Manuscript vs AksonThai
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Manuscript
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Tracing on a screen only goes so far: at school, your child writes with a pencil. Manuscript closes that loop. Your child practices each letter with guided tracing, then prints a sheet, writes it with a real pencil and photographs it. The app reads their handwriting and shows exactly which letters need work. Printing and scanning are free and unlimited. TODAY'S PLAN Five minutes a day: a warm-up, today's letter and a game. Clear steps, a clear finish, and a streak that rewards showing up. FEEDBACK THAT TEACHES Careful tracing earns the score it deserves. When something is off, your child hears one specific thing to change: a missing line, a stroke that went the wrong way, or part of the letter still empty. THE 8-WEEK JOURNEY Strokes, then tall letters, curves, tricky pairs like b and d, sizing and sight words, finishing with your child writing their own name. Each week can be printed and practiced on paper too. FOR PARENTS One plain message each week: what your child did, what to watch, and one thing to try together. Plus a printable progress report for their teacher. PRIVACY YOU CAN CHECK Everything stays on your devices and syncs only through your own iCloud. No accounts, no third-party trackers, no ads, no data sales. The Privacy Center shows what the app has recorded and lets you erase it. MADE FOR EVERY FAMILY ⢠iPhone and iPad, with one subscription for both ⢠30 languages, including Arabic, Hindi, Chinese, Spanish and Bengali ⢠Four school handwriting styles and a left-handed mode ⢠Apple Pencil or finger, larger touch targets and full Dynamic Type MANUSCRIPT+ Weeks 2ā8 of the journey, the teacher report, Family Pen Pal, Cursive Bridge, spelling plans, custom decks and unlimited children. 7-day free trial; cancel anytime. No leaderboards, no social comparison, no ads. Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://doc-hosting.flycricket.io/manuscript-privacy-policy/0025e10c-7565-4008-bbd2-9a70b6f1e9e9/privacy
AksonThai
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Learn the Thai alphabet the way it's written ā one stroke at a time. AksonThai ā learn Thai by writing, not by tapping. Most apps make you tap and match. You feel like you're learning ā until you try to actually write ąøąø±ąøąø©ąø£ą¹ąøąø¢ and your hand has no idea where to start. Thai script is beautiful and logical, but it only truly sticks when you form the letters yourself. AksonThai is built around handwriting. You trace every consonant, vowel, tone mark and word with your finger, stroke by stroke, on a generous practice canvas with elegant guides. That shift ā from passive recognition to active writing ā is what turns short-term memory into permanent knowledge. Why AksonThai is different Handwriting-first, always. The canvas isn't a feature ā it's the whole point. Every card is a chance to actually write the letter or word. The full writing system, structured. All 44 consonants (by class: mid, high, low), the vowels, tone marks and numerals ā then 1,500 of the most useful Thai words across five books, from Foundation to Mastery. Switch any time; progress is tracked separately in each. My Akson ā your own list. Drop in any Thai characters or words you want to focus on and practise them like any other deck. Find anything three ways. Type Thai, type English, type romanization ā or, when you don't even know the letter, just draw it (or part of it) and let the app find it. Acrophonic memory aids. Each consonant ships with its traditional acrophonic word and a short, hand-curated mnemonic ā so ąø isn't a random shape, it's a story you remember. Built-in progress, streaks and milestones. See what you've mastered, what needs review, and keep your daily writing streak alive. Works offline. Handwriting recognition runs entirely on your device ā drawing, checking, browsing, everything works with no connection. Made to live with. Paper-and-ink aesthetic, beautiful Thai typography, light and dark themes. Your progress, your data. Everything lives on your device. Export a full backup any time, restore it on a new phone ā no account required. Free version ā generous, not crippled Try AksonThai with the opening chapters of every curriculum plus a small My Akson list. No timers, no ads, no nagging. Pro ā one-time purchase, no subscription Unlock every chapter of every curriculum, an unlimited My Akson list, and full lifetime access. Pay once. Own it. Who it's for: Beginners starting Thai the right way ā by writing from day one. Travellers and expats in Thailand who want to read signs and menus. Heritage learners reconnecting with the script. Anyone who has closed a flashcard app still unable to write a single Thai letter from memory. Start writing today. The first stroke is the hardest ā after that, it's surprisingly addictive. ąøąø±ąøąø©ąø£ą¹ąøąø¢ ā your Thai letters, in your own hand.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: AksonThai at 15.5 against Manuscript's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Manuscript sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and AksonThai sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Manuscript | AksonThai |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod ā better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.5 ā better |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 58 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Junaid Khan | Benjamin SZABO |
In-app purchases
Manuscript
- Manuscript+$5.991 Month
- Manuscript+7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Pencil Sharpener$2.99
- Gold Star$4.99
- Apple for Teacher$9.99
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- Standing Ovation$19.99
- Manuscript+ Lifetime$139.99
AksonThai
- AksonThai Pro$9.99









