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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 275 reviews, most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Many people found the app and website to be frustrating and ineffective, often describing it as a waste of time and effort. Customers reported that the platform negatively impacted their enjoyment of reading, making it feel like a chore rather than a pleasurable activity. The user experience was frequently criticized for being slow, clunky, and prone to freezing, with many finding the questions difficult and the tracking system overly strict. The product's quality was also a major concern, as the book selection was often limited, uninteresting, and did not align with preferred genres, leading to a lack of motivation. Some people also felt that the platform did not genuinely help with reading comprehension or learning, despite its intended purpose.

What people talk about most

User experience

Customers had negative experiences with user experience, with many reviewers finding the platform frustrating... See more

Product

Customers consistently note negative experiences with product, with many expressing that the book selection... See more

Application

Reviewers express strong dissatisfaction with the app, with many calling it one of the "worst apps ever made"... See more

Website

Clients share negative opinions on the website, with many reviewers describing it as horrible and... See more

Quality

People report negative experiences with quality, with many reviewers describing the books as "rubbish" and... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Spark is so shite I feel bad for the 2 million+ kids who do it because it doesn’t help comprehension or do anything else that it apparently does. Honestly I think it has decreased the amount of time... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

this is lowkey teh worst thing ever i have so many evidence that making this "complaint" would be too long , i think i hate about this is that you have to finish a book to be able to swap for a new on... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I just started being forced to use this app today and already knew it would be shit. I cant even begin to explain how awful every single sparx app is. It makes you so stressed, questions your s... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

It tells you to select your preferred genres and then it go3s completley against your choices? And then you spend 5 minuets on an extract and it only gives you 5 SRP? It takes me ATLEAST 3 hours to do... See more


1.1

Bad

TrustScore 1 out of 5

395 reviews

5-star
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1-star

No history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited their customers, so reviews may not be representative

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1.1

All reviews

(395)

272 reviews in the last 12 months

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Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

awful waste of time

I have to complete Sparx reader homework every week and earn 300 points. Out of all the homework I have to complete this is probably my least favourite. I am a huge book lover but the books that reader provides are absolutely trash and boring which makes homework completely miserable. I have also found that when it asks the questions, I get more points getting 3/4 than 4/4 . Why would schools want to waste their students time reading these shit books when you could be reading physical books that you enjoy and are happy to read. 0/5 stars.

6 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Rubbish platform

It’s absolutely rubbish. I got 3 out of 4 on one of my reading checks but it still won’t let me move on. I literally spent 40 minutes on this and only getting 155 SRP. Platforms like this shouldn’t even exist, it should be banned for eternity

10 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

This app is useless, doesn’t help children learn.

This app is useless. I’ve just started sparx reader and it’s horrific. Not well thought out and it doesn’t help us read or learn, it forces us to pick from a small selection of books. Read 5 paragraphs of it and then expect us to remember a sentence or phrase from paragraph one. Sometimes I spend whole evenings on this and it isn’t giving us enough time to relax, considering we already have 6-7 hours at school. Then it will through in “not in the book” like we’re not already confused. I get a question wrong and lose about 15 points and I need to get 300. Disgraceful app which isn’t helping children and I’m surprised teachers chose this.

8 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Spelling mistakes in books

My son has recently been using Sparx reader through his school, and I was disappointed by the poor selection of books, upset that the app uses AI, but most of all, I was overwhelmingly horrified to find that one of the books my son had chosen to read was fraught with basic spelling mistakes. For an app supposedly concerned with learning, I found these issues shocking. Shame on you all.

3 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Schools don't buy this scamming shit

shit show.
They are ruining childrens reading and people are spending 4 hours doing this when they could be doing actual reading that we all grow up with. Please if you are going to get this just encorige people to read or set your own homework without ai having to do it to you

1 February 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

homework hell

My english teacher setting sparx is making me want to never come to school ever again genuinely it’s so bad

29 January 2026
Unprompted review

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