Comparison

PBS KIDS Games vs Begin Learning

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

Head to head
About

PBS KIDS Games

Explore over 280 free educational games designed for children ages 2-8, featuring beloved PBS KIDS characters. These kid-tested games cover subjects like math, reading, and science, promoting early learning and STEM skills in a safe, engaging environment.

Highlights
  • 280+ curriculum-based educational games
  • Features favorite PBS KIDS characters
  • Available in English and Spanish
  • Offline play capability
  • STEM, math, reading, and science games
  • Kid-tested and safe interface
  • New games added weekly
Currently charting
Read full description

PBS KIDS Games makes learning fun and safe with 280+ educational games from your child's favorite shows. Play hundreds of free educational games that are kid tested and designed for your child. Watch as they learn with their favorite PBS characters like Daniel Tiger, Wild Kratts, Lyla in the Loop, Weather Hunters, Carl the Collector, and more! Your child can play and learn with PBS KIDS in English and Spanish thanks to familiar faces like Alma, Rosie, and more. Quickly play games from the safety of your home and keep playing anywhere you take your device to keep the fun going. Make preschool and early elementary education fun and easy with a safe, kid friendly interface. Start your child’s learning adventure today! SAFE GAMES DESIGNED FOR KIDS * PBS KIDS Games are kid tested and provides a safe, friendly playing experience for toddlers and kids * Play mini games that boost imagination and allow kids to learn early school subjects with beloved PBS KIDS characters LEARNING GAMES FOR GRADE SCHOOL EDUCATION * 280+ FREE curriculum-based games for kids ages 2-8 * Encourage early learning with educational games for kids with different school subjects * Instantly explore mazes, puzzles, numbers, play dress-up, coloring, and more * Elementary school games * Math games * Reading games * Science games * Art games NEW GAMES ADDED WEEKLY * Kids will learn and have fun with new games added frequently * Play new games with accessibility features to enhance the fun! * Build STEM skills with science, math, and puzzles * Play games about social concepts like kindness, mindfulness, and emotions * Foster healthy habits by learning daily routines * Spark creativity and imagination with art games PLAY GAMES FROM PBS KIDS SHOWS * Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood * Wild Kratts * Lyla in the Loop * Weather Hunters * Carl the Collector * Acoustic Rooster * Work It Out Wombats! * Rosie’s Rules * Alma’s Way * Donkey Hodie * Odd Squad * Pinkalicious & Peterrific * Arthur * Elinor Wonders Why * Let’s go Luna * Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum * Scribbles and Ink * Clifford * Molly of Denali * Sesame Street * Nature Cat * And more! PLAY IN ENGLISH OR SPANISH * Bilingual kids will enjoy playing with Alma, Rosie, and more in English and Spanish * Spanish speakers can play 50+ fun-filled, educational games PARENT RESOURCES * Download related PBS KIDS apps to expand your child’s learning * Learn more about PBS TV shows, such as intended age and learning goals * Find your local PBS KIDS station schedule Play fun games and join your kids on an educational adventure alongside their favorite PBS KIDS characters with the PBS KIDS Games app! Download and play the PBS KIDS Games app to start learning and having fun today! ABOUT PBS KIDS PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, digital platforms, and community-based programs. PBS KIDS Games is a key part of PBS KIDS’ commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of children through curriculum-based media—wherever kids are. More free PBS KIDS games are also available online at pbskids.org/games. You can support PBS KIDS by downloading other PBS KIDS apps in the App Store. AWARDS * Kidscreen Best Games App (2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025) * Webby Winner (2023, 2024) * Webby People’s Voice Winner (2021, 2023, 2024) PRIVACY Across all media platforms, PBS KIDS is committed to creating a safe and secure environment for children and families and being transparent about what information is collected from users. To learn more about PBS KIDS’ privacy policy, visit pbskids.org/privacy

About

Begin Learning

Explore a curated collection of award-winning learning games for children aged 2-10. This free app offers engaging activities in early reading, math, STEM, coding, and social-emotional skills, featuring content from popular educational brands.

Highlights
  • Curated selection of award-winning learning games
  • Covers early reading, math, STEM, coding, and social-emotional skills
  • Content from Sesame Street, HOMER, codeSpark, and Little Passports
  • Designed for ages 2-10
  • Focuses on curiosity, character, core skills, creativity, and critical thinking
Features
Read full description

Tap into the power of digital play with a free, curated selection of Begin's award-winning learning games. Designed for learners of all ages, there's something for everyone to explore, like early reading, math, social-emotional skills, STEM, coding, and more. Unlock 10+ exclusive games from Learn with Sesame Street by Begin, HOMER, codeSpark, and Little Passports and enjoy skill-building screen time you and your child can feel good about. The Begin Approach focuses on the five essential skill areas proven to help children succeed in school and life. We call these the 5 C's (curiosity, character, core skills, creativity, and critical thinking), and we deliver them through each playful learning experience we design. We are so excited to share the best content from our beloved products in a single app, so you can see if our full products are right for your child. Why You'll Love It - No ads. EVER. - Free (no in-app purchases!), safe, and fun to play - Something for everyone ages 2-10 - Includes the best content from our award-winning family of apps What’s included From Learn with Sesame Street by Begin (social-emotional learning): - Big Bird's Bowling Party - Marshall Grover - It Feels Good to be Kind From HOMER (early reading and math): - Pizza Party - Biggest Bubble - Jack's Concert From codeSpark (#1 learn-to-code app): - Foo Rescue - Paper Shape - Footorial: What is Code? From Little Passports (curiosity and exploration): - Plunge Into the Pacific - Max & Mia Serengeti - Aloft in the Amazon

Screenshots

PBS KIDS Games4 screens
Begin Learning4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PBS KIDS Games at 4.4 against Begin Learning's 3.9. PBS KIDS Games also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (372K vs 16). Begin Learning's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PBS KIDS Games holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PBS KIDS Games has 372K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 61% and 60% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PBS KIDS Games ships an update fortnightly, Begin Learning every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
PBS KIDS Games versus Begin Learning: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPBS KIDS GamesBegin Learning
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (372K ratings) — better3.9 (16 ratings)
Positive reviews60.7% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings372K — better16
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
Best chart rank#93 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size92 MB137 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPBS KIDSHomer

Customer experience

PBS KIDS Games

All ratings371,764 ratings
Positive83.1%
Neutral8.6%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews974 reviews
Positive60.7%
Neutral10.3%
Negative29.1%

Begin Learning

All ratings16 ratings
Positive68.8%
Neutral6.3%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

Bugs and requests

PBS KIDS Games

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Odd Squad game level issues with missing elements
  • Cooking School game getting stuck on same recipe
  • Greens Hill race in Kart Racer game always resulting in second place
  • Downloading games not working for some users

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more Kart Kingdom features like customization and online play
  • Ability to reset individual games
  • Sort games by age/difficulty level
  • Add a search function
  • Increase offline storage capacity

Begin Learning

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

PBS KIDS Games

No in-app purchases

None

Begin Learning

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PBS KIDS Games free?
PBS KIDS Games is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Begin Learning free?
Begin Learning is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PBS KIDS Games or Begin Learning?
PBS KIDS Games is rated higher. PBS KIDS Games averages 4.4 out of 5 from 372K ratings, while Begin Learning averages 3.9 from 16 ratings.
Do PBS KIDS Games or Begin Learning have ads?
Neither PBS KIDS Games nor Begin Learning shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PBS KIDS Games or Begin Learning?
PBS KIDS Games ships an update fortnightly, and Begin Learning every 3 months. Most recently, PBS KIDS Games was updated on September 25, 2026 and Begin Learning on August 12, 2026.

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