# Reading Eggs vs Short Vowel Word Study

The clearest difference is price: Reading Eggs at Free against Short Vowel Word Study's $3.99. Reading Eggs also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.9) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 9 months). Short Vowel Word Study's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Reading Eggs is free to download; Short Vowel Word Study costs $3.99 up front. Reading Eggs sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Short Vowel Word Study asks for nothing beyond the download.

Reading Eggs holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reading Eggs has 7.5K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 55% and 56% positive.

Reading Eggs ships an update every 4 weeks, Short Vowel Word Study every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reading Eggs | Short Vowel Word Study |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (7.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-eggs-learn-to-read/id726696040/reviews)** | [2.9 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/short-vowel-word-study/id919696645/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.5K** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 54.7% of reviews | **55.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#133** | — |
| Size | 97 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blake eLearning](https://appshunter.io/developer/530378341) | [This Reading Mama, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1169090181) |

## What reviewers say

### Reading Eggs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-eggs-learn-to-read/id726696040)

**Currently charting:** #133 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

This program helps children aged 2-13 develop reading and math skills through interactive games, lessons, and e-books. It offers a comprehensive curriculum based on scientific research, designed by educators to foster phonics, comprehension, and numeracy.

**Highlights:** Interactive reading games, Guided reading lessons, Over 4,000 e-books, Phonics and comprehension focus, Early numeracy skills, Progress tracking dashboard

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reading Eggs Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Reading Eggs+Mathseeds Monthly | $13.99 | per month |
| Reading Eggs Yearly | $69.99 | per year |
| Reading Eggs+Mathseeds Yearly | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for learning
- 👍 Fun and engaging
- 💡 Helpful for homeschooling
- 🚀 Effective for teaching reading
- 👍 Motivating with rewards and progress tracking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 🐛 Sound cuts out randomly
- 🐛 Glitchy performance on some devices
- 🐛 Placement tests don't always accurately assess level
- 🐛 Inability to correct mistakes in some activities

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and account problems
- Incompatibility with certain iOS versions
- Lessons not saving progress properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to disable background music
- More content for older kids
- Improved multi-user management
- Offline mode for lessons
- Better integration with school curriculum


### Short Vowel Word Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/short-vowel-word-study/id919696645)

This app teaches children spelling patterns for short vowel words using a research-based approach. It offers hands-on activities like sorting, finding, spelling, and writing words to reinforce learning. A parent section explains the methodology, and a bonus game section provides fun reinforcement.

**Highlights:** Word sorting activities, Phonics pattern analysis, Interactive spelling games, Letter tile manipulation, Tracing and writing words, Parental theory explanation, Bonus word fun games

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reading Eggs free?

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

### Is Short Vowel Word Study free?

Short Vowel Word Study costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Reading Eggs or Short Vowel Word Study?

Reading Eggs is rated higher. Reading Eggs averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7.5K ratings, while Short Vowel Word Study averages 2.9 from 12 ratings.

### Do Reading Eggs or Short Vowel Word Study have ads?

Neither Reading Eggs nor Short Vowel Word Study shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Reading Eggs or Short Vowel Word Study?

Reading Eggs ships an update every 4 weeks, and Short Vowel Word Study every 9 months. Most recently, Reading Eggs was updated on November 1, 2026 and Short Vowel Word Study on October 9, 2026.

---

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