Comparison

Spelling Test vs SpellOwl

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

Head to head
About

Spelling Test

Features
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Practice for the next school spelling test with the words your child actually needs to learn. Add the class list, then let your child listen, write, replay and check at their own paceβ€”without you reading every word aloud. NATURAL VOICES, LESS PARENT DICTATION Natural-sounding AI voices read your list aloud. Replay a tricky word whenever needed. Use paper and pencil with iPhone, or write in the app on iPad. Speech is AI-generated, not human recordings. UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HEAR Optional context hints read a short meaning or example with the word. Practise in 12 languages; the interface follows your device language. Change the practice language manually when a short word is ambiguous. GIVE MISSED WORDS ANOTHER TRY Mark words you missed and keep them in the review list. Practise selected words again instead of repeating everything. Save school lists for the next homework session. LISTEN, WRITE, CHECK On iPhone, listen and write in an exercise book or on paper. Replay a word when needed, move to the next word when ready, and reveal the answer to check your work. On iPad, you can also write in the app with Apple Pencil or your finger; optional trace letters provide a guide. BRING YOUR SCHOOL WORDS Type a teacher’s word list or use photo scanning to bring words into practice. Check the recognised text before starting, and save custom lists to use again. Spelling homework should not have to wait until someone is free to read the words aloud. Spell-Up helps school-age students practise listening and writing independently, using the words they actually need for class. Designed for students and families building an independent homework routineβ€”not a replacement for teaching or a guaranteed improvement in grades. Photo recognition and voice availability vary by language and device. Includes a limited trial; continued access requires a purchase. WORD LISTS FOR SCHOOL PRACTICE Bring the exact words assigned at school, save your own lists, or choose from the built-in collections. The English library includes Dolch sight words, Fry high-frequency words, grade-based spelling collections and themed lists. Practice is available in 12 languages, so students can also use word lists in another supported school language. Built-in levels and lists are practice resources, not official curriculum-matched textbook editions. Privacy Policy: https://spell-up-privacy.chaohsiaokuang.chatgpt.site Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

SpellOwl

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Spelling test practice built from your child's own weekly list. Photograph the list once, and SpellOwl turns it into a short daily practice your child can do on their own. THE FRIDAY RITUAL Most weeks run the same way: the list comes home, the test follows a few days later, and the evenings in between are spent calling words out across the kitchen. SpellOwl takes that job. Your child listens, spells, and sees straight away how it went. By test day you both already know which words are ready. ONE PHOTO STARTS THE WEEK Point the camera at the list. The words are read from the photo, and you check every one of them before your child sees anything. A word misread? Fix it in a tap, remove it, or add one the scan missed. No list in hand yet? Type the words in, or start from a ready-made list included in the app. WORD, SENTENCE, WORD That is how the test is given at school, and that is how the practice runs. Your child hears the word, hears it used in a short sentence, hears the word again, then spells it on a keyboard built for spelling. The sentence is what makes "there", "their" and "they're" tell themselves apart out loud. YOU ARE IN CHARGE The account is the parent's, and the parent area is behind a 4-digit code. You approve every word and every sentence before your child practices them. You see the one number that matters: how many of this week's words are ready. Your child sees stars and encouragement, never a mark. WHAT SPELLOWL DOES NOT DO No ads, ever. No birthdate, no age, no real name: a child profile holds a nickname and a school level, nothing else. No chat, no open text box, no way for a child to send a message to anything. We do not sell your data, or your child's. BUILT FOR YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEM Pick United States grades or United Kingdom years at setup, and the level names, the spelling vocabulary and the practice voice follow. Ready-made lists include Dolch and Fry high-frequency words, and the statutory word lists of the National Curriculum in England, so the app is useful before the first photo. SUBSCRIPTION First-time subscribers get a 7-day free trial, everything included. After the trial, SpellOwl requires a subscription: SpellOwl Yearly: 39.99 USD per year, full access for one year SpellOwl Monthly: 4.99 USD per month, full access for one month Prices are in US dollars. Your local price is shown in the App Store before you confirm. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically at the same price unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal in your App Store account settings after purchase. Any unused part of a free trial is forfeited when a subscription is purchased. Terms of Use: https://www.spellowl.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.spellowl.com/privacy Questions, or a sentence that reads wrong: contact@spellowl.com

Screenshots

Spelling Test4 screens
SpellOwl4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Spelling Test at weekly against SpellOwl's every 3 weeks. SpellOwl's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Spelling Test sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and SpellOwl 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

Spelling Test ships an update weekly, SpellOwl every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Spelling Test versus SpellOwl: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpelling TestSpellOwl
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeekly β€” betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.615.1 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size4 MB42 MB
Age rating9+4+
Developerζ™“ε…‰ θ΅΅Thomas Fontaine

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Spelling Test

Subscriptions2
  • Spell-Up Plus Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Spell-Up Plus Annual$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$14.99
2 purchases

SpellOwl

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Spelling Test free?
Spelling Test is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SpellOwl free?
SpellOwl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Spelling Test or SpellOwl have ads?
Neither Spelling Test nor SpellOwl shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spelling Test or SpellOwl?
Spelling Test ships an update weekly, and SpellOwl every 3 weeks. Most recently, Spelling Test was updated on November 10, 2026 and SpellOwl on November 6, 2026.

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