# Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead vs Learn to Read

The clearest difference is price: Learn to Read at Free against Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead's $9.99. Learn to Read also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (79K vs 2). Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 18) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Learn to Read is free to download; Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead costs $9.99 up front. Learn to Read sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $12.49 per month. Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead asks for nothing beyond the download.

Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Learn to Read has 79K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead's written reviews are positive against 81% of Learn to Read's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead ships an update every 3 months, Learn to Read weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead | Learn to Read |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-train-full-steam-ahead/id962171685/reviews)** | [4.7 (79K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-to-read-readingcom/id1534938305/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **79K** |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **81.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#17** |
| Size | 1.4 GB | 264 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Learning Station, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/702227887) | [Teaching.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526854604) |

## What reviewers say

### Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-train-full-steam-ahead/id962171685)

This app offers a comprehensive reading curriculum for young learners with over 300 picture books, songs, and interactive quizzes. It supports listening, reading, and recording, building phonics and vocabulary skills. Designed by an award-winning educator, it aims to foster a love of reading and confidence in beginning readers.

**Highlights:** Library of 300+ picture books, Sing-along song books, Interactive train game quizzes, Listen, read, and record functionality, Integrated word dictionary, Progress reporting tools, Unlimited user accounts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Learn to Read

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-to-read-readingcom/id1534938305)

**Currently charting:** #17 Top Grossing · Education, #100 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

This app offers a guided, co-play experience for parents and children aged 3-8 to learn reading skills. It uses research-backed phonics lessons, interactive storybooks, videos, and games to build foundational reading abilities.

**Highlights:** 99 step-by-step phonics lessons, 67 interactive digital storybooks, 42 educational videos, 3 expert-designed reading games, Printable offline activities, Family subscription with 3 profiles, Ad-free experience

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $12.49 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $12.49 | per month |
| Monthly (With Free Trial) | $12.49 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $12.49 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $12.99 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $14.99 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Monthly) | $17.99 | per month |
| Learn to Read (Yearly) | $66.99 | per year |
| Learn to Read (Yearly) | $74.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Engaging and fun for kids
- 🚀 Effective at teaching reading skills
- 💡 Structured, step-by-step approach
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Promotes parent-child bonding
- 🎨 Colorful and visually appealing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤑 Expensive subscription model
- 🐢 Slow progression for more advanced learners
- 🤖 Lack of flexibility to customize or skip lessons
- 🤔 Placement assessment not accurate for all levels
- 🤯 Frustrating when app crashes or logs out

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional app crashes or freezes
- User data loss after app updates
- Inability to redeem promo codes

**Requested features**

- Option to learn cursive writing
- More independent practice games and activities
- Ability to jump to appropriate lesson level
- Support for multiple languages or accents
- Printable resources like flashcards or worksheets


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead free?

Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Learn to Read free?

Learn to Read is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead or Learn to Read?

Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead is rated higher. Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Learn to Read averages 4.7 from 79K ratings.

### Do Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead or Learn to Read have ads?

Neither Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead nor Learn to Read shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead or Learn to Read?

Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead ships an update every 3 months, and Learn to Read weekly. Most recently, Reading Train Full STEAM Ahead was updated on October 12, 2026 and Learn to Read on October 31, 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.*