# Thumsters vs HOW TO TALK

The clearest difference is rating: Thumsters at 4.7 against HOW TO TALK's 4.0. Thumsters also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (874 vs 23). HOW TO TALK's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 69%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Thumsters sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and HOW TO TALK sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Thumsters holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thumsters has 874 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 69% of Thumsters's written reviews are positive against 88% of HOW TO TALK's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Thumsters ships an update fortnightly, HOW TO TALK every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thumsters | HOW TO TALK |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (874 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thumsters-behavior-tracker/id1274298804/reviews)** | [4.0 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/how-to-talk-parenting-tips/id1457193746/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **874** | 23 |
| Positive reviews | 68.7% of reviews | **87.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 92 MB | 139 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [KØBEN digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/1225099509) | [MYTHICOWL SP Z O O](https://appshunter.io/developer/970419034) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### HOW TO TALK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/how-to-talk-parenting-tips/id1457193746)

This app offers instant, actionable advice for common parenting challenges like sibling rivalry, bedtime struggles, and tantrums. It guides users through questions to provide creative solutions and dialogue examples for various child behavior issues.

**Highlights:** Instant tips and advice, Guidance through user-selected categories, Solutions for difficult feelings, Alternatives to punishment, Conflict resolution strategies, Concrete examples and dialogue

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock full version | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thumsters free?

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

### Is HOW TO TALK free?

HOW TO TALK is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Thumsters or HOW TO TALK?

Thumsters is rated higher. Thumsters averages 4.7 out of 5 from 874 ratings, while HOW TO TALK averages 4.0 from 23 ratings.

### Do Thumsters or HOW TO TALK have ads?

Neither Thumsters nor HOW TO TALK shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Thumsters or HOW TO TALK?

Thumsters ships an update fortnightly, and HOW TO TALK every 11 months. Most recently, Thumsters was updated on November 3, 2026 and HOW TO TALK on November 2, 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.*