Spell School vs SpellStar
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Spell School
This app helps users improve their English spelling skills through adaptive daily practice and engaging games. It covers various word lists, from primary school requirements to advanced vocabulary, and offers features like progress tracking and custom list creation.
- Adaptive daily learning sessions
- Multiple testing modes
- Intelligent word selection with spaced repetition
- Complete curriculum coverage
- Progress tracking and analytics
- Achievement badges and learning streaks
- Customizable difficulty and voice options
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Spell School makes spelling practice simple, motivating, and effective for English learners of all ages. Build spelling confidence, prepare for tests, and master tricky words in just a few minutes a day. Perfect for families, independent learners, and classrooms, Spell School turns spelling practice into a positive daily habit. Whether it’s a weekly school test, exam preparation, or lifelong learning, Spell School adapts to every learner. Smart Daily Learning: • Adaptive sessions — Bite-sized word practices that fit busy routines • Two testing modes — Guided sessions with parents, teachers, or independent self-tests • Intelligent word selection — Focuses on tricky words with spaced repetition • Mastery tracking — Words retire automatically after repeated success Complete Curriculum Coverage: • Primary statutory word lists – Years 3–6 requirements included • High-frequency words – The 300 most essential for early readers • Core 500 words – Everyday vocabulary students need to master • Commonly misspelled words – The top 100 tricky spellings • 11 Plus (11+) vocabulary – Advanced words for selective exams Built for Families & Classrooms: • Multiple profiles (Premium Subscription Required) — Progress tracking with fun emoji avatars • Dashboard — See accuracy, streaks, and long-term trends • Daily reminders — Gentle notifications that respect family schedules Homework Made Easy (Premium Subscription Required): • Smart photo scanning — Snap spelling lists to create instant custom tests • Word extraction — Automatically identifies and organises spelling words • Custom lists — Build unlimited word collections for targeted practice • WordBank access — Thousands of words with definitions and examples Motivation That Lasts: • Achievement badges — 35+ rewards for effort, progress, and mastery • Learning streaks — Visual progress to encourage daily practice • Analytics — Clear insights into accuracy, streaks, and growth Ready-Made Collections: • Themed lists — Animals, colours, school, family, and seasonal words • Difficulty levels — Easy to challenging, always age-appropriate • Educational variety — Curriculum-aligned with extra vocabulary fun Flexible and Customisable: • Adjustable difficulty — Control daily word counts and mastery settings • Voice options — Choose from multiple natural voices • Spelling variants — Supports both UK and US conventions • Accessibility — Large text, clear audio, intuitive navigation Privacy First: • No online accounts required — Start learning instantly • Camera privacy — Photos processed locally, never uploaded Unlock the full experience with our auto-renewable paid premium subscription: • Unlimited profiles • Smart photo scanning of homework • Custom spelling lists • Extended daily practice (up to 20 words) • Full WordBank access • Adaptive learning algorithms Build spelling confidence and make every test a success — for students, families, and lifelong learners. Spell School offers auto-renewing monthly and annual plans. Manage or cancel any time in your App Store account settings (turn off at least 24 hours before end of your current period). Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://rishimodha.com/privacy
SpellStar
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SpellStar turns weekly spelling practice into a wizard's adventure. Children cast spells, pop letters, hunt runes and battle bosses, and every word they practice is read aloud. No ads. No accounts. No tracking. MADE FOR US CLASSROOMS - American spellings and grade levels from Pre-K to 5th grade - Dolch sight words, from Pre-Primer to Third Grade, plus the Dolch nouns - Add your child's own weekly list in seconds, by typing it, scanning a QR code or taking a photo of the list 13 WAYS TO PRACTICE Spell Cast, Letter Pop, Rune Hunt, Missing Letters, Word Builder, Spell Match, Spell Halves, Word Scramble, Boss Battle, Star Rush and more. Easy, medium and hard settings keep every child at the right level. REWARDS THAT KEEP THEM COMING BACK Earn XP, level up, collect badges and hatch dragons. Word of the Day and word mastery show real progress, word by word. FOR PARENTS A parent area protected by your own PIN shows progress, weak words and detailed results. Children never see a purchase screen. FOR TEACHERS Create classrooms, set spelling tests and schedules, print resources and share lists with a QR code. FREE TO START Spell Cast and My Spelling List are free for one child, for as long as you like. Subscribe to unlock more: - Plus: every game mode, weak words, detailed results and difficulty settings, for up to 2 children - Family: everything in Plus, with weekly progress and PDF export, for up to 10 children. Family Sharing is available on the Family plan on iPhone and iPad - Classroom: classroom mode, spelling tests and print resources, for up to 35 children Everything stays on your device. There are no accounts to create and nothing to sign in to. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings at any time. Privacy policy: https://lydexsolutions.co.uk/spellstar-privacy Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: SpellStar at every 3 weeks against Spell School's every 2 months. SpellStar also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Spell School sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and SpellStar sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Spell School ships an update every 2 months, SpellStar every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Spell School | SpellStar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 251 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rishi Dipak Modha | Lydex Solutions LTD. |
In-app purchases
Spell School
- Monthly Premium Subscription$0.991 Month
- Annual Premium Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Year
SpellStar
- SpellStar Plus$3.991 Month
- SpellStar Family$4.991 Month
- SpellStar Plus (Annual)14 Days trial$29.991 Year
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- SpellStar Family (Annual)14 Days trial$39.991 Year
- SpellStar Classroom1 Month trial$59.991 Year
Questions
Is Spell School free?
Is SpellStar free?
Do Spell School or SpellStar have ads?
Which is updated more often, Spell School or SpellStar?
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