LearnWatchGo vs Playpen
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LearnWatchGo
This app allows parents to curate YouTube channels for their children, monitor viewing in real-time, and optionally require quizzes before new videos. It offers profanity scanning in video transcripts and supports multiple child profiles with a one-time unlock fee.
- Curated YouTube channel selection
- Real-time viewing monitoring
- Profanity scanning in transcripts
- Optional video quizzes
- Multiple child profiles
- No suggested videos outside selected channels
Read full descriptionHide full description
LearnWatchGo The mission of LearnWatchGo is to help parents keep their quiet time with a little more peace of mind. You as the parent can designate which YouTube channels your child can watch. You can choose from any available channel on YouTube. There are no suggested videos outside of the selected channel, and no commenting. As your child watches YouTube within the LearnWatchGo, you can view in real-time what your child is watching. You can also request a transcript of each video that will be scanned to highlight profanity and other questionable language. You can delete and add channels at any time. Next, you can require your child to pass a short quiz in order to view another video. Current subjects available are addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, spelling, and geography, with more in development. You can set the "pass a quiz" requirement for every other video, every two, every there, or if you want, this feature can be disabled to utilize the channel control and transcript review features only. Frequently asked questions: 1) Are the videos kid safe? *LearnWatchGo does not review or monitor videos. You, as the parent, are in control of the channels and therefore the videos watched within the application. 2) Does my child have to answer questions? *No, you can set question frequency to not answer any questions. 3) What channels are available? *Any channel that is available on YouTube can be added to your child's profile. You as the parent are in control of the channel lineup for each profile. 4) Are there suggested videos? *No suggested videos are shown outside of the selected channel. 5) Is it free? *One profile and one group of subjects are free. You can unlock multiple profiles for a one-time cost of $9.99 usd. 6) Does it prevent my child from going to YouTube directly? *No, but you can enable guided access, screen pinning, or a site blocker to prevent click-throughs. For more information, visit https://www.learnwatchgo.com/guidedaccess
Playpen
This app helps parents keep children entertained with pre-approved activities, preventing access to the full device. It allows parents to select specific content like YouTube videos or photo albums, ensuring a safe and engaging experience for kids and peace of mind for adults.
- Curated child-friendly activities
- Restricted access to device features
- Pre-approved YouTube videos
- Access to specific photo albums
- Interactive animal sounds
- Apple Watch control
Read full descriptionHide full description
An app to help parents keep their kids entertained without allowing them to rifle through their devices. Made by a parent for other parents. By giving kids access to pre-approved activities, Playpen gives parents a well-earned break safe in the knowledge that their little ones are entertained. — WHAT IS PLAYPEN Playpen is an app created by a father who found that simply giving their kid an iPhone locked to an app with Guided Access* wasn't enough. Kids soon get bored of playing the same game or looking at the same photos, and sometimes giving them unfettered access to YouTube isn't something parents want to do. Playpen is the answer. With Playpen, parents can configure which activities they want to allow their kids to access and then enter Guided Access mode. That way, they don't get bored and parents have peace of mind because they know exactly what their child is doing. Activities available to kids via Playpen include being able to take photos, look at photo libraries, watch YouTube videos, and more: - Access to the selfie camera, but not your entire Photo Library - Preconfigured YouTube videos but without access to the wider YouTube library of content - The ability to view specific photo albums without the ability to edit them - Listen to multiple interactive and cute animal sounds Playpen will automatically start an activity whenever Guided Access mode is enabled as well, making it super easy to get up and running when parents need it. Even better, Playpen supports parents' Apple Watches, so they can control the activities that kids are using without having to take the iPhone or iPad away. *Guided Access is an iPhone and iPad feature that locks devices to a single app with a special sequence of button presses and a passcode required to unlock. — WHO IS PLAYPEN FOR? Playpen is for parents of kids who need to be entertained on long car drives, while waiting for a meal in a restaurant, or anywhere else. As parents, we've all been in situations where our kids are bored and need a little extra stimulation and Playpen is an app that offers that in a way that ensures not only are our kids safe, but so are our devices as well. Giving kids access to iPhones and iPads, often that are used for work, can be problematic. That's no longer a concern when using Playpen. People who could benefit from using Playpen include: - Parents stuck in line with a child who is becoming restless - Anyone who's been on a long car journey with a child who keeps asking "are we there yet?" - Parents who would normally give their iPhone to a child to entertain them but worry that they'll go snooping through their work emails - Any parent, with any child, who just needs some peace! https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Playpen at 5.0 against LearnWatchGo's 4.0. Playpen also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 days vs fortnightly). LearnWatchGo's advantage is ratings volume (15 vs 3). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. LearnWatchGo sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Playpen sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Playpen holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LearnWatchGo has 15 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.
LearnWatchGo ships an update fortnightly, Playpen every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LearnWatchGo | Playpen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (15 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 15 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 109 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PL47 Productions, LLC | Josh Holtz |
Customer experience
LearnWatchGo
Playpen
In-app purchases
LearnWatchGo
- Tip $5 usd$5.00
- Multiple Profiles and Subjects2 variants$9.99
- Tip $10 usd$10.00
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Tip $15 usd$15.00
Playpen
- Plus Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Plus Annually3 Days trial$12.991 Year
- Plus Lifetime$39.99









