Upon A Time vs ReadPals
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Upon A Time
This app creates personalized illustrated storybooks for children, allowing them to star in their own adventures. It adapts to various reading levels and incorporates phonics highlighting and read-to-me narration to build reading skills.
- Personalized story creation
- Adaptive reading levels
- Phonics highlighting
- Read-to-me narration
- Customizable characters
- Offline story access
Read full descriptionHide full description
Once upon a time, your child asked for a story about a dinosaur who lost his roar — and got a whole illustrated book about it, starring them. Then they read it aloud, all by themselves. Upon A Time creates personalized picture books that teach young children to read. Tell it who your little one is, pick a story idea together, and in about a minute the app writes, illustrates, and binds a brand-new book onto your family's shelf — written at exactly the level your child can decode. BUILT TO GROW READERS • Choose a reading level from first-words to confident reader; stories are written with the rhythm, repetition, and refrains that early-reader books use to make reading click • Phonics highlighting colors the sound patterns inside words • Tap any word to hear it spoken — curiosity becomes practice • Read to Me: a warm storyteller voice reads each page while every word lights up in turn, connecting sound to print THE WHOLE FAMILY CAN STAR • Build a cast: your child, siblings, grandparents — even the family dog • Add a photo or a short description so each character looks like themselves on every page, in every book • Stories weave in each character's name, age, and the things they love • Every book gets its own cover art and ends with a classic "The End" A REAL BOOK FEEL • Page-curl turns, two-page spreads in landscape, illustrations painted right into the page • Pages never turn by themselves; little hands stay in charge BUILT FOR FAMILIES • Your first 2 stories are free; a Story Pack adds 10 more with a simple one-time purchase — no subscription • Books live on your iPad or iPhone and work offline once created; narration is saved on-device, so favorite books replay instantly • Watch new books being made right on the shelf, and keep reading while you wait • No ads, no links, nothing to wander into — and it works with Guided Access, so story time stays story time Five minutes to a new book. A shelf full of stories where your child is the hero. A little reader who can't wait for the next page.
ReadPals
Read full descriptionHide full description
Reading practice should feel like play—and progress should mean something. ReadPals is a mastery-driven phonics app for emerging readers. It creates one lesson at a time from what the selected reader has demonstrated, so practice can introduce the next skill, strengthen a weak one, review at the right time, or verify what is truly known. WHAT READERS DO • Learn letter sounds and spelling patterns • Blend sounds into words • Read decodable words, sentences, and stories • Practice through varied, no-giveaway activities • Say sounds and words aloud in supported activities • Follow a playful journey with a friendly buddy and earned rewards FOR GROWN-UPS • Create separate reader profiles for your family • See the skills each reader has practiced and demonstrated • Understand what comes next and where support may help • Keep progress connected to the same evidence that plans future lessons ReadPals is designed for young learners, from first letter sounds through connected reading. Lessons are not fixed in advance: the app plans the next session after the current one is finished. A parent or guardian manages the account. Children do not create their own login. Some activities request microphone access so a reader can say a sound or word aloud for feedback. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: ReadPals at 15.0 against Upon A Time's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Upon A Time sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ReadPals sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Upon A Time ships an update every 11 days, ReadPals every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | Upon A Time | ReadPals |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Midhun Harikumar | Relay HQ LLC |
In-app purchases
Upon A Time
- Story Pack — 10 Stories$4.99
ReadPals
- ReadPals Individual · 1 reader7 Days trial$7.991 Month
- ReadPals Family · 4 readers7 Days trial$11.991 Month
- ReadPals Individual · 3 readers7 Days trial$13.991 Month
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- ReadPals Family · 5 readers7 Days trial$14.991 Month
- ReadPals Family · 6 readers7 Days trial$17.991 Month
- ReadPals Individual · 2 readers7 Days trial$84.991 Year
- ReadPals Family · 4 readers7 Days trial$89.991 Year
- ReadPals Individual · 3 readers7 Days trial$109.991 Year
- ReadPals Family · 5 readers7 Days trial$114.991 Year
- ReadPals Family · 6 readers7 Days trial$139.991 Year









