Comparison

Starfall vs Listen & Learn

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

Head to head
About

Starfall

This app offers engaging reading and math activities for children from preschool to 5th grade. It features games, songs, and interactive lessons designed by educators to support early literacy and numeracy skills. The platform also includes accessibility features for children with impairments.

Highlights
  • Reading phonics and fluency
  • Math concepts and operations
  • Interactive games and songs
  • Accessibility features
  • Sequential learning objectives
  • Holiday activities and sing-alongs
Features
Read full description

Starfall® fun activities, games, and songs includes reading, math, music, and more – read, learn, and play preschool to fifth grade. Includes free and subscriber content. Starfall provides an Enhanced Accessible Index for children with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments. For more information, please contact Customer Service at (+1) 303-417-6414. Join Zac the Rat® and his friends on an exciting learning journey, starting with the ABCs and 123s and advancing up to grade 5 grammar and mathematics. Starfall's playful open format intuitively guides children through sequential learning objectives for reading, math, art, music, and social subjects like kindness and caring. *Highlights* *Reading (phonics, fluency, grammar) -- ABCs, Learn to Read, I’m Reading, Talking Library, Punctuation, Parts of Speech *Math -- Numbers, Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication and Division, Geometry and Measurement, Fractions *More -- Holiday Activities, Nursery Rhymes, Sing-Alongs, Interactive Calendar *Why Starfall* *Research based, teacher tested, child approved. The Starfall® systematic approach was created by experienced educators using time-tested instructional methods. *Try it for free. All of the basics for learning how to read are available to everyone. *No advertisements. Whether a free user or subscriber, you won’t see any ads. *Pass it forward! Subscribers gain access to hundreds of additional activities and support the free sections for others to enjoy. *What people are saying about Starfall* Listed on PC Magazine’s “15 best Online Learning Services for Kids,” Think Five’s “Top 5 Most Used Apps by Elementary Teachers,” and as one Parent's Magazine's "70 Best Apps for Families." "Kids can learn about letter recognition, phonics, and reading. Skill acquisition is appropriately gradual... Starfall does an excellent job of offering clear and intriguing early literacy lessons." —Common Sense Media “I truly believe that Starfall set the foundation for my future.” —Sarah, undergraduate at Stanford University *Subscription information* If you choose to purchase a Starfall subscription, a $5.99 (USD) payment will be applied to your Apple ID account upon confirmation of purchase and monthly after that. Your subscription will automatically renew unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. This subscription is valid only for home use. It can be used on devices signed in with your Apple ID, as well as any associated Family Sharing devices. *Additional Info* This app requires an internet connection and is intended for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grades 1-5. It also supports English language development, special education, and homeschool environments. Privacy Policy: https://teach.starfall.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://teach.starfall.com/terms The Starfall website and applications are program services of Starfall Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) publicly supported nonprofit. Copyright © 2002–2024 by Starfall Education and its licensors. All rights reserved. Starfall® and Starfall.com® are registered trademarks in the U.S., the European Union, and various other countries.

About

Listen & Learn

This educational game helps children learn the sounds of common objects, vehicles, and animals through interactive play. It features over 100 colorful sounds and artwork across 12 categories, with a fun quiz to test their knowledge.

Highlights
  • 12 sound categories
  • Over 100 sounds and artwork
  • Interactive 'Which sound?' game
  • Real sound recordings
  • Colourful animated graphics
  • Child lock mechanism
Read full description

This simple fun game aims to help children learn the sounds of common objects, vehicles and popular animals. Clear and simple graphics are animated when each sound is heard. Users can select from 12 different categories such as Australian Animals, Domestic Animals, Farm Animals, Wild Animals, Orchestral Instruments, Musical Instruments, Weather, Transport Sounds, Safety Sounds, Household Sounds, Park Sounds and Garden Sounds. Over 100 original rich and colourful sounds and artwork. This Australian based app focuses on sounds heard in Australia, such as animals and safety sounds but also includes objects known anywhere. Included is a 'Which sound?' game for children to test their knowledge of sounds. A random sound is heard and the child has to select which sound they heard from a choice of 2 images. After 5 consecutive correct answers, they are rewarded with an animated firework celebration. This app was developed in cooperation with professionals in the field of hearing and vision impairment, and is compatible with iOS VoiceOver software. Careful consideration was taken with sounds used and images displayed on screen. Features: - 12 different categories of sounds - Randomised sounds each time - Australian sounds - 'Which sound?' game included - Real sound recordings - Colourful animated graphics Animal sounds in game: crocodile, dingo, emu, kangaroo, wombat, cockatoo, kookaburra, possum, cat, fish, hamster, mouse, parrot, puppy dog, snake, chicken, cow, dog, goat, goose, horse, pig, rooster, sheep, dolphins, elephant, hippo, hyena, lion, mountain lion, whale, zebra, bees, birds, crickets, frogs Instrument sounds in game: acoustic guitar, cymbal, didgeridoo, drums, electric guitar, harmonica, pan flute, sax, samba shakers, clarinet, flute, harp, piano, trombone, trumpet, violin Other sounds in game: digging, lawnmower, shed door, water splash, alarm clock, bath, dishes, doorbell, kettle, microwave, phone, tv, washing machine, bike bell, boat, bus, car horn, helicopter, motorbike, plane, train, truck, ambulance, fire alarm, fire truck, pedestrian crossing, police, smoke alarm, traffic, train crossing, hail, heavy rain, lightning, snow, sunny, thunder, windy Includes a 'parent gate' child lock mechanism, so whilst children are using 'Listen & Learn' they cannot access links that allow you to leave app.

Screenshots

Starfall4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Listen & Learn at 5.0 against Starfall's 4.1. Listen & Learn also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). Starfall's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (4.4K vs 1). On price and ads 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. Starfall sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Listen & Learn asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Listen & Learn holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Starfall has 4.4K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Starfall ships an update every 2 months, Listen & Learn every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Starfall versus Listen & Learn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarfallListen & Learn
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (4.4K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings4.4K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS15.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size155 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStarfall Education FoundationRoyal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children

Customer experience

Starfall

All ratings4,382 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral6.5%
Negative18.5%
Written reviews296 reviews
Positive72.6%
Neutral8.4%
Negative18.9%

Listen & Learn

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Starfall

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Subscription issues and trouble logging in
  • Freezing and crashing on certain devices
  • Glitches in specific games and activities
  • Compatibility problems with newer OS versions
  • Incorrect pronunciation of numbers and dates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more advanced content for older kids
  • Improve accessibility for visually impaired users
  • Provide offline mode for use without internet
  • Allow customization of character and settings
  • Integrate with other educational platforms

Listen & Learn

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Starfall

Subscriptions1
  • Starfall Monthly$5.991 Month
None

Listen & Learn

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Starfall free?
Starfall is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Listen & Learn free?
Listen & Learn is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Starfall or Listen & Learn?
Listen & Learn is rated higher. Starfall averages 4.1 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while Listen & Learn averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Starfall or Listen & Learn have ads?
Neither Starfall nor Listen & Learn shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Starfall or Listen & Learn?
Starfall ships an update every 2 months, and Listen & Learn every 11 months. Most recently, Starfall was updated on October 29, 2026 and Listen & Learn on October 21, 2026.

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