# Read Live vs Imagine Learning Student

The clearest difference is rating: Read Live at 5.0 against Imagine Learning Student's 3.2. Imagine Learning Student's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (1K vs 1). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Read Live holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Imagine Learning Student has 1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of Read Live's written reviews are positive against 36% of Imagine Learning Student's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Read Live ships an update every 4 months, Imagine Learning Student fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on June 4, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Read Live | Imagine Learning Student |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-live/id821028327/reviews)** | [3.2 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imagine-learning-student/id1287671630/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **1K** |
| Positive reviews | 28.6% of reviews | **36.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 11 MB | 85 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.3 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Read Naturally, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/465317542) | [Imagine Learning, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/395395620) |

## What reviewers say

### Read Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-live/id821028327)

This app provides a structured, audio-supported system to improve reading fluency, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension for learners of all ages. It offers access to four distinct curriculum options, including support for Spanish readers, and tracks student progress across devices. A Read Live account is required to use the program.

**Highlights:** Four curriculum options, Audio-supported system, Develops reading fluency, Improves comprehension, Tracks student progress, Spanish reading support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Imagine Learning Student

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imagine-learning-student/id1287671630)

This app provides interactive language and literacy instruction for students from Pre-K to 6th grade. It offers a personalized learning path with thousands of engaging activities to improve reading, vocabulary, and spelling skills. It requires a site code from a school or district to function.

**Highlights:** Interactive language and literacy instruction, Personalized learning paths, Thousands of engaging activities, Focus on letters, phonological awareness, reading, and vocabulary, Develops reading comprehension and spelling skills, Learn to read over 250 books and articles

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun and engaging
- 🎓 Educational and helpful for learning
- 👍 Good for distance/online learning
- 🎨 Customizable avatar

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🕰️ Time-consuming and repetitive
- 🤔 Outdated and babyish for older students
- 🤯 Frustrating and not helpful for learning
- 🔇 Annoying audio/voice

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and log-outs
- Incorrect scoring/grading in activities
- Compatibility issues on certain devices
- Syncing/progress issues when switching devices

**Requested features**

- More engaging and challenging content for older students
- Improved stability and fewer bugs
- Faster pacing and less repetition
- Better customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Read Live free?

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

### Is Imagine Learning Student free?

Imagine Learning Student is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Read Live or Imagine Learning Student?

Read Live is rated higher. Read Live averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Imagine Learning Student averages 3.2 from 1K ratings.

### Do Read Live or Imagine Learning Student have ads?

Neither Read Live nor Imagine Learning Student shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Read Live or Imagine Learning Student?

Read Live ships an update every 4 months, and Imagine Learning Student fortnightly. Most recently, Read Live was updated on June 4, 2026 and Imagine Learning Student on September 18, 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.*