Reading Mountain vs SpellJam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Reading Mountain
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Break, Find, Blend, and Swap Sounds to Build Reading Skills! Give your student a strong foundation for reading with this engaging phonemic awareness app! Instead of focusing on letters, the app uses sound tiles to help students hear and manipulate sounds, making early reading development fun and effective. Research has shown that phonemic awarenessβthe ability to recognize and work with sounds in wordsβis an essential foundational skill for reading and spelling. This app guides learners through interactive activities designed to strengthen their ability to hear, segment, and manipulate sounds in words, laying the foundation for decoding skills. Key Features: - Break words into individual sounds - Find specific sounds in a word - Blend sounds together to form words - Swap sounds to create new words Designed for early and struggling readers and students with dyslexia of all ages, this app makes phonemic awareness engaging and effective. Start building a strong base for reading success today!
SpellJam
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What if your kid ASKED to do spelling homework? SpellJam was built by Graham and his 10-year-old daughter Lily because spelling homework was boring. Together, they made the app Lily actually wanted to use β and now it's helping families everywhere turn dread into a highlight of the day. HOW IT WORKS Add your child's weekly spelling words β type them in, snap a photo of the homework sheet, or speak them aloud. SpellJam then guides kids through a proven cycle: Study Mode β Hear each word, study it with 3D animated flashcards Practice Games β Spell words letter by letter with real-time audio feedback Weekly Test β Simulate the classroom test in a calm, encouraging environment Progress Tracking β Watch mastery grow from Learning β Practicing β Mastered β Retained The app focuses extra practice on words kids struggle with and eases off on ones they've nailed. It actually adapts. FOR PARENTS β’ Works with your child's real weekly spelling list β not a generic word bank β’ Set up in under 2 minutes β’ Works completely offline β no wi-fi needed during practice β’ No ads, no tracking, no data sharing β COPPA compliant β’ See exactly which words need more work before the test FOR TEACHERS β’ Share word lists directly with students β’ Students practise the exact words you're teaching β’ Works alongside any spelling curriculum FEATURES β’ Sparky the Dragon β a virtual companion who grows with your child β’ Voice input using Apple's Speech framework (processed on-device) β’ Camera word capture β point at a homework sheet, words are added instantly β’ XP points, streaks, and achievements to keep kids motivated β’ 90+ built-in curriculum words across grades K-5 β’ Multiple game modes: Weekly Practice, Speed Challenge, Boss Battle OUR STORY In 2024, Graham's daughter Lily told him spelling homework was the most boring part of her week. Graham is a developer. Two months later, SpellJam existed. Lily was its first (and most demanding) tester. If something wasn't fun enough for a 10-year-old, it didn't ship. That's still the standard today. Download SpellJam and turn this week's spelling list into tonight's favourite game.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Reading Mountain at Free against SpellJam's $3.99. Reading Mountain also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). SpellJam's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.
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
Reading Mountain is free to download; SpellJam costs $3.99 up front. SpellJam sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Reading Mountain asks for nothing beyond the download.
Reading Mountain ships an update every 6 months, SpellJam every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Reading Mountain | SpellJam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free β better | $3.99 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 2 months β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No β better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod β better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 β better | 17.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | LEARN MOUNTAIN LLC | Graham Kinsella |
In-app purchases
Reading Mountain
No in-app purchases
SpellJam
- Premium Access$39.99
Questions
Is Reading Mountain free?
Is SpellJam free?
Do Reading Mountain or SpellJam have ads?
Which is updated more often, Reading Mountain or SpellJam?
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