Comparison

Phonics Match vs Jolly Phonics Pro

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

Head to head
About

Phonics Match

This educational game helps children master the 42 phonetic sounds of English using the Jolly Phonics system. It offers matching games with vibrant cards, supporting British, American, and Australian English pronunciations. Designed for young learners, it enhances cognitive skills through playful interaction.

Highlights
  • Jolly Phonics system based
  • British, American, Australian English options
  • Over 180 phonics word cards
  • Match by group or randomized
  • Rewarding sticker board
  • Lowercase, uppercase, or mixed options
  • Vibrant graphics and child-friendly interface
Features
Read full description

Explore the world of Jolly Phonics with Phonics Match, available in native British, American, and Australian English. This engaging educational tool focuses on mastering the 42 distinct phonetic sounds of the English language rather than the conventional alphabet. Phonics Match is thoughtfully designed to familiarize children with the intricacies of English phonetics. Through the combination of matching pairs and phonics, the game contributes to the enhancement of cognitive skills in a delightful and playful manner. Featuring a vibrant array of cards, the game offers options for matching pairs within specific phonics groups or engaging in a fully randomized game. Key Features: • Based on the Jolly Phonics system, as published by Jolly Learning Ltd. • Options for British, Australian, or American English with accurate native pronunciations. • Over 180 phonics word cards covering all 42 jolly phonics sounds. • Play a mixed phonics game or play by group. • Includes a fun rewarding sticker board. • Choose between lowercase, uppercase or mixed. • Vibrant graphics and a user-friendly interface tailored for children. • Optimized for devices running iOS 12.0 or higher.

About

Jolly Phonics Pro

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
Read full description

Teach Your Child to Read and Write with Jolly Phonics! Unlock your child’s reading and writing potential with the literacy app trusted by parents and teachers worldwide. Aligned with the Science of Reading, this interactive app makes learning to read and write fun and engaging, and is ideal for home or classroom use! Jolly Phonics focuses on direct, explicit instruction of phonemic awareness and phonics for both reading (decoding) and writing (encoding). Scientific research has consistently shown phonemic awareness to be essential for building strong reading and writing skills. 
 Why Choose Jolly Phonics? • Proven Success: Used in schools globally for over 30 years – with proven literacy outcomes. • Science-Based Approach: Aligned with the Science of Reading to ensure kids build effective foundational reading skills. • Engaging & Multi-Sensory: Songs, actions and interactive games bring phonics learning to life! Key Features That Make Learning Easy and Fun: • Explore All 42 Letter Sounds: Free audio and songs to help kids learn every sound. • Animated Letter Formation: Develop strong handwriting skills with step-by-step visual animations. • Interactive Learning Tools: Flashcards, wordbanks and action images to enhance and support every lesson. • 7 Educational Games (paid version): Turn reading and writing practice into play with fun phonics games that reinforce kids’ learning. • Progress Tracking: Built-in assessments to monitor children’s progress and celebrate achievements. Who Is It For? This literacy app is ideal for parents, teachers and kids looking for a structured, fun and proven approach to learning to read and write. Start Your Kid’s Phonics Journey Today! Join the millions of families and educators who have embraced the Jolly Phonics programme of learning for confident readers and writers. Whether at home or in the classroom, this app makes literacy learning simple, effective and enjoyable! Download now and see how Jolly Phonics can transform your child’s literacy learning! 
 What's New in This Version?

Screenshots

Phonics Match4 screens
Jolly Phonics Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Phonics Match at 100% against Jolly Phonics Pro's 34%. Phonics Match 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.

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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Phonics Match 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 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Phonics Match's written reviews are positive against 34% of Jolly Phonics Pro's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phonics Match ships an update every 6 months, Jolly Phonics Pro every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Phonics Match versus Jolly Phonics Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhonics MatchJolly Phonics Pro
PriceFree — better$49.99
Rating5.0 (6 ratings) — better4.5 (232 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better34.0% of reviews
Number of ratings6232 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB227 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBram Van DammeJolly Learning

Customer experience

Phonics Match

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Jolly Phonics Pro

All ratings232 ratings
Positive90.1%
Neutral3.0%
Negative6.9%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive34.0%
Neutral14.0%
Negative52.0%

Bugs and requests

Phonics Match

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Jolly Phonics Pro

Reported bugs

18 issues
  • 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')
Show 13 more
  • App freezes when repeatedly playing a sound
  • Flashcards are not working
  • Letter sounds get stuck and screen freezes
  • Print letters not showing up correctly
  • Formation part shows cursive writing even when print is selected
  • Blending activities have issues with two-letter sounds
  • Finger tracing has multiple issues
  • App not working with some pronunciations (e.g., 'oa')
  • Sound clip for 'ee' in 'coffee' is the same as 'e' in 'egg'
  • No audible soft 'g' sound in 'ng' section
  • App not allowing restore after purchase
  • App not working with iOS version 11.0 or later
  • Mouse appears then app switches off

Requested features

8 requests
  • 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
Show 3 more
  • Add more words to the app
  • Include sound for story and action parts
  • Ability to mix phonic songs and create own words

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Phonics Match

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99
None

Jolly Phonics Pro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Phonics Match free?
Phonics Match 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 Match or Jolly Phonics Pro?
Phonics Match is rated higher. Phonics Match averages 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Jolly Phonics Pro averages 4.5 from 232 ratings.
Do Phonics Match or Jolly Phonics Pro have ads?
Phonics Match shows ads; Jolly Phonics Pro does not.
Which is updated more often, Phonics Match or Jolly Phonics Pro?
Phonics Match ships an update every 6 months, and Jolly Phonics Pro every 3 months. Most recently, Phonics Match was updated on September 29, 2026 and Jolly Phonics Pro on October 29, 2026.

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