Comparison

Starfall It's Fun to Read vs HeroPal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Starfall It's Fun to Read

This app offers a free selection of reading activities designed to teach foundational reading skills. It features interactive games, stories, and creative exercises that make learning to read enjoyable for young children. The app requires no internet connection and can model fluent reading with an optional AutoRead feature.

Highlights
  • Interactive reading games
  • Creative activities
  • Poetry and tongue twisters
  • Riddle solving
  • Optional AutoRead feature
  • Offline access
Features
Read full description

Starfall® Fun to Read is the third step of Starfall’s Learn to Read phonics sequence, which teaches the foundational skills for learning to read. Step 1: ABCs Step 2: Learn to Read Step 3: It’s Fun to Read Step 4: I’m Reading! With a basic understanding of letter-sound relationships from ABCs and Learn to Read steps, children are ready to explore a variety of genres and topics that will expand their vocabulary, comprehension, and world knowledge. In Starfall Fun to Read, children can learn about famous artists, experiment with mixing colors, discover the lives of famous musicians, and engage with literary forms like poetry, tongue twisters, and riddles. By connecting these interactive experiences with written words, young readers build the confidence and curiosity necessary to become lifelong learners. Travel-ready. No internet connection required. Find Starfall It’s Fun to Read, along with 700+ additional activities and counting across reading, math, music, and more in the Starfall app. The Starfall website and applications are program services of Starfall Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) publicly supported nonprofit organization. Starfall® and Starfall.com® are registered trademarks in the US, the European Union, and various other countries. Copyright © 2002–2026 by Starfall Education. All rights reserved. Starfall apps are inclusively designed to support all children, including English Language Learners (ELLs). Starfall also provides an Enhanced Accessible Index for children with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments. For more information, please contact Customer Service at (+1) 303-417-6414.

About

HeroPal

Features
Read full description

HeroPal is your virtual parenting assistant. Every day it prepares a personalised programme for your 2–7 year old, built around their age, their interests and the time you have. START IN 2 MINUTES • Answer a few questions about your child and get the whole week ready • Swipe left or right to pick the foods they love, like a game • Get the first activity and the first story straight away WHAT YOU GET EVERY DAY • The day's schedule, from morning to night: the hero routine, gym, meals, activities and the evening • 140+ games and activities with things you have at home, explained step by step, with a timer • A bedtime story about your child's day, read by the character they choose, who calls them by name • The right bedtime and the evening routine WEEKLY MENU • Meals for the whole family, free of your child's allergens • Step-by-step recipes and the child's portion • The shopping list writes itself YOUR CHILD'S HERO • Picture routines: waking up, teeth, getting dressed, bedtime • The hero levels up with every successful day FOR YOU • 2–3 minute lessons on emotions, sleep, tantrums and language, with a quiz • Evening check-in: 3 taps and tomorrow's plan adapts • Places to go out near you (parks, playgrounds, indoor play centres, libraries), chosen by the weather • Your child's book: their photos and words, gathered into a printable PDF Available in English, Spanish, German, French and Romanian. Photos stay on your phone. HeroPal does not replace your doctor, psychologist or speech therapist. SUBSCRIPTION HeroPal Premium is paid through your Apple account: yearly or monthly, at the price shown in the app. The subscription renews automatically unless you cancel it at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage it in Settings › Apple ID › Subscriptions. Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://web-production-ea222.up.railway.app/confidentialitate

Screenshots

Starfall It's Fun to Read4 screens
HeroPal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Starfall It's Fun to Read at none against HeroPal's 2. Starfall It's Fun to Read also leads on device support (3 vs 1). HeroPal's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 21 months). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. HeroPal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Starfall It's Fun to Read asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Starfall It's Fun to Read ships an update every 21 months, HeroPal every 2 days. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Starfall It's Fun to Read versus HeroPal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarfall It's Fun to ReadHeroPal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (49 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews70.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings49 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 21 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB98 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStarfall Education FoundationCATALIN PINTEA

In-app purchases

None

Starfall It's Fun to Read

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

HeroPal

Subscriptions2
  • HeroPal Premium – Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • HeroPal Premium – Yearly7 Days trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is Starfall It's Fun to Read free?
Starfall It's Fun to Read is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HeroPal free?
HeroPal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Starfall It's Fun to Read or HeroPal have ads?
Neither Starfall It's Fun to Read nor HeroPal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Starfall It's Fun to Read or HeroPal?
Starfall It's Fun to Read ships an update every 21 months, and HeroPal every 2 days. Most recently, Starfall It's Fun to Read was updated on November 6, 2026 and HeroPal on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons