# Highlights™ Shapes vs Code Karts

The clearest difference is update cadence: Highlights™ Shapes at every 6 weeks against Code Karts's every 4 months. Highlights™ Shapes also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Highlights™ Shapes sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Code Karts sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.8 for Highlights™ Shapes against 3.8 for Code Karts. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 325 and 147 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Highlights™ Shapes's written reviews are positive against 61% of Code Karts's.

Highlights™ Shapes ships an update every 6 weeks, Code Karts every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Highlights™ Shapes | Code Karts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (325 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlights-shapes/id1127726827/reviews) | [3.8 (147 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/code-karts-pre-coding-logic/id1222704761/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **325** | 147 |
| Positive reviews | **62.8% of reviews** | 61.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 96 MB | 260 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Highlights for Children, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/567496442) | [EDOKI ACADEMY](https://appshunter.io/developer/555989645) |

## What reviewers say

### Highlights™ Shapes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlights-shapes/id1127726827)

This app helps young children learn and practice matching, sorting, and categorizing shapes and colors through engaging, story-driven puzzles. It features imaginative worlds and gradually increasing challenges to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

**Highlights:** Shape and color matching, Sorting and categorizing activities, Color mixing lessons, Progressive challenge levels, Exploration of imaginative worlds, Ad-free environment, Multiple language options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chapter Two | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chapter Three | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chapter Four | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chapter Five | $1.99 | one-time |
| "Pack 2 + Pack 3" | $2.99 | one-time |
| 25% Off Preschool Puzzle Fun! | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👶 Excellent educational tool for learning shapes and colors
- 🎮 Engaging and intuitive gameplay mechanics for toddlers
- 🧠 Builds abstract reasoning, patience, and problem-solving skills
- 🎨 Appealing graphics and visual design
- 🦊 Charming fox character guide

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔊 Persistent sound/audio issues across multiple devices
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases for additional levels
- 🚫 No family sharing support for purchases
- 📉 Limited content - only 3-4 levels available
- ⏱️ Levels complete too quickly (3-10 minutes each)

**Reported bugs**

- Sound/audio not working despite system updates and reinstalls
- Notifications must be enabled for sound to function
- Purchased levels not transferring to new devices
- Language switching glitch preventing Spanish audio
- Home button not protected from accidental child taps

**Requested features**

- More levels and increased difficulty progression
- Additional shape types and more complex puzzles
- Alphabet/letter learning app similar to shapes version
- Language options including Spanish and Chinese audio
- Family sharing capability for purchases


### Code Karts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/code-karts-pre-coding-logic/id1222704761)

This app introduces children aged 4 and up to pre-coding concepts through engaging logic puzzles presented as a raceway. It teaches fundamental coding principles and problem-solving skills through interactive gameplay, including counting in binary.

**Highlights:** Pre-coding logic puzzles, Learn to count in binary, Develop sequencing and problem-solving, Over 70 levels, Two game modes, Intuitive UI for young children

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game Unlock | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great introduction to coding
- 👍 Fun and engaging for kids
- 👍 Good for logic and sequencing
- 👍 Quick customer support
- 👍 No ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Requires purchase to continue
- 👎 Purchase not restoring
- 👎 Issues with family sharing
- 👎 Tedious arrow interaction
- 👎 Broken bonus level

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot restore purchases
- Purchased content not unlocking on new devices
- Family sharing not working for purchases
- Bonus level is unplayable/unexitable
- Back button not working in bonus level

**Requested features**

- Extend free trial
- Improve arrow interaction
- Add more levels
- Add option to reset progress
- Improve Turkish dubbing accuracy


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Highlights™ Shapes free?

Highlights™ Shapes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Code Karts free?

Code Karts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Highlights™ Shapes or Code Karts?

Highlights™ Shapes and Code Karts are both rated 3.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 325 and 147 ratings respectively.

### Do Highlights™ Shapes or Code Karts have ads?

Neither Highlights™ Shapes nor Code Karts shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Highlights™ Shapes or Code Karts?

Highlights™ Shapes ships an update every 6 weeks, and Code Karts every 4 months. Most recently, Highlights™ Shapes was updated on October 15, 2026 and Code Karts on October 12, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*