# Sphero Play vs Carle

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sphero Play at 69% against Carle's 25%. Sphero Play also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (37K vs 57). On price, update cadence, 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.

Sphero Play holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sphero Play has 37K ratings behind it against 57, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Sphero Play's written reviews are positive against 25% of Carle's.

Sphero Play ships an update every 2 months, Carle every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sphero Play | Carle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sphero-play/id1280682522/reviews)** | [3.8 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carle/id1478981781/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | 57 |
| Positive reviews | **69.2% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 193 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sphero, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/468699622) | [DKC Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1148503394) |

## What reviewers say

### Sphero Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sphero-play/id1280682522)

Control and play with various Sphero robots using a single application. Explore multiple drive modes, engage in robot-controlled games, and learn basic programming through a block-based interface.

**Highlights:** Multiple drive modes (joystick, tilt, voice), Robot-controlled games, Block Drive programming, Sports-themed drive modes, Voice control

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and engaging app
- 👍 Great controls and customization
- 🎮 Enjoyable games and activities
- 💡 Compatibility with multiple Sphero products

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connectivity issues
- 🔧 Limited features compared to older apps
- 🔋 Concerns about battery life and durability

**Reported bugs**

- Joystick controls not working as expected
- Alignment issues causing unexpected movement

**Requested features**

- More games and activities
- Support for additional Sphero products (e.g. Ollie, BB-8)
- Improved aiming and control precision
- Camera integration to see the Sphero's view


### Carle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carle/id1478981781)

Control a robot using your phone with intuitive buttons or gravity sensors. The app also allows you to play stories, songs, and poems.

**Highlights:** Button controls for robot movement, Gravity sensor control, Robot dancing, Play stories, Play songs, Play poems

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sphero Play free?

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

### Is Carle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sphero Play or Carle?

Sphero Play is rated higher. Sphero Play averages 4.8 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while Carle averages 3.8 from 57 ratings.

### Do Sphero Play or Carle have ads?

Neither Sphero Play nor Carle shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sphero Play or Carle?

Sphero Play ships an update every 2 months, and Carle every 3 months. Most recently, Sphero Play was updated on November 5, 2026 and Carle on November 3, 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.*