# Mood Toolbox vs CogniStar

The clearest difference is rating: CogniStar at 5.0 against Mood Toolbox's 2.7. Mood Toolbox's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mood Toolbox sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and CogniStar sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

CogniStar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

Mood Toolbox ships an update fortnightly, CogniStar every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mood Toolbox | CogniStar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mood-toolbox/id1342614348/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cognistar-brain-training/id6787395641/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 113 MB | 113 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Natalie Clarke](https://appshunter.io/developer/534221807) | [suleyman kardas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1298155143) |

## What reviewers say

### Mood Toolbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mood-toolbox/id1342614348)

This app offers games and tips to help children understand and manage their emotions. It features interactive characters, social stories, and mood tracking to support emotional intelligence development, particularly for children with ASD and special needs.

**Highlights:** Interactive Moodzies for mood recognition, Strategies for mood management, Social stories for emotional regulation, Focusing games for calming, Achievement system for motivation, Daily mood tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mood Toolbox | $2.99 | one-time |


### CogniStar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cognistar-brain-training/id6787395641)

This app offers engaging cognitive games for children aged 6-10, focusing on attention, memory, logic, and spatial reasoning. It features adaptive learning, progress tracking, and printable worksheets in a safe, ad-free environment.

**Highlights:** 144+ dynamic game modes, Adaptive learning engine, Parent dashboard and stats, Custom PDF worksheet generator, Offline mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CogniStar Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| CogniStar Premium 6 Months | $19.99 | per 6 months |
| CogniStar Premium Annual | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mood Toolbox free?

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

### Is CogniStar free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mood Toolbox or CogniStar?

CogniStar is rated higher. Mood Toolbox averages 2.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while CogniStar averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Mood Toolbox or CogniStar have ads?

Neither Mood Toolbox nor CogniStar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mood Toolbox or CogniStar?

Mood Toolbox ships an update fortnightly, and CogniStar every 11 days. Most recently, Mood Toolbox was updated on October 24, 2026 and CogniStar on October 28, 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.*