ReadEgypt vs Hieroglyphs
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
ReadEgypt
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This app is for people who want to develop a working ability to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. However, there seems to be a gap in the available resources for someone who wants to be able to do this: either the content is aimed at schoolchildren so they can transliterate their names into hieroglyphics or by academics who gloss over too-familiar texts as they conduct deeper linguistic and historical investigations. Yet it is the 'formulaic' texts that are perfect for the serious amateur, because the only realistic scenario in which this skill could be applied is in viewing funerary objects in museums or on the internet. Having a reading comprehension of even twenty sentences would give someone a good chance of at least picking out some words and at best reading all but unfamiliar names and titles on objects they have never seen before. CHAPTERS TAB For those who want to jump right in, this tab is the table of contents for the app's anthology of common Ancient Egyptian texts. Tapping one of these items loads the chapter and takes you to the next tab. There are two definitions of 'common' used here. The first is in the formulaic sense, in that these texts are likely to be seen on other museum objects. The readings in this category include the Coffin of Nephthys, Shabtis of Yuya, and the Stela of Senres and Hormose. The second kind of common is internet ubiquity due to the cultural, artistic, or historical significance of the tomb or object. These include the tombs of Tutankamun, Nefertari, and Nebamun. READER TAB Each text, paired with a zoomable image, is transcribed into a clear hieroglyphic font and translated. The 'words' feature combines the two to reveal the grammatical structure of the sentences. An introduction places the object in context. HIEROGLYPHICS TAB This tab is a reference for all 1,071 standard hieroglyphs. Other than the uniliterals, biliterals, and triliterals, you need not memorize these because most do not appear in the formulaic texts. Uniliterals are those hieroglyphs that represent the sounds of the ancient Egyptian language. Biliterals and triliterals represent combinations of uniliterals. If you memorize these, you will be able to take an Egyptian person's name from a museum label and locate it in the hieroglyphs. QUIZZES TAB For those who wish to systematically build a solid foundation of hieroglyphic knowledge, this tab features interactive quizzes of key hieroglyphic and vocabulary sets.
Hieroglyphs
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Developed by researcher and author Bill Petty, this comprehensive digital library is the essential mobile reference for Egyptophiles, students, researchers, and professional Egyptologists. The Hieroglyphs app brings the most popular Hieroglyphic dictionary directly to your device, along with other reference books to aid in translation and understanding hieroglyphs and the Middle Egyptian language. Whether you are translating inscriptions in the field or studying at home or school, the Hieroglyphs app provides the tools you need. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Key Features: โข Phonograms and ideograms: A comprehensive list of uni-literals, bi-literals, tri-literals, and ideograms (included). โข EZGlyph and Proglyph: The easiest, Word-based hieroglyph writer (included). These tools are a $25 value. โข Hieroglyphic Sign List: Based on the work of Alan Gardiner. โข Hieroglyphic Dictionary: A best sellling Middle Egyptian dictionary, with about 4,000 entries. โข Egyptian Glyphary: A Sign List based hieroglyphic dictionary of Middle Egyptian, for easy look-up. โข English to Middle Egyptian Dictionary: The most comprehensive dictionary of its kind with about 8,000 entries. โข The Names of the Kings of Egypt: The Serekhs and Cartouches of Egypt's Pharaohs, along with Selected Queens. โข Curated Library: References Books, Instructional Materials, and Hieroglyphic Texts are being added every month. Introductory Offer: To celebrate the app's release, receive a special 50% introductory discount on all in-app purchases for a limited time. About the Developer: Bill Petty is a dedicated researcher and author specializing in Egyptian Hieroglyphs. Through BFPress, a division of BFGroups, Inc., he provides high-quality resources to make the ancient Egyptian language accessible to everyone.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ReadEgypt at none against Hieroglyphs's 9. Hieroglyphs's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Hieroglyphs sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. ReadEgypt asks for nothing beyond the download.
ReadEgypt ships an update monthly, Hieroglyphs every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ReadEgypt | Hieroglyphs |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 4 weeks โ better |
| Ads | Yes | No โ better |
| In-app purchases | No โ better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 14.0.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 67 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | 133DE, LLC | BFGRoups, Inc. |
In-app purchases
ReadEgypt
No in-app purchases
Hieroglyphs
- edu annual subscription$9.991 Year
- Annual Subscription$19.991 Year
- Hieroglyphic Dictionary$9.99
- Egyptian Glyphary$9.99
- Sign List$9.99
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- English to Middle Egyptian$9.99
- Lifetime Subscription$9.99
- Names of the Kings of Egypt$9.99
- Urkunden der 18. Dynastie, Band 1$9.99
Questions
Is ReadEgypt free?
Is Hieroglyphs free?
Do ReadEgypt or Hieroglyphs have ads?
Which is updated more often, ReadEgypt or Hieroglyphs?
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