# Phonics Puzzles vs Jolly Phonics Pro

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Phonics Puzzles at 100% against Jolly Phonics Pro's 35%. Phonics Puzzles also leads on price (Free vs $49.99) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). Jolly Phonics Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Phonics Puzzles is free to download; Jolly Phonics Pro costs $49.99 up front. Phonics Puzzles sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Jolly Phonics Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

Phonics Puzzles holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Jolly Phonics Pro has 232 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Phonics Puzzles's written reviews are positive against 35% of Jolly Phonics Pro's.

Phonics Puzzles ships an update every 4 months, Jolly Phonics Pro every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phonics Puzzles | Jolly Phonics Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $49.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonics-puzzles/id876490702/reviews)** | [4.5 (232 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jolly-phonics-pro/id1242383996/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **232** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 35.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 72 MB | 227 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bram Van Damme](https://appshunter.io/developer/358457627) | [Jolly Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/897894555) |

## What reviewers say

### Phonics Puzzles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phonics-puzzles/id876490702)

This educational app helps children master the 42 phonetic sounds of English through interactive puzzles. It offers customizable gameplay with options for specific phonics groups or randomized challenges, supporting British, American, and Australian English pronunciations.

**Highlights:** Jolly Phonics system integration, British, American, Australian English options, Over 160 phonics puzzles, Play by group or randomized, Lowercase and uppercase character choice, Vibrant graphics and child-friendly interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


### Jolly Phonics Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jolly-phonics-pro/id1242383996)

This interactive app helps children develop reading and writing skills through a science-based phonics approach. It features engaging songs, actions, and games to make learning fun and effective for home or classroom use.

**Highlights:** Learn all 42 letter sounds, Animated letter formation for handwriting, Interactive flashcards and wordbanks, Progress tracking and assessments, Songs and actions for multisensory learning

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for learning phonics
- 👍 Helps children learn letters and words
- 👍 Addictive yet educational
- 👍 Good for non-native English speakers
- 👍 Interactive and fun

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 No sound for some letters/words
- 🐛 Paid version offers no added value over free
- 🐛 Expensive for limited content
- 🐛 Poor implementation and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after purchase
- App shows blank page
- App has no sound
- Sounds stop working after a few games
- Some sounds are missing (e.g., 'oa', 'ue', 'ow')

**Requested features**

- Add more phonic groups
- Allow tapping stories to be read aloud
- Option to choose different speaking speeds
- Add interactive word bank
- Support for family sharing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phonics Puzzles free?

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

### Is Jolly Phonics Pro free?

Jolly Phonics Pro costs $49.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Phonics Puzzles or Jolly Phonics Pro?

Phonics Puzzles is rated higher. Phonics Puzzles averages 5.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Jolly Phonics Pro averages 4.5 from 232 ratings.

### Do Phonics Puzzles or Jolly Phonics Pro have ads?

Phonics Puzzles shows ads; Jolly Phonics Pro does not.

### Which is updated more often, Phonics Puzzles or Jolly Phonics Pro?

Phonics Puzzles ships an update every 4 months, and Jolly Phonics Pro every 3 months. Most recently, Phonics Puzzles was updated on June 10, 2026 and Jolly Phonics Pro on September 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.*