The Phonics App vs Prestige Learning
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Phonics App
This app teaches reading through phonics, focusing on sounds and blending words. It offers a research-led, non-addictive approach with expert guidance and informal checks to reinforce learning. Learn to decode nearly every English word with a focus on clear pronunciation.
- Learn a-z sounds and word blending
- Expert video guidance
- Simple tap-to-hear sound interface
- Learn English sound pronunciation
- Practice with 400+ words
- Learn irregular (tricky) words
- Informal learning checks
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This multi-award-winning phonics app can help absolutely anyone learn to read. Join thousands of people around the world learning to read with The Phonics App! "We loved The Phonics App, as it has been specifically designed NOT to be addictive, and doesn't rely on dopamine hits for kids' rewards." - MadeForMums Tech Awards 2025 Editor's Choice. "A beautifully designed, calm, and research-led approach to early literacy that stands out in a market dominated by highly gamified products" - Digital Education Awards 2025 Highly Commended The Phonics App Features: * Learn the a-z sounds and how to blend 2 and 3 letter words completely free. * Subscribe to learn all the other sounds and practise with 400+ words. * Video guidance from an expert phonics teacher every step of the way. * Beautifully simple - just tap the words to hear the sounds they're made of. * Learn how to pronounce all of the sounds of English (with an English accent). * Build up your knowledge of phonics, one sound at a time. * Learn how to read and understand common irregular (tricky) words. * Informal checks at the end of each section to reinforce your learning. * Learn both lower case and capital letters. * Learn to decode nearly every English word. * No collectibles, coins or dopamine rewards! Why did we make this app? Jonny is a father of two and started making this app to teach his kids to read. It worked really well, so he showed it to Miss Mabel (founder of Reading Roots, community of 750k parents and teachers learning phonics) to see if it would be useful to other people. She said yes, and had a lot of ideas how to make it better! So they spent AGES making 'The Phonics App', and now it's finally ready for you. We hope it helps you learn to read too! Miss Mabel & Jonny Subscriptions in this app follow standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA) which you can read here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Prestige Learning
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We are dedicated to teaching growing kids the essential skills they need to succeed in life.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: The Phonics App at Free against Prestige Learning's $3.99. The Phonics App also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). Prestige Learning's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On ads 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
The Phonics App is free to download; Prestige Learning costs $3.99 up front. The Phonics App sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Prestige Learning asks for nothing beyond the download.
The Phonics App ships an update monthly, Prestige Learning every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Phonics App | Prestige Learning |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (100 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 100 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 248 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Phonics Folk Ltd | The Prestige Learning App, LLC |
Bugs and requests
The Phonics App
Requested features
3 requests- Option to open pictures for letter sounds
- Accent options for narration (e.g., American English)
- Offer app in Mandarin
Prestige Learning
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
The Phonics App
- Access Everything Monthly$4.991 Month
- Access Everything Quarterly$12.993 Months
- Access Everything Yearly$29.991 Year
Prestige Learning
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Phonics App free?
Is Prestige Learning free?
Do The Phonics App or Prestige Learning have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Phonics App or Prestige Learning?
Other comparisons
