Comparison

Play n' Trace vs Simply Trace

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Play n' Trace

This app enhances an electronic writing tablet for children aged 3-10, offering interactive games and lessons. It uses the tablet's translucent surface for tracing, writing, and learning activities, developed with child development experts.

Highlights
  • Interactive learning games
  • Tracing activities
  • Progressive lesson levels
  • Child development focus
  • Doodle and write functionality
  • Clear screen with button press
Read full description

Boogie Board® Play n’ Trace™ is an award-winning electronic writing tablet that lets kids doodle, write, and learn by tracing! The free Play n’ Trace app enhances the Play n’ Trace experience with fun games and learning activities. The Play n' Trace app allows kids 3+ to have fun while learning, using the writing tablet’s first of its kind translucent writing surface to write, play games, and even learn feelings. Simply select a lesson, choose a level, and place the Play n' Trace over the iPad to begin. Six key lessons, each with 3 levels of development, create a variety of fun areas for kids ages 3 to 10 to explore and grow. Simply write, draw, or create and start over with the press of a button. When kids write they learn! Lesson content was developed in conjunction with Excellent Play, a global leader in scientific research and knowledge about play, learning, and child development. FEEDBACK OR HELP? E-mail us anytime at support@kentdisplays.com Requires use of a Play n’ Trace writing tablet, sold separately in stores.

About

Simply Trace

Features
Read full description

Simply Trace turns writing into Fun; a creative adventure for your child! Kids trace animal with magical brushes, collect reward cards, and build colorful scenes — all while developing the fine motor skills they need for writing. Tracing greatly helps children develop writing skills. It builds foundational fine motor strength, improves hand-eye coordination, and teaches the basic directional strokes needed to form letters and numbers independently TRACE WITH FUN BRUSHES Choose from crayon, glow, sparkle, rainbow, spray, and more. Every brush makes tracing feel like art, not homework. Kids follow numbered dots to complete each animal while earning collectible cards along the way. 300 ANIMAL TRACINGS From elephants to butterflies, each animal is a new challenge. A friendly bird guides the path, and glowing nectar drops reward progress. CREATIVE TOOLS • Fill animals with color using the paint bucket • Add shapes, trees, and stickers to build scenes • Choose background effects like sparkles, snow, and confetti • Adjust brush size and opacity for artistic control COLLECTIBLE CARDS Earn sparkly reward cards at every milestone. Common, Rare, and Epic cards keep kids motivated to trace more. Show off your collection to friends! PRINT & PRACTICE Print any tracing as a clean dot-to-dot worksheet. Kids can practice on paper with a real pencil — reinforcing what they learn on screen. DESIGNED FOR KIDS • No ads, ever • Child-safe — no external links or social features • Works offline • Supports iPhone and iPad in any orientation Simply Trace — where handwriting practice meets creative play. Privacy Policy: https://pdudday.github.io/docs/simplytrace/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Simply Trace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Play n' Trace at none against Simply Trace's 3. Play n' Trace also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). Simply Trace's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 18 months). On price, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Simply Trace sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Play n' Trace asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Play n' Trace ships an update every 18 months, Simply Trace every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Play n' Trace versus Simply Trace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlay n' TraceSimply Trace
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.4 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 18 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size265 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBuffalo Games, LLCPavan Dudday

In-app purchases

None

Play n' Trace

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Simply Trace

Subscriptions2
  • Simply Trace Plus1 Month trial$3.991 Month
  • Simply Trace Plus1 Year trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Simply Trace Plus Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Play n' Trace free?
Play n' Trace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Simply Trace free?
Simply Trace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Play n' Trace or Simply Trace have ads?
Neither Play n' Trace nor Simply Trace shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Play n' Trace or Simply Trace?
Play n' Trace ships an update every 18 months, and Simply Trace every 10 days. Most recently, Play n' Trace was updated on October 24, 2026 and Simply Trace on October 15, 2026.

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