A helpful family and school guide · 2026
Best spelling apps for UK primary schools and families
In short: The best choice fits the words your child is learning and the way they enjoy practising. Explore six approaches below, with annual home prices, useful features and separate class and school options to help you choose.
Prices checked 23 October 2026. Compare the plan, pupil limit, annual duration and VAT basis; confirm the final price with the provider before buying.
For home practice
Annual home prices at a glance
Compare the amount alongside the children covered and the plan you would use. These are paid annual options; Spellito’s ordinary ten-word practice stays free, with unlimited sessions. Provider links explain each plan and its current terms.
| App and plan | Annual price |
|---|---|
| SpellitoFamily Pass · up to five children12 months. Final UK price. Renew only when you choose. | £9 |
| SpellCastFamily annual · up to four children12 months after a 14-day trial. Automatically renews unless cancelled; a monthly option is available. | £19.99 |
| Squeebles Spelling ConnectFamily annual · up to four children12 months, with a seven-day trial. Bought through Apple or Google Play; check the store's renewal terms. | £29.99 |
| Spelling ShedParent Yearly · five child licences12 months, for home use. Includes 20% UK VAT on the listed £34.16 price. | £40.99 |
| Sir LinkalotPersonal annual12 months. Check personal-use coverage and renewal terms; a £6.99 monthly option is available. | £49.99 |
| DoodleSpellDoodleEnglish with DoodleSpell · one child12 months, with a seven-day trial. Check the provider's renewal terms. | £69.99 |
| DoodleSpellDoodleEnglish with DoodleSpell · two to six children12 months, with a seven-day trial. Check the provider's renewal terms. | £119.99 |
Different approaches to enjoy
Explore each app’s useful features
| App | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Spellito | Free practice, custom lists and pupil progress Children from Reception to Year 6 hear a British voice, spell and retry missed words without an account. A private teacher dashboard can send weekly words electronically to a whole class, a group or one pupil, tailor individual pupil lists and show word-level progress. Helpful for quick home practice, personalised weekly lists and seeing which words deserve another turn. Use Spellito's practice and progress tools alongside the school's teaching scheme. |
| SpellCast | Adaptive, game-led practice with calm accessibility defaults SpellCast combines adaptive practice, narrated examples and custom lists with calm defaults: untimed practice and pupil leaderboards switched off. Missed words return for another go, with a parent dashboard and optional school access. A thoughtful option for children who enjoy game rewards and a calmer pace. Its adaptive return practice helps organise what to revisit. |
| Squeebles Spelling Connect | Custom lists, recorded audio and reward games A connected spelling app with UK curriculum lists, custom words, optional recorded adult audio, child accounts, assignments, rewards and progress information. Custom voice recordings are a lovely way to bring a familiar adult voice into practice. The reward games may appeal to children who enjoy collecting and unlocking things. |
| Spelling Shed | A structured scheme, games and links between home and school Spelling Shed includes multiplayer Hive games, a lovely option for children who enjoy playing together, alongside its structured teaching scheme, weekly lists, assignments and tracking. Well worth exploring when a family wants the full scheme and game ecosystem, or when the school already uses Spelling Shed. |
| DoodleSpell | An adaptive pathway bundled with wider English practice DoodleSpell sits inside DoodleEnglish Premium and adapts practice around a child's work. It includes a parent or teacher dashboard and forms part of a wider English product. A useful choice for families who would enjoy spelling, grammar and comprehension together in one wider English product. |
| Sir Linkalot | Visual and verbal memory links for difficult spellings A mnemonic-led app using memorable links for spelling, homophones, rules, punctuation, grammar, word history and word parts. Memorable stories and pictures may click with children who enjoy visual connections. Use the links alongside the phonics language their school teaches. |
Explore Spelling Shed’s Hive games and teaching approach, along with the provider pages linked in each row.
Class and school prices
Start with the group that matches how you are buying. A class licence covers its stated pupils; a whole-school plan or per-pupil rate uses the school’s roll. Check the VAT basis, minimum charge and current offer with the provider.
Class licences and starting offers
| App and plan | Price |
|---|---|
| SpellCastOne class · free starting optionOne class can start free. Confirm its pupil limit, offer duration and any optional extras with SpellCast. | £0 |
| SpellitoClass Licence · up to 30 confirmed pupils12 months. Final UK price. Larger classes can agree an individual allowance. Renew only when you choose. | £49 |
| Spelling ShedDiscounted Teacher Yearly · 36 pupils12 months. Separate personal-use teacher offer. Includes 20% UK VAT on the listed £43.74 price. | £52.49 |
Fixed annual school plans
| App and plan | Annual price |
|---|---|
| Squeebles Spelling ConnectSchool annual · up to 40 pupils12-month guide price. Confirm VAT and the final school quote with the provider. | £250 |
| SpellCastSchool annual · unlimited pupils and teachers12-month listed price. Current school offer: free until January 2027. Confirm VAT and optional extras. | £399 |
| Squeebles Spelling ConnectSchool annual · up to 100 pupils12-month guide price. Confirm VAT and the final school quote with the provider. | £400 |
| Squeebles Spelling ConnectSchool annual · up to 300 pupils12-month guide price. Confirm VAT and the final school quote with the provider. | £900 |
Listed annual rates per pupil
| App and plan | Per pupil |
|---|---|
| SpellitoWhole school · per pupil per year12 months, with a £99 minimum school charge. Renew only when you choose. | £1 |
| Spelling ShedSchool Yearly · 36–199 pupilsPer pupil for 12 months, plus VAT. Ask for the final total at your school roll. | £2.10 |
| Spelling ShedSchool Yearly · 200–399 pupilsPer pupil for 12 months, plus VAT. Ask for the final total at your school roll. | £1.89 |
| Spelling ShedSchool Yearly · 400–1,999 pupilsPer pupil for 12 months, plus VAT. Ask for the final total at your school roll. | £1.75 |
| Sir LinkalotSchool · per pupil per year12-month listed range, with discounts available. Confirm VAT, minimum charge and your school's quote. | £3–£5 |
| DoodleSpellDoodleEnglish with DoodleSpell · per pupil per year12-month listed rate. Confirm the minimum charge and VAT-inclusive school quote. | £6 |
Test the staff workflow before the invoice
Buying for a class or whole school?
Try the weekly routine with one teacher: prepare a list, open the progress view and choose a useful next step. Spellito’s working demos use example profiles and results so you can explore that routine before buying.
See the evidence a teacher gets
Explore an example class, open one pupil and see the curriculum words that need another turn. The public demo uses example profiles and results.
Explore the teacher dashboardTry the weekly-list handover
Select a group or individual pupils, choose curriculum words, add a custom spelling and review the exact list before it is sent electronically.
Try the weekly-list demoSpellito costs £49 per class per year, or £1 per pupil per year for a whole school with a £99 minimum. Both last 12 months and have no automatic renewal. See the teacher offer and buy.
Before entering card details
A five-check trial before you pay
Try one spelling session together. Notice what helps the child, how manageable the setup feels and whether you would enjoy using it again.
- 1
Test the exact learning job
Start with what would help your child: curriculum words, this week's list, a complete teaching sequence, released SATs practice or a memorable spelling strategy.
- 2
Try one real school list
Use five words the child genuinely has to learn. Check whether adding them, hearing them and correcting them is easier than the current routine.
- 3
Watch the correction
Look for a calm chance to compare the attempt with the correct spelling, notice the changed part and revisit the word after a useful gap.
- 4
Check the adult workload
Try adding a list, choosing the right child and finding words to revisit. A routine that feels manageable is easier to keep using in a busy home or classroom.
- 5
Read the privacy and renewal terms
Check what child information is required, whether there are adverts, how to delete data, when a trial converts to payment and whether the subscription renews automatically.
Free first, paid when useful
When basic practice is enough, and when paying helps
Stay free for straightforward practice
Enjoy a short year-group session or revisit missed words. Spellito’s basic ten-word curriculum practice is free, with no child name, account or payment needed.
You can read the released words in our free Year 6 SATs guide. Complete past-paper practice sessions in the app are included with Family Pass.
Pay for a repeated extra need
A paid product can make sense for custom school lists, several child profiles, saved progress, a complete scheme or a method that clicks for your child. Spellito Family Pass is £9 per family per year for up to five children. No automatic renewal: an adult pays again only if another year is still useful.
Four useful things to check
What a useful spelling app should make clear
What the child hears
Clear pronunciation and a sentence that fixes the intended word and meaning.
What happens after an error
A calm correction, comparison and another attempt after a useful gap.
What data is required
A readable privacy explanation, proportionate child data and a working deletion route.
How it fits school
UK terminology, the right curriculum context and room for the exact words being taught.
Parent and teacher questions
UK spelling app FAQ
What is the best spelling app for a UK primary school?
The best fit depends on the school's teaching approach and weekly routine. Try your own words with one class, check the teacher setup, explore the correction and progress views, and compare the complete annual cost at your actual roll. Look at how each product supports teaching and handles child data.
What is the best spelling app for kids in the UK?
Choose the approach your child enjoys and the practice they need. Spellito offers free ten-word curriculum practice and paid home-list features; SpellCast brings adaptive games and calm defaults; Squeebles offers custom recorded audio and rewards; Spelling Shed combines a structured scheme with games such as Hive; DoodleSpell sits within wider English practice; and Sir Linkalot uses memorable visual and verbal links.
Is there a free spelling app for UK primary children?
Yes. Spellito's basic ten-word practice is free, with unlimited sessions in a web browser from Reception to Year 6. Choose a year and begin without a child's name, account or payment. Other products offer demos, trials or free starting options too; their current terms explain the coverage.
Should a spelling app follow the UK National Curriculum?
Choose an app that fits your child's country and school. For England, look for clear information about statutory words, spelling patterns and released SATs material, alongside the school's teaching sequence.
How can an app support spelling teaching at school?
An app can offer pronunciation, retrieval practice, correction and progress information alongside teaching. The teacher guides phonics, word structure, meaning and how children use spellings in their own writing.
Is a paid spelling app worth it?
Pay when the extra feature solves a repeated problem: custom school lists, several child profiles, saved progress, a structured scheme or a particular teaching approach. Free basic practice is enough when the child simply needs short curriculum-word recall and retry sessions.
Does Spellito renew automatically?
No. Spellito Family Pass costs £9 per family per year, lasts 12 months and has no automatic renewal. Nothing is charged again unless an adult deliberately buys another year.
Clear annual pricing
Start free. Pay only when the family extras help.
A child can practise ten built-in words without entering their name, making an account or paying. Family Pass is the optional complete home product.
Basic practice
FREE
No child name or account needed
- Ten-word curriculum practice
- Hear each word in a sentence
- Clear correction and another try
Complete home tools
£9
per family per year
- Up to five child profiles
- Buddies, hints and private progress
- Parent-entered home lists, SATs papers and cross-device sync
- Paper spelling tests and family duels
12 months. No automatic renewal.
Product features and prices can change. Prices and quoted plan limits were checked against provider pages on 23 October 2026. Spelling Shed totals use its listed prices plus 20% UK VAT; see EdShed’s VAT terms. Ask the provider to confirm any unstated tax basis or minimum charge. Feature summaries draw on the linked provider descriptions. For advice about your child’s learning or assessment, speak to their teacher or a qualified professional. Trade marks belong to their respective owners.
