Comparison

Theonimo vs Spell to Play

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

Head to head
About

Theonimo

Features
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Subscription Details: - Theonimo Premium is available as a monthly subscription at 49 NOK/month - Theonimo Sponsored is available as a monthly subscription at 3 NOK/month - Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period - You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your App Store account settings - Free trial: 30 days. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription - Privacy Policy: https://theonimo.com/privacy-policy - Terms of Use: https://theonimo.com/privacy-policy

About

Spell to Play

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Spell to Play turns reaching for a distracting app into a quick spelling win. You choose which apps to guard. When your child opens one, it's shielded until they spell a word - then it unlocks for the time you set, and re-locks for next time. A little learning, built right into the moment they reach for their phone. WHY PARENTS LOVE SPELL TO PLAY โ€ข Guard any app - Block games and social apps behind a spelling challenge using Apple's Screen Time. You stay in control. โ€ข Practice in the moment - Your child spells age-appropriate words to earn their time. Short, friendly, rewarding. โ€ข You set the rules - Pick the apps, the unlock duration, the difficulty (preschool through grade 6), and how many words. โ€ข Weekly progress - Words learned, first-try accuracy, and streaks at a glance. โ€ข Private by design - Everything stays on your child's device. No accounts, no sign-in, no tracking, no ads. We never see which apps you guard or what your child does. HOW IT WORKS 1. Lock - A guarded app opens to a friendly shield instead. 2. Spell - Your child solves a quick word. 3. Unlock - The app opens for the time you choose (1-30 minutes), then re-locks. Spell to Play turns reaching for a distracting app into a quick spelling win. You choose which apps to guard. When your child opens one, it's shielded until they spell a word โ€” then it unlocks for the time you set, and re-locks for next time. Spell to Play's app-blocking features require a subscription (Spell to Play Pro), with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. Pricing is below. WHAT SPELL TO PLAY PRO INCLUDES (subscription required) โ€ข Guard any app โ€” Block games and social apps behind a spelling challenge using Apple's Screen Time. You stay in control. โ€ข Practice in the moment โ€” Your child spells age-appropriate words to earn their time. Short, friendly, rewarding. โ€ข You set the rules โ€” Pick the apps, the unlock duration, the difficulty (preschool through grade 6), and how many words. โ€ข Weekly progress โ€” Words learned, first-try accuracy, and streaks at a glance. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No accounts, no sign-in, no tracking, no ads. Everything stays on your child's device โ€” we never see which apps you guard or what your child does. HOW IT WORKS 1. Lock โ€” A guarded app opens to a friendly shield instead. 2. Spell โ€” Your child solves a quick word. 3. Unlock โ€” The app opens for the time you chose, then re-locks. Built on Apple's Family Controls and Screen Time, so blocking works at the system level. Made for families and configured by a parent or guardian. SUBSCRIPTION A Spell to Play Pro subscription is required to use the app-blocking features. Start with a 7-day free trial, then $4.99 per month or $41.99 per year. Cancel anytime. Spell to Play Pro is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. It renews automatically for the same period unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings.

Screenshots

Theonimo4 screens
Spell to Play4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Spell to Play at none against Theonimo's shown. Spell to Play also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). Theonimo's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Theonimo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.29 per month and Spell to Play sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Theonimo ships an update every 2 weeks, Spell to Play every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
Theonimo versus Spell to Play: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTheonimoSpell to Play
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 5 days โ€” better
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 โ€” better18.6
Further details โ€” not scored
Size49 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRefsnes Investering ASWGMI Labs AS

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Theonimo

Subscriptions2
  • Sponsored Plan1 Month trial$0.291 Month
  • Theonimo Premium - Monthly1 Month trial$3.991 Month
2 purchases

Spell to Play

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Annual subscription7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Theonimo free?
Theonimo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Spell to Play free?
Spell to Play is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Theonimo or Spell to Play have ads?
Theonimo shows ads; Spell to Play does not.
Which is updated more often, Theonimo or Spell to Play?
Theonimo ships an update every 2 weeks, and Spell to Play every 5 days. Most recently, Theonimo was updated on September 19, 2026 and Spell to Play on September 18, 2026.

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