Smarty Spell vs SnapType Pro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Smarty Spell
This comprehensive literacy platform offers three engaging game modes to improve spelling and reading skills. It features extensive customization options for word lists and audio, along with detailed progress tracking for educators and parents.
- Three distinct game modes
- Over 300 built-in words
- Grade-level and thematic word lists
- Custom word lists with photos
- Real human and TTS audio
- Professional-grade data tracking
- Adjustable font sizes and hints
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Smarty Spell: The Ultimate 3-in-1 Literacy Platform Developed by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist, Smarty Spell has evolved into a comprehensive educational platform designed to take your student’s spelling and reading abilities to the next level. With a highly engaging new interface, friendly animal mascots, and superior data tracking, Smarty Spell is the perfect tool for educators, therapists, and parents alike. While it comes loaded with over 300 built-in words, the true power of Smarty Spell lies in its incredible flexibility. Students can tackle words based on their grade level (Kindergarten to 6th Grade), explore thematic categories, or master completely custom word lists created by their teacher. Three Ways to Play: Smarty Spell now features three distinct, interactive game modes to keep students engaged while targeting different literacy skills: Spelling Game: Drag and drop letters to spell the target word with full visual and auditory scaffolding. Reading Game: Build sight-word recognition by matching the spoken word and image to the correct text. Missing Letter Game: A fun, tactile experience where students fill in the blanks on a beautiful wooden tray to complete the word. Unmatched Customization & Accessibility: Smarty Spell adapts to every learner. Reinforce specific vocabulary by adding your own words and photos! The app seamlessly blends real, recorded human audio with a newly integrated, high-quality, kid-friendly Text-to-Speech engine, ensuring every word—even your custom ones—is pronounced perfectly. You can also adjust font sizes, toggle visual hints, and switch between uppercase and lowercase letters to meet each student's exact needs. Professional-Grade Data Tracking: Tracking progress is a breeze with our completely overhauled "Report Card" suite. Teachers and parents can monitor overall accuracy over time via intuitive line graphs, or drill down into specific word lists. Because the app tracks data by game type, you will know exactly if a student has mastered "Animals" in Reading, but still needs practice with "Animals" in Spelling! Enjoy the benefits of a clean, modern interface, engaging gameplay, and robust tracking. Key Features Include: The Content: 3 Distinct Game Modes: Spelling, Reading, and Missing Letter. Over 300 Built-In Words: Ready to play immediately. Grade-Level Lists: Organized sequentially from Kindergarten to 6th Grade. Thematic Lists: Animals, Numbers, Colors & Shapes, Classroom, Body Parts, Common Nouns, Clothes, Fruits, and Vegetables. Total Customization: Create custom lists, add new words, and even upload your own photos and audio recordings. The Gameplay: Premium Audio: High-quality, kid-friendly Text-to-Speech alongside real human audio recordings. Audio Spell Letters: Option to have each letter spoken aloud as the student drags it. Visual Hints: Toggle picture clues on or off to increase or decrease difficulty. Word Reading: Turn target word dictation on or off. Capitalization Control: Choose between all capitals, all lowercase, or standard capitalization. Adjustable UI: 3 different font size options for accessibility. Automatic Transition: Move immediately to the next word, or manually transition to control the pace. The Data: Multi-Student Support: Manage profiles and avatars for an entire classroom or caseload. Advanced Report Cards: View line graphs of session-by-session accuracy. Skill Isolation: Data is tracked independently for Reading, Spelling, and Missing Letter games so you know exactly where a student excels. Word-Level Mastery: See exactly which specific words a student got correct or needs to practice. Easy Exporting: Generate beautiful, multi-page PDF reports to email or print directly from the app via AirPrint.
SnapType Pro
This app provides a way to complete worksheets and assignments digitally. It allows users to type directly onto any document, making it a convenient tool for students and educators.
- Type directly onto documents
- Complete worksheets digitally
- Digital assignment completion
- Bug fixes and updates
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After more than 8 years, SnapType Pro is being phased out. We'll continue to support the app with bug fixes and updates (which is why it remains in the App Store). New Features will only be available in SnapType Pro 2. Thanks for your support in SnapType over the years and your trust for the years to come!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: SnapType Pro at 69% against Smarty Spell's 0%. SnapType Pro also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 9 months). Smarty Spell's advantage is price ($14.99 vs $399.99). On ads, in-app purchases 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
Smarty Spell costs $14.99 and SnapType Pro $399.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SnapType Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SnapType Pro has 499 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Smarty Spell's written reviews are positive against 69% of SnapType Pro's.
Smarty Spell ships an update every 9 months, SnapType Pro every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 4, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Smarty Spell | SnapType Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 — better | $399.99 |
| Rating | 4.0 (2 ratings) | 4.7 (499 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 68.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 499 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 97 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Smarty Ears | SNAPTYPE, LLC |
Customer experience
Smarty Spell
SnapType Pro
Bugs and requests
Smarty Spell
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
SnapType Pro
Reported bugs
9 issues- App crashes on startup or when opening files
- Camera rotation moves in opposite direction when device moves
- Files deleted or content erased without user action
- App closes when clicking on images to edit
- Incompatibility with iOS 10 and iOS 12
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- Syncing issues between iPhone and iPad
- App requires device restart to function
- Unsaved work lost when app is closed
- Image appears very dim or black after saving
Requested features
6 requests- Alphabetical document ordering or custom sorting
- Pre-set lined paper templates
- Automatic image cropping like bank check deposit tools
- Improved camera functionality matching standard iOS camera
- Ability to select specific files for export
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- Better image brightness/contrast after capture
In-app purchases
Smarty Spell
No in-app purchases
SnapType Pro
No in-app purchases







