# Reader Bee vs MENTAL STAR

The clearest difference is update cadence: MENTAL STAR at every 2 days against Reader Bee's every 2 months. Reader Bee's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reader Bee sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and MENTAL STAR sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Reader Bee ships an update every 2 months, MENTAL STAR every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reader Bee | MENTAL STAR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader-bee/id6480310608/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 399 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [READER BEE LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1560742295) | [Sasagawa Yoshihiro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1475074070) |

## What reviewers say

### Reader Bee

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader-bee/id6480310608)

This app uses interactive books and a unique Chunking Engine with animated phonics sound outs to make learning to read fun and effective. It helps children build cognitive links and decode new words independently, fostering fluency and confidence.

**Highlights:** Interactive books, Chunking Engine, Phonics Sound outs, Animated examples, Independent word decoding, Cognitive link building

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |


### MENTAL STAR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mental-star/id6742699982)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FASTER and SLOWER | $5.99 | one-time |
| NO ADS | $9.99 | one-time |
| MORE WORDS in NEW and EDIT | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reader Bee free?

Reader Bee is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MENTAL STAR free?

MENTAL STAR is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Reader Bee or MENTAL STAR have ads?

Neither Reader Bee nor MENTAL STAR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Reader Bee or MENTAL STAR?

Reader Bee ships an update every 2 months, and MENTAL STAR every 2 days. Most recently, Reader Bee was updated on October 9, 2026 and MENTAL STAR on October 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*