Comparison

Spelling Bee vs SpellSmart

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

Head to head
About

Spelling Bee

Practice spelling with adjustable difficulty, audio pronunciations, definitions, and example sentences. Track your progress with detailed charts and import custom word lists. Set practice reminders to stay consistent.

Highlights
  • Adjustable difficulty levels
  • Audio word pronunciation
  • Word definitions and sentences
  • Progress tracking charts
  • Custom word list import
  • Practice reminders
Features
Read full description

With Spelling Bee, you are free to practice at any time! Adjust the difficulty level when needed. Hear the word spoken, get the definition, and a sentence, then give it a shot. Choose from several pronouncers. Review your history. Several graphs and charts to display your progress. Set reminders to keep up with your practice. Import your own custom word lists. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://anthonyharveyapps.com/privacy-policy-spelling-bee

About

SpellSmart

Practice spelling with interactive modes, including solo and buddy challenges. Upload your own words or use the provided lists to prepare for spelling bees and improve vocabulary. Designed to help students, especially those facing language challenges, build confidence.

Highlights
  • Interactive spelling practice
  • Solo and Buddy modes
  • Upload custom word lists
  • Bookmark words for review
  • Pronunciation audio
  • Progress tracking
Read full description

SpellSmart allows students to practice spelling in a fun, interactive way! If you're preparing for a spelling bee, you can upload your own words, or you can practice the ones we have. Solo Mode: In Solo Mode, the app will read you words out loud, you'll type in your spelling, and we'll let you know if you're correct. Buddy Mode: In Buddy Mode, you'll get a friend to hold the phone so that it's facing away from you. The app will read the words aloud, you can spell it out loud, and your buddy can check if you're correct. You can also bookmark any words you want to come back to, and we'll make a list of all your bookmarked words so you can practice them. In 8th grade, I was preparing for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, one of the most prestigious spelling competitions in the US. However, since this was my first year competing, I had one minor issue - how am I supposed to practice? Most of the online guides I read told me that I should practice writing words on paper, but that approach wasn't very effective for me. I quickly realized that I needed someone to practice with me - someone like my mother, who was willing to help me for hours on end if necessary. Unfortunately, as an immigrant who spoke English as a second language, she couldn't correctly pronounce the complex words that even native speakers would struggle with. That's why I created SpellSmart, an effective way for any student to practice their vocabulary and get better at spelling. SpellSmart not only provides a solution to my personal problem but also aims to address a broader social issue. By enabling minority students to practice their vocabulary and spelling skills, the app could become a valuable resource for immigrant families across the country facing similar language challenges. Now, parents and guardians can assist their children in honing their spelling abilities with just a touch of a button, fostering a supportive learning environment at home. SpellSmart's impact resonates beyond individual achievements, promoting a sense of community and understanding among diverse learners.

Screenshots

Spelling Bee4 screens
SpellSmart4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SpellSmart at 100% against Spelling Bee's 50%. SpellSmart also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Spelling Bee's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (270 vs 6). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Spelling Bee sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. SpellSmart asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SpellSmart holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spelling Bee has 270 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Spelling Bee's written reviews are positive against 100% of SpellSmart's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spelling Bee ships an update monthly, SpellSmart every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Spelling Bee versus SpellSmart: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpelling BeeSpellSmart
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (270 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings270 — better6
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.116.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB73 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnthony HarveyTheAwesomesome

Customer experience

Spelling Bee

All ratings270 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral4.1%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral5.6%
Negative44.4%

SpellSmart

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Spelling Bee

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Forces purchase after few practice words
  • Screen shrinks to iPhone size on iPad
  • Misclick locks and asks for subscription

Requested features

3 requests
  • Family sharing on paid subscription
  • More sampling of audio for better pronunciation
  • Record actual words on app's vocab lists

SpellSmart

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Spelling Bee

Subscriptions2
  • Learn More Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Learn More Yearly$12.991 Year
None

SpellSmart

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Spelling Bee free?
Spelling Bee is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SpellSmart free?
SpellSmart is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Spelling Bee or SpellSmart?
SpellSmart is rated higher. Spelling Bee averages 4.5 out of 5 from 270 ratings, while SpellSmart averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Spelling Bee or SpellSmart have ads?
Neither Spelling Bee nor SpellSmart shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spelling Bee or SpellSmart?
Spelling Bee ships an update monthly, and SpellSmart every 4 months. Most recently, Spelling Bee was updated on October 30, 2026 and SpellSmart on October 24, 2026.

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