Comparison

Phonics 1a Activities vs Phonics Explorer

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

Head to head
About

Phonics 1a Activities

Features
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Phonics 1a Activities application for iOS provides young learners of English with the digital tools to practise the sounds of the English alphabet in an educational and entertaining manner. It consists of: Letter tracing and practice Interactive fun activities (colouring, draw lines etc) Learning tasks (listening, circle the right letters, look and choose and many more) with automatic feedback All activities are presented in a playful way, in which learners are able to tap on various items and listen to the corresponding sounds. Learning takes place sub-consciously in a stress-free environment. It’s an innovative interaction than only this application can offer!

About

Phonics Explorer

Features
Read full description

Phonics Explorer helps children master the sounds of the English language through an engaging, interactive learning experience. FEATURES: β€’ 44 essential phonics sounds organized into learning groups β€’ Beautiful, immersive full-screen cards for each sound β€’ Tap to flip between sound symbols and example words β€’ Text-to-speech pronunciation for sounds and words β€’ Extra example words to reinforce learning β€’ Progress through groups at your own pace DESIGNED FOR LEARNING: Swipe through phonics sounds like a social feed - making learning feel natural and fun. Each card shows the phoneme symbol, pronunciation guide, and example words with visual cues. AUDIO LEARNING: Hear each sound pronounced correctly. Tap to listen to the phoneme, then flip to hear the example word. Auto-play helps reinforce correct pronunciation. Perfect for: β€’ Early readers learning phonics β€’ Parents teaching reading at home β€’ Teachers supplementing classroom learning β€’ ESL learners mastering English sounds

Screenshots

Phonics 1a Activities1 screens
Phonics Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Phonics 1a Activities at none against Phonics Explorer's 1. Phonics 1a Activities also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 26.0). Phonics Explorer's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 20 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Phonics Explorer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Phonics 1a Activities asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phonics 1a Activities ships an update every 20 months, Phonics Explorer every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Phonics 1a Activities versus Phonics Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhonics 1a ActivitiesPhonics Explorer
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 4 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size104 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperExpress PublishingJingling Zhu

In-app purchases

None

Phonics 1a Activities

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Phonics Explorer

One-time1
  • Quiz Unlock (Lifetime)$8.99

Questions

Is Phonics 1a Activities free?
Phonics 1a Activities is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phonics Explorer free?
Phonics Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Phonics 1a Activities or Phonics Explorer have ads?
Neither Phonics 1a Activities nor Phonics Explorer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Phonics 1a Activities or Phonics Explorer?
Phonics 1a Activities ships an update every 20 months, and Phonics Explorer every 4 days. Most recently, Phonics 1a Activities was updated on October 10, 2026 and Phonics Explorer on October 16, 2026.

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