# Carter's vs Gymboree

The clearest difference is monetization model: Carter's at free against Gymboree's free with in-app purchases. Carter's also leads on ratings volume (185K vs 11K) and chart position (#147 vs unranked). Gymboree's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 67%) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Carter's against 4.9 for Gymboree. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Carter's has 185K ratings behind it against 11K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Carter's's written reviews are positive against 80% of Gymboree's.

Carter's ships an update fortnightly, Gymboree weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Carter's | Gymboree |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (185K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carters/id1275723118/reviews) | [4.9 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gymboree/id1495871937/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **185K** | 11K |
| Positive reviews | 66.8% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#147** | — |
| Size | 191 MB | 116 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Carter's Retail, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1275723117) | [The Children's Place](https://appshunter.io/developer/579835841) |

## What reviewers say

### Carter's

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carters/id1275723118)

**Currently charting:** #147 Top Free · Shopping (US App Store)

Discover and shop styles for babies, toddlers, and big kids from five beloved family brands. Find curated collections for specific needs like bedtime or gifts, and enjoy convenient shopping options like curbside pickup and same-day delivery.

**Highlights:** Shop 5 family brands in one app, Check local store inventory, Curbside pickup & same-day delivery, Track Carter's Rewards, App-exclusive launches, Browse sustainable essentials

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💕 Love the clothes
- 💰 Great deals and rewards
- 👍 Convenient app for shopping
- 🛒 Smooth checkout process

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy app with errors
- 🔍 Inaccurate inventory/filtering
- 🔄 Items disappearing from cart
- 🔒 Issues with password recovery
- 🤔 Confusing/unintuitive layout

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to add items to cart
- App crashes and freezes
- Incorrect address auto-correction
- Rewards not applying properly

**Requested features**

- Add a 'favorites' feature
- Improve cart management
- Better sync between app and website
- More detailed product information


### Gymboree

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gymboree/id1495871937)

Shop curated collections for children up to size 12, plus coordinating outfits for parents. Get VIP access to promotions, track orders, and find store information. Earn rewards with the free My Place Rewards program across four brands.

**Highlights:** Shop curated children's collections, Coordinating adult outfits, VIP promotions and discounts, Order tracking and saved payment methods, In-store product scanner, Free rewards program, Shop multiple brands in one app

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great quality clothing
- 👍 Cute and unique options
- 👍 Helpful outfit suggestions
- 👍 Affordable prices
- 👍 Excellent customer service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App glitches and crashes
- 🐛 Rewards program issues
- 🐛 Difficulty with returns/exchanges
- 🐛 Limited physical store locations

**Reported bugs**

- App not allowing sign-in after updates
- Checkout process issues with adding/removing items
- Coupon codes not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Bring back physical stores
- Improve app stability and user experience
- Expand rewards program and offer more benefits


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Carter's free?

Carter's is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Gymboree free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Carter's or Gymboree?

Carter's and Gymboree are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 185K and 11K ratings respectively.

### Do Carter's or Gymboree have ads?

Neither Carter's nor Gymboree shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Carter's or Gymboree?

Carter's ships an update fortnightly, and Gymboree weekly. Most recently, Carter's was updated on October 17, 2026 and Gymboree on October 16, 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.*