Comparison

Letterly vs VCA Start

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

Head to head
About

Letterly

This app helps young children learn to write by tracing basic strokes, letters, syllables, and numbers. It offers a distraction-free environment with no timers or ads, and includes a creative drawing mode. The app works offline and focuses on building good writing habits.

Highlights
  • Tracing basic strokes
  • Learning letters and numbers
  • Practicing syllables and words
  • Creative drawing mode
  • Offline functionality
  • Distraction-free learning
Read full description

Letterly is handwriting practice for children aged 3 to 7. A child traces a letter with a finger, the app shows where the line went off, and counts how much was written correctly. THREE LANGUAGES IN ONE NOTEBOOK • English: print and cursive letters, syllables, words • Russian: print and cursive letters, syllables, joins, words, names, phrases, sentences • Chinese: the eight basic strokes, 178 HSK 1 characters, numbers The writing language and the app language are chosen separately: the menu can stay in English while the child writes in Chinese. When the two differ, the app glosses the sign so you can see what you are writing — and a character carries its reading too: 好 — hǎo · good. WHAT IS INSIDE • Basics: lines, hooks and ovals — where the hand starts • Letters: print and cursive, uppercase and lowercase • Words: syllables, joins and ten themes, from fruit to transport • Numbers: 0 to 9 • Notebook: a full ruled page, line after line • Sketchbook: free drawing, no tasks and no scores • From memory: the model disappears and the child writes on their own More than 1100 signs across all three languages. HOW IT WORKS Every sign is open from the start — a child begins with any letter instead of walking the alphabet in order. Writing unlocks pencils and paper: 21 of them, from a blue pencil to lightning, galaxy and a school blackboard. They are unlocked by writing, and the count is shared across languages. STRAIGHT ABOUT PURCHASES The download is free. Basics, all print letters, numbers and the beginning of every cursive section are free — more than 200 signs. The full version is a single one-time purchase. There are no subscriptions. FOR PARENTS • No ads and no subscriptions • No sign-up and no accounts • All content ships inside the app — no internet needed • No third-party content from the web and no links into advertising

About

VCA Start

Features
Read full description

Practice exams that closely resemble the real VCA exam, in all 19 VCA languages and with a read-aloud function. They work like the real exam: the same number of questions, the same time limit and the same way of scoring. WHAT YOU GET • 5 full practice exams per package • B-VCA: 40 questions per exam, VOL-VCA: 60 questions, 60 minutes • All question types used in the exam: one or more correct answers, yes/no per statement, matching and ordering • Your result at the end, with the correct answer and a short explanation for every question • Score per topic, so you can see what to practise next IN YOUR LANGUAGE • B-VCA in 19 languages, VOL-VCA in Dutch, English, German and French • Every question, answer and explanation is read aloud by a clear voice • Choose your reading speed TRY IT FIRST Try 5 free sample questions, no purchase needed. If you like it, buy a package per exam type and language. You get 4 weeks of access. No subscription. An internet connection is needed to practise. VCA Start is a practice app and not an official app of VCA or SSVV. The questions were written by us based on the public exam requirements; they are not real exam questions.

Screenshots

Letterly4 screens
VCA Start4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: VCA Start at fortnightly against Letterly's every 6 weeks. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Letterly sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and VCA Start sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Letterly ships an update every 6 weeks, VCA Start fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Letterly versus VCA Start: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLetterlyVCA Start
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB57 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDaniel OnishchenkoMustafa Ozen

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Letterly

One-time10
  • Тетрадь в клетку$0.99
  • Тетрадь в линейку$0.99
  • Тетрадь зеленая доска$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Тетрадь крафтовая бумага$0.99
  • Тетрадь космос$0.99
  • Тетрадь ночное небо$0.99
  • Тетрадь Бетон$0.99
  • Тетрадь кирпич$0.99
  • Тетрадь школьная доска$0.99
  • Все карандаши и фоны$1.99
10 purchases

VCA Start

One-time10
  • VOL-VCA Dutch – 4 weeks$12.99
  • B-VCA Polish – 4 weeks$17.99
  • B-VCA Portuguese – 4 weeks$17.99
Show 7 more
  • B-VCA Slovak – 4 weeks$17.99
  • B-VCA Ukrainian – 4 weeks$17.99
  • B-VCA Russian – 4 weeks$17.99
  • B-VCA Turkish – 4 weeks$17.99
  • VOL-VCA French – 4 weeks$17.99
  • VOL-VCA German – 4 weeks$17.99
  • VOL-VCA English – 4 weeks$17.99

Questions

Is Letterly free?
Letterly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is VCA Start free?
VCA Start is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Letterly or VCA Start have ads?
Neither Letterly nor VCA Start shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Letterly or VCA Start?
Letterly ships an update every 6 weeks, and VCA Start fortnightly. Most recently, Letterly was updated on November 9, 2026 and VCA Start on October 31, 2026.

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