# Behave Buddy vs Thumsters

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Thumsters at 69% against Behave Buddy's 15%. Thumsters also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.2) and ratings volume (873 vs 9). Behave Buddy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 15.1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Thumsters sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Behave Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Thumsters holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thumsters has 873 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 15% of Behave Buddy's written reviews are positive against 69% of Thumsters's.

Behave Buddy ships an update every 4 weeks, Thumsters fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Behave Buddy | Thumsters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.2 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/behave-buddy/id1220199602/reviews) | **[4.7 (873 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thumsters-behavior-tracker/id1274298804/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **873** |
| Positive reviews | 15.4% of reviews | **68.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 29 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Applauz Media Solutions](https://appshunter.io/developer/654739264) | [KØBEN digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/1225099509) |

## What reviewers say

### Behave Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/behave-buddy/id1220199602)

This app acts as a personal behavior coach for children, helping them identify areas for improvement and offering tips to correct negative behaviors. Children earn points for good conduct, which can be redeemed for non-monetary rewards, and parents can track progress and approve reward redemptions.

**Highlights:** Behavior improvement tips, Points for good behavior, Customizable non-monetary rewards, Badge collection system, Daily mini-game for bonus points, Behavioral insights and stats, Parental reward approval

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Thumsters

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thumsters-behavior-tracker/id1274298804)

This app helps parents foster positive behavior and build stronger connections with their children through a reward-based tracking system. It offers tools for habit formation, emotional coaching, and consistent parenting across multiple caregivers, designed for children aged 4-12.

**Highlights:** Real-time behavior tracking (thumbs up/down), Kid-friendly chore list and reward system, Emotional coaching and awareness tools, Multi-device syncing for caregivers, Customizable reward system, Designed for ages 4-12

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium Subscription | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| 6 Month Premium Subscription | $39.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $47.99 | per year |
| 6 month premium subscription | $59.99 | per 6 months |
| ThumbsUp full account - 1 year | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for tracking daily behavior
- 👍 Friendly and intuitive UX
- 👍 Effective reward system with thumbs up/down
- 👍 Customizable goals and reasons
- 👍 Helpful for improving kids' behavior

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs, especially when adding photos
- 🔋 App drains battery quickly
- 🔒 Issues with account syncing and multi-device access
- 🔒 Lack of child-specific profile and controls
- 🔒 Too many steps required to give thumbs up/down

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when adding child profiles
- Sync issues between devices
- Thumbs up/down disappearing or not registering properly
- Inconsistent behavior after app updates

**Requested features**

- Allow kids to track their own progress
- Add more customization options for goals and rewards
- Implement better reporting and analytics
- Improve Apple Watch integration
- Simplify the process of giving thumbs up/down


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Behave Buddy free?

Behave Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Thumsters free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Behave Buddy or Thumsters?

Thumsters is rated higher. Behave Buddy averages 2.2 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Thumsters averages 4.7 from 873 ratings.

### Do Behave Buddy or Thumsters have ads?

Neither Behave Buddy nor Thumsters shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Behave Buddy or Thumsters?

Behave Buddy ships an update every 4 weeks, and Thumsters fortnightly. Most recently, Behave Buddy was updated on October 4, 2026 and Thumsters on October 15, 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.*