Comparison

Simple Phonic Stories vs MCTap

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

Head to head
About

Simple Phonic Stories

Features
Read full description

A very, simple, fun reading app full of adorable pictures to help your kids learn to read quickly! Read the phrase to reveal the picture. This is a fun, educational tool that kids love and is good way for parents to get involved too!

About

MCTap

Learn Morse code through an interactive visual and tactile experience. Trace paths on an animated decision tree, hear synchronized audio tones, and practice with timed challenges. Customize your learning environment with various themes and audio settings.

Highlights
  • Interactive visual decision tree
  • Tactile dot and dash input
  • Synchronized audio tones
  • Customizable themes and colors
  • Timed Morse code challenges (Hero Mode)
  • Adjustable timing and audio settings
Features
Read full description

MCTap is the Morse code trainer that teaches through touch and sight, not memorization. Instead of staring at a chart, you'll trace paths on a beautiful, animated decision tree that lights up in real time as you key each dot and dash. HOW IT WORKS Press and hold the input surface. A quick tap sends a dot. A longer hold sends a dash. As you build each letter, the Morse tree highlights your path: green for committed segments, cyan for your live input. Release, and the letter auto-commits to your message. It's intuitive, tactile, and closer to real Morse keying than anything else on the App Store. VISUAL MORSE DECISION TREE The heart of MCTap is the Badge Board, a 26-letter Morse tree rendered as an interactive map. Every letter is a node. Every dot or dash is a branch. Watch the tree come alive as you input, making the structure of Morse code click visually in a way flashcards never could. DEMO PLAYBACK Tap the SOS chip to see and hear the world's most famous Morse signal play across the board. Create your own custom word demos (up to 10 saved phrases) and watch each letter animate with synchronized audio tones. It's a powerful way to learn by observation. HERO MODE (PRO) Put your skills to the test. Enter any word or phrase, pick a difficulty from Beginner to Expert, and face a timed letter-by-letter Morse challenge. Each letter has a deadline. Build streaks for bonus points. Earn letter grades from D to S. Hero Mode uses authentic Farnsworth timing at lower difficulties, ramping up to 25 WPM at Expert, the same progression used by amateur radio operators worldwide. DEEP CUSTOMIZATION (PRO) Tune your experience: - Adjust dot and dash durations (40 to 400 ms / 120 to 1200 ms) - Control gap timing, audio pitch (300 to 1200 Hz), and volume - Choose from 6 curated themes: Classic, Ocean, Ember, Violet, Mint, Midnight - Or create a fully custom color scheme with primary, secondary, and background pickers - Defaults follow the ITU 12 WPM standard so you learn at the global baseline WHAT'S FREE The full Morse trainer, visual decision tree, audio tones, demo playback, and custom word saving are all free forever. No ads. No subscriptions. MCTAP PRO: ONE TIME PURCHASE Unlock everything with a single lifetime purchase: - Hero Mode: timed challenges with scoring and grades - 5 premium themes plus full custom color control - Advanced timing and audio settings - All future Pro features included Whether you're a curious beginner, a ham radio enthusiast, or just looking for a meditative focus exercise, MCTap makes learning Morse code genuinely enjoyable.

Screenshots

Simple Phonic Stories4 screens
MCTap3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simple Phonic Stories at none against MCTap's 1. Simple Phonic Stories also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). MCTap's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MCTap sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Simple Phonic Stories asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Phonic Stories ships an update every 3 months, MCTap monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Simple Phonic Stories versus MCTap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple Phonic StoriesMCTap
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—6 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size120 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRyan McdermottSwiftSherpas LLC

In-app purchases

None

Simple Phonic Stories

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

MCTap

One-time1
  • Upgrade App$4.99

Questions

Is Simple Phonic Stories free?
Simple Phonic Stories is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MCTap free?
MCTap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Simple Phonic Stories or MCTap have ads?
Neither Simple Phonic Stories nor MCTap shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Simple Phonic Stories or MCTap?
Simple Phonic Stories ships an update every 3 months, and MCTap monthly. Most recently, Simple Phonic Stories was updated on October 30, 2026 and MCTap on October 31, 2026.

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