Comparison

Reading Journey ABC vs I Can Read

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

Head to head
About

Reading Journey ABC

This interactive app uses a science-backed, multisensory approach to teach foundational literacy skills to children aged 4 and up. It focuses on letter recognition, sounds, formation, and blending/segmenting for reading and spelling.

Highlights
  • Systematic, interactive, and multisensory approach
  • Teaches letter recognition and sounds
  • Focuses on blending and segmenting words
  • Synthetic phonics based on science of reading
  • Nine progressive learning levels
  • Designed for early readers and ELLs
Features
Read full description

Reading Journey teaches children the foundational literacy skills through a systematic, interactive and multisensory approach grounded in the science of reading. It is designed for children 4+ years old and teaches letter recognition, letter sound correspondence, letter formation, and how to blend and segment sounds within words to support reading and spelling. Specifically designed for early readers and English language learners, Reading Journey utilizes a synthetic phonics approach based on the science of reading. Synthetic phonics is a structured approach to teaching phonics through explicitly teaching letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes). Through synthetic phonics instruction, children are taught how to blend phonemes together to read words and how to segment phonemes within a word to spell. This application includes nine levels. Each level introduces 4 new phonemes or sounds and reinforces the previously learned phonemes through a structured set of exercises. The nine levels teach 35 of the 44 sounds or phonemes in the English language. Additional content expanding coverage of the nine remaining English phonemes, phonemic awareness, high frequency words (reading and writing them fluently) and morphology will follow this first stage. The Reading Journey App was created by an experienced Learning Support teacher with a Masters Degree in Special Education and 18+ years of experience teaching in local and international schools in the United States of America, Hong Kong and Switzerland. Her expertise in early literacy development is evident throughout this purposefully-built, research-backed early reading program.

About

I Can Read

Features
Read full description

Welcome to I Can Read! With over 25 years of experience, we are well-equipped to help children with online learning, reading, and phonics. An AI voice-recorded recognition phonics programme that helps you to get instant feedback that supports your child’s education. Designed by child educational psychologists & experienced teachers, we are revolutionising the world of digital learning in English. I Can Read is perfect for little learners aged 2 years & above with bite-sized mini lessons in phonics and early English reading. Make learning fun with a curriculum full of comprehensive, synthetic phonics. Expand your child’s imagination and foster their love for reading. Access 1000+ engaging activities that teach sequencing, higher-order critical thinking, creativity, & problem solving. Learn to read by starting with learning the ABCs. Graduate to more challenging lessons in our online programme that is designed for self-paced learning and education. Download today to start your adventure with online, AI-powered learning! I CAN READ FEATURES: AI-POWERED TECHNOLOGY HELPING YOU LEARN PHONICS AI-powered voice recognition technology will accept or decline responses as your child records themselves answering questions and forming sounds in English. - Allows for instant feedback while reading. - Fosters the ability to be more attuned to the sounds of language while reading or sounding out basic phonics. READING WITH STELLA - Reading begins with play in our follow-up programme, Stella. - Stella the star and her friends guide children through early language learning in English. - Phonics awareness technology will teach your child sounds, rhyming, segmenting, blending, and the principles of ABCs. - Education is built on foundational skills that will lead your child to successful reading. SELF-PACED PORTABLE EDUCATION: - Reading and learning are mobile thanks to our reading app. - 100% Kid-safe with no ads to distract your child from having fun - Phonics and reading lessons will help support your child’s education. - Tailored learning starts with self-paced reading. ENGLISH READING AND PHONICS LESSONS - ALL AT A GREAT VALUE - Up to 3 users can grow, play, and learn reading and the ABCs. - Once accessed, the programme remains open so that children can revise & consolidate as needed. Set your child up for success with I Can Read, the app where learning to read is fun! Download today to jump-start your kid’s reading. I CAN READ SUBSCRIPTION - We use Apple’s auto-renewing subscription functionality - Please find Apple’s EULA here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS - Up to 3 children are covered under a single-family subscription - Free to try for 3 days with access to the entire program. Free trial auto-renews to a paid subscription unless cancelled at least 24 hours before it ends. Subscriptions are $26 monthly or $68 quarterly. - You can manage this in your Apple ID settings.

Screenshots

Reading Journey ABC4 screens
I Can Read4 screens

Verdict

The call

Reading Journey ABC and I Can Read are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters β€” price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them β€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Reading Journey ABC sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and I Can Read sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reading Journey ABC ships an update fortnightly, I Can Read weekly. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Reading Journey ABC versus I Can Read: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReading Journey ABCI Can Read
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesβ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 β€” better13.4
Further details β€” not scored
Size127 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperREADING JOURNEY LIMITEDVaiva

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Reading Journey ABC

One-time10
  • 4 children for 1 month$8.99
  • 5 children for 1 month$12.99
  • 10 children for 1 month$15.99
Show 7 more
  • 6 children for 6 month$39.99
  • 4 children for 6 month$49.99
  • 5 children for 6 month$59.99
  • 10 children for 6 month$89.99
  • 4 children for 1 year$99.99
  • 5 children for 1 year$109.99
  • 10 children for 1 year$159.99
2 purchases

I Can Read

Subscriptions2
  • ICR Monthly Plan3 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • ICR Three-Monthly Plan3 Days trial$29.993 Months

Questions

Is Reading Journey ABC free?
Reading Journey ABC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is I Can Read free?
I Can Read is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Reading Journey ABC or I Can Read have ads?
Neither Reading Journey ABC nor I Can Read shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reading Journey ABC or I Can Read?
Reading Journey ABC ships an update fortnightly, and I Can Read weekly. Most recently, Reading Journey ABC was updated on November 4, 2026 and I Can Read on November 4, 2026.

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