iTrace free?
Is Cursive Words free?
Which has better reviews, iTrace or Cursive Words?
Do iTrace or Cursive Words have ads?
Which is updated more often, iTrace or Cursive Words?
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