Free SpellingCity Alternative: Same Core Features, $0
No trials, no student caps, no credit card. The apps that deliver SpellingCity's core features free - and an honest list of what $0 doesn't buy.
STSpellingJoy Team
•Last Updated: July 2, 2026
Yes, a genuinely free SpellingCity alternative exists: SpellingJoy, which delivers the core feature set - custom word lists, text-to-speech, auto-graded practice, progress tracking, and printable worksheets - at $0 with no student caps. That's the direct answer. The rest of this page exists because "free" is the most abused word in edtech, and if you got burned when SpellingCity became the $108/year Vocabulary A-Z, you're right to read the fine print this time.
What "Free" Actually Means Here
This page uses a strict definition. To be listed, an app's spelling value has to hold up under three tests:
No trial clock: nothing that works great for 14 days and then asks for a card - a trial is a sales pitch, not a price
No student caps on the free tier: a "free" plan limited to five students is a demo; teachers need the whole roster covered
The core loop is free: create or pick a list, hear the words, practice, get graded, see progress - end to end without a paywall interrupting
SpellingJoy passes all three by design: the platform is 100% free, including its 170+ curated word lists. Starfall, ABCya, Turtle Diary, and Khan Academy Kids each pass for the role we've assigned them below - which is why the ranking pairs one workflow app with several free game and phonics sites rather than pretending one arcade does everything.
What Free Doesn't Include (Honestly)
Fairness cuts both ways, so here's what $0 won't buy you in 2026: the massive 35+ activity arcade that old SpellingCity bundled, district-wide analytics dashboards that roll up across schools and subjects, and the enterprise rostering integrations that products like Vocabulary A-Z and IXL sell to administrations. If those are hard requirements, you're shopping in the paid aisle. For the weekly reality of most classrooms and kitchen tables - this week's words, practiced aloud, tested, and tracked - the free stack below is complete.
SpellingJoy is a 100% free spelling practice platform for K-6 students. Unlimited spelling games, unlimited tests, 134+ word lists, custom list creation, and progress tracking - all completely free with no subscriptions and no hidden costs.
Best for:Custom lists, text-to-speech, auto-grading, printables, and tracking - all $0, no capsPrice:100% FreeGrades:K-6Platforms:Web
Pros
100% free - unlimited games, tests, and lists
No subscription or hidden costs ever
K-6 curriculum with 134+ word lists
Cons
Web-only (no native mobile apps yet)
Classroom features coming soon
2
Starfall
Best free start for K-2
Starfall teaches reading through systematic phonics with engaging activities for Pre-K through 5th grade.
Best for:Phonics and early word play with a generous free tierPrice:$35/yrGrades:Pre-K-5Platforms:Web, iOS, Android
Pros
Affordable
Good for early readers
Systematic phonics approach
Cons
Limited for older students
Dated interface
3
ABCya
Best free games on the side
ABCya offers educational games for Pre-K through 6th grade across all subjects. Free with ads, or pay for ad-free premium access.
Best for:Word-game variety to reward practice, playable free in the browserPrice:$70/yr (ad-free)Grades:Pre-K-6Platforms:Web, iOS, Android
Pros
Large game library
Free tier with ads
Covers all subjects
Cons
Free version has ads
Games vary in educational value
Not a structured curriculum
4
Turtle Diary
Best free grade-sorted games
Turtle Diary offers free educational games and worksheets across reading, math, and other subjects. Ad-supported but completely free to use.
Best for:Spelling and word games organized by grade without a subscriptionPrice:FreeGrades:Pre-K-5Platforms:Web
Pros
Completely free
Large library of games
Printable worksheets included
Cons
Contains ads
Quality varies by game
Dated interface
5
Khan Academy Kids
Best free all-rounder
Khan Academy Kids offers free, comprehensive early learning content covering reading, math, and more for children ages 2-8.
Best for:A genuinely free, ad-free early-learning app that includes reading foundationsPrice:FreeGrades:Ages 2-8Platforms:iOS, Android, Amazon
Pros
Completely free
Comprehensive curriculum
No ads
Cons
Only goes to age 8
Not specialized for spelling
No web version
Frequently asked questions
Is there a completely free alternative to SpellingCity?
Yes. SpellingJoy is 100% free: custom word lists, 170+ ready-made curriculum-aligned lists, text-to-speech, auto-graded practice, progress tracking, and printable worksheets, with no student limits. It is not a trial or a limited tier of a paid product - the spelling features are simply free.
What is the catch with free spelling apps?
The usual catches to check for are trials that expire, free tiers capped at a handful of lists or students, and sites where "free" means ad-swamped. The way to vet any option: confirm no credit card is requested, no countdown clock appears, and the core loop - make a list, practice it, see results - works without hitting a wall.
Does SpellingJoy have student limits on the free plan?
No. There is no per-seat pricing and no cap on students, which matters if you are a teacher: a classroom license model (like Vocabulary A-Z at ~$108/year for up to 36 students) prices by roster, while SpellingJoy treats a class of 8 homeschoolers and a class of 36 the same - free.
What do free spelling apps not include?
Honestly: the giant activity arcade (SpellingCity claimed 35+ game types; no free app matches that count), district-level analytics across subjects, and formal LMS/rostering integrations that enterprise platforms sell. If your needs are weekly lists, audio practice, auto-graded tests, and progress visibility, free covers all of it.
Is Starfall free?
Starfall has a substantial free tier that covers much of its phonics and early-reading content, with a paid membership unlocking the rest. For Pre-K through 2nd grade word play it is one of the best free starting points, though it is not built around custom weekly spelling lists the way SpellingJoy is.
Do kids need accounts to practice spelling for free?
It varies by app. Game sites like ABCya and Turtle Diary let kids play many games with no login at all. For anything involving saved lists and progress tracking - the SpellingCity-style workflow - an account is what stores the data, and with SpellingJoy creating one is free.
Our Verdict
Free is no longer the compromise choice. SpellingJoy covers the entire SpellingCity core - lists, audio, auto-grading, printables, tracking - at $0 with no caps, which is more than the old $35 SpellingCity gave you and infinitely cheaper than the $108 Vocabulary A-Z asks now.
Build around it by role: Starfall or Khan Academy Kids for the youngest learners, ABCya and Turtle Diary as the free game arcade on the side. None of them will ambush you with a trial expiration.
The only real trade-off: no single free app is a 35-game carnival. If you can live with practice plus a side of games, keep your money.
ST
About the Author
SpellingJoy Team
The SpellingJoy team is dedicated to creating free, high-quality spelling resources for K-6 students and their families. We test every app we review and provide honest assessments to help parents make informed decisions.
