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.
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.
- 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
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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.
I Can Read
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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 childβs 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 childβs 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 childβs 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 kidβs reading. I CAN READ SUBSCRIPTION - We use Appleβs auto-renewing subscription functionality - Please find Appleβs 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.
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Verdict
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
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.
Reading Journey ABC ships an update fortnightly, I Can Read weekly. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.
| Parameter | Reading Journey ABC | I Can Read |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | β |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Weekly β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | β |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 β better | 13.4 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 127 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | READING JOURNEY LIMITED | Vaiva |
In-app purchases
Reading Journey ABC
- 4 children for 1 month$8.99
- 5 children for 1 month$12.99
- 10 children for 1 month$15.99
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- 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
I Can Read
- ICR Monthly Plan3 Days trial$12.991 Month
- ICR Three-Monthly Plan3 Days trial$29.993 Months
Questions
Is Reading Journey ABC free?
Is I Can Read free?
Do Reading Journey ABC or I Can Read have ads?
Which is updated more often, Reading Journey ABC or I Can Read?
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