Wordstone vs Spelling Shed: a story-driven alternative
Spelling Shed is a spelling curriculum with games and word lists, used by schools and families. Wordstone wraps spelling practice in one long fantasy adventure, with the learning free. Both are about spelling, so the choice mostly comes down to the style of practice and what you want to pay for.
 Wordstone | Spelling Shed | |
|---|---|---|
| Style | A story-driven role-playing game: every spell is a word | A “Spelling Shed web game”, “Multi-player Hive Games” and “Mastery Zone” |
| Story adventure with realms and pets | Included, and free | Not mentioned |
| Teaching approach | Words in the order US structured-literacy programs teach them, with adaptive review | Lessons that “incorporate phonics, morphology, and etymology elements” |
| Paid plan for families | Hero Membership: $2.99 for the first month, then $5.99/month, or $59/year, up to 4 children | Parent Yearly: £66.50/year (UK price), with 5 child licences |
| Monthly option | $2.99 for the first month, then $5.99/month | Not mentioned: its plans are priced per year |
| Your school's word list | Parents type it in, free, and the game mixes it into battles | “Unlimited custom word lists” on its paid Parent and Teacher plans |
| For teachers | Always free: class codes, assigned lists, a class report | Teacher Yearly: £104/year for 36 pupils (UK price); schools from £3.56 to £4.23 per pupil + VAT |
| Personalized printables | Practice sheets and certificates, with Hero Membership | A “printable parent report”; practice sheets and certificates not mentioned |
| Weekly progress email | With Hero Membership | Not mentioned |
Spelling Shed details are from its own website, as we read it on November 7, 2026, and may have changed: Spelling Shed pricing (UK) · Spelling Shed home page. “Not mentioned” means the page we read doesn't mention it. Wordstone is in playtesting. Spelling Shed is a trademark of its owner, and Wordstone isn't connected with it.
Wordstone may suit you if
- Your child wants an adventure with a story, pets and realms to explore
- You want your school's word list in the game without paying
- You're a teacher looking for a class setup that's always free
- You'd like to pay monthly, or print sheets built from your child's own tricky words
Spelling Shed may suit you better if
- You want a spelling curriculum with its own scheme and lessons for a whole school
- You have 5 children, or you also want its other products for phonics or grammar
