# Starfall vs Learn to Read

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Learn to Read at none against Starfall's 1. Learn to Read also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and chart position (#195 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Starfall sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Learn to Read asks for nothing beyond the download.

Learn to Read holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.4K and 3.8K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of Starfall's written reviews are positive against 67% of Learn to Read's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Starfall ships an update every 2 months, Learn to Read every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Starfall | Learn to Read |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (4.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starfall/id707189889/reviews) | **[4.3 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-to-read-duolingo-abc/id1440502568/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.4K** | 3.8K |
| Positive reviews | **74.1% of reviews** | 67.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#195** |
| Size | 155 MB | 212 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Starfall Education Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1771099820) | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) |

## What reviewers say

### Starfall

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starfall/id707189889)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starfall Monthly | $5.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy and fun learning
- 🎨 Engaging activities and games
- 🧠 Helps with reading, math, and more
- 🌟 Nostalgic childhood memories
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Great for kids of all ages

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Limited free content, requires subscription
- 🔒 Difficulty managing parental controls
- 🐛 Technical issues like crashes and freezes
- 📱 Compatibility problems on mobile devices
- 🔍 Repetitive content and lack of updates

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Learn to Read

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-to-read-duolingo-abc/id1440502568)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

This app provides interactive stories and over 700 hands-on lessons designed to help children from preschool to second grade learn to read. It focuses on phonics, sight words, and vocabulary through engaging, multi-sensory activities and mini-games, all in a kid-safe, ad-free environment.

**Highlights:** Interactive stories, Over 700 hands-on lessons, Phonics and sight word learning, Vocabulary building, Multi-sensory activities, Mini-games and rewards, Offline learning

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for kids with autism
- 👍 Engaging and fun for young learners
- 👍 Helps with speech and language development
- 👍 Effective for teaching reading and writing
- 👍 Free and ad-free app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent voice recognition
- 🐛 Allows incorrect answers to be marked as correct
- 🐛 Levels can get repetitive
- 🐛 Difficulty settings not customizable
- 🐛 Progress not saved properly

**Reported bugs**

- Levels getting stuck on certain content
- App crashing or freezing
- Login/password reset issues
- Incorrect information in some stories

**Requested features**

- Add more languages beyond English
- Introduce British English accent option
- Provide progress tracking and analytics for parents
- Offer more advanced content for older kids
- Add math and other subject areas


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Starfall free?

Starfall is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Learn to Read free?

Learn to Read is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Starfall or Learn to Read?

Learn to Read is rated higher. Starfall averages 4.1 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while Learn to Read averages 4.3 from 3.8K ratings.

### Do Starfall or Learn to Read have ads?

Neither Starfall nor Learn to Read shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Starfall or Learn to Read?

Starfall ships an update every 2 months, and Learn to Read every 10 days. Most recently, Starfall was updated on October 24, 2026 and Learn to Read on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*