ELSB Lite vs Matchpix
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ELSB Lite
This app provides systematic instruction for print and phonemic awareness, featuring seven levels and ongoing assessments for personalized student progress. Research supports its effectiveness as a literacy program.
- Systematic print and phonemic awareness instruction
- Seven distinct learning levels
- Ongoing student assessments
- Personalized progress tracking
- Research-backed effectiveness
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The Early Literacy Skills Builder app incorporates systematic instruction to teach both print and phonemic awareness. ELSB is a multi-year program with seven distinct levels and ongoing assessments so students progress at their own pace. Note: This free version comes with level 1 - Lesson 1 and Level 5 - lesson 1. Full levels can be purchased from the in-app store. Five years of solid research have been completed through the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, proving ELSB to be a highly effective literacy program and more effective than a sight-word only program. ELSB is based upon the principles of systematic and direct instruction. It incorporates scripted lessons, least-prompt strategies, teachable objectives, built-in lesson repetition, and ongoing assessments. The seven ELSB levels contain five structured lessons each. All students begin at Level 1. Instruction is one-on-one or in small groups. Teach scripted lessons daily in two 30-minute sessions. On the completion of each level, formal assessments are given. ELSB includes everything you need to implement a multi-year literacy curriculum.
Matchpix
This app facilitates interactive remote and in-person therapy sessions for children, allowing therapists and multiple children to engage with shared materials simultaneously. It offers various practice modes focused on specific sounds and words, designed for speech therapy and educational support.
- Interactive remote and in-person therapy
- Shared materials for therapist and children
- Targeted sound and word practice
- Eight different practice activities
- Supports up to six children per session
- Session scheduling and on-the-spot start
- Parent profiles for between-session practice
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Welcome to Matchpix Matchpix makes remote therapy, site-based therapy, and screenings interactive and collaborative. The therapist and every child see each other on live video and play the same materials at the same time, in the same environment — so a session works the same whether everyone is in one room or spread across a district. Built around the sounds you are working on Choose a target sound, then choose the position — beginning, middle, or end of the word. Every activity draws from that selection, so practice stays on goal instead of on whatever the deck happened to contain. Eight ways to practice the same sound • Match Game — flip cards, find pairs, say the word • Drill Cards — one target sound at a time, at your pace • Fluency Challenges — word to conversation, said your smoothest way • Race to the Finish — say the word, move your penguin, reach the flag • Treasure Hunt — say the word, dig a spot, uncover the treasure • Hidden Picture — say the word, lift a tile, reveal the surprise • Sequencing Stories — put the cards in order and tell the story • Spin the Wheel — give it a spin and say whatever it lands on The therapist switches between activities inside the same session, without anyone rejoining or losing their place. Made for how therapists actually work • Up to six children in a session, with turns handled for you • Schedule sessions ahead or start one on the spot • Children join with a short code — no account needed for them • Deck size and word list are yours to set before you start • Schools and districts can invite therapists and manage their own rosters For families Parents can set up profiles for their children and practise between sessions. Plans and remote-session minutes Choose a monthly Family or Therapist subscription with in-app purchases. The Family plan includes local practice and joining a therapist's remote session. The Therapist plan includes local practice and tools to host remote sessions; remote-session minutes are purchased separately in one-time packs of 300, 900, 2,400, or 6,000 minutes. Local play does not use remote-session minutes. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Monthly subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings. Eligible new subscribers can receive a 7-day free trial; any unused trial period is forfeited when a subscription is purchased. Prices and eligibility are shown before you confirm. Minute packs are one-time purchases and do not renew. Existing subscribers can sign in to use their plan. Use Restore Purchases on the Plan & minutes screen to restore an Apple subscription. Matchpix is a practice and engagement tool. It is not a medical device and does not provide clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Decisions about a child's care remain with the treating clinician and the parent or guardian. Questions? support@playmatchpix.com Privacy Policy — https://playmatchpix.com/privacy Terms of Use — https://playmatchpix.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Matchpix at 100% against ELSB Lite's 50%. Matchpix also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). ELSB Lite's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, ratings volume, 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. ELSB Lite sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Matchpix sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ELSB Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 6 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of ELSB Lite's written reviews are positive against 100% of Matchpix's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
ELSB Lite ships an update every 2 months, Matchpix every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ELSB Lite | Matchpix |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better | 4.5 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 236 MB | 129 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Attainment Company | Fireburd Productions, LLC |
Customer experience
ELSB Lite
Matchpix
In-app purchases
ELSB Lite
- Level 1$21.99
- Level 2$21.99
- Level 3$21.99
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- Level 4$21.99
- Level 5$21.99
- Level 6$21.99
- Level 7$21.99
Matchpix
- Sound$29.99









