# Bubbles vs Thomas & Friends Minis

The clearest difference is price: Thomas & Friends Minis at Free against Bubbles's $0.99. Thomas & Friends Minis also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.2) and ratings volume (61K vs 64). Bubbles's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and chart position (#24 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Thomas & Friends Minis is free to download; Bubbles costs $0.99 up front. Thomas & Friends Minis sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Bubbles asks for nothing beyond the download.

Thomas & Friends Minis holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thomas & Friends Minis has 61K ratings behind it against 64, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Bubbles's written reviews are positive against 72% of Thomas & Friends Minis's.

Bubbles ships an update every 3 months, Thomas & Friends Minis every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bubbles | Thomas & Friends Minis |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.2 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bubbles/id284288607/reviews) | **[4.4 (61K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thomas-and-friends-minis/id1216643761/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 64 | **61K** |
| Positive reviews | 46.9% of reviews | **71.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#24** | — |
| Size | 2 MB | 202 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jesse Grosjean](https://appshunter.io/developer/284288610) | [Budge Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/390712652) |

## What reviewers say

### Bubbles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bubbles/id284288607)

**Currently charting:** #24 Top Paid · Entertainment (US App Store)

This app provides a playful and interactive experience for young children. It allows them to create and pop bubbles, draw letters, numbers, and shapes with a touch interface, offering a fun and engaging distraction.

**Highlights:** Create bubbles by dragging, Pop bubbles by tapping, See bubbles fly, Experience gravity physics, Draw bubble letters, Draw bubble numbers, Draw bubble shapes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Visually appealing bubbles
- 🧒 Great for entertaining toddlers
- 🕰️ Relaxing and calming
- 🎉 Fun for all ages

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Limited features and functionality
- 🔜 Bubbles disappear too quickly
- 💰 Paid in-app purchases removed
- 🤯 Creepy bubble faces

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on certain devices
- Issues with recent updates
- Inability to access previous purchases

**Requested features**

- More bubble customization options
- Ability to keep bubbles on screen longer
- Restore previous in-app purchases
- Add different bubble types and styles


### Thomas & Friends Minis

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thomas-and-friends-minis/id1216643761)

Build and customize your own train sets with a variety of tracks, decorations, and terrain. Drive your favorite engines through your creations, experiencing thrilling stunts and adventures. Explore unique worlds and let your imagination run wild.

**Highlights:** Build exciting train tracks, Customize with decorations and terrain, Perform spectacular stunts, Drive trains in 3rd person, Explore unique themed worlds, Create from scratch or use pre-made sets

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Gordon's  Winter Wonderland | $6.99 | one-time |
| Percy's Spooky Forest | $6.99 | one-time |
| Toby's Busy City | $6.99 | one-time |
| James's Jurassic Cove | $6.99 | one-time |
| Spencer's Aqua Park | $6.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Everything | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and creative game
- 🚀 Engrossing gameplay
- 💡 Allows building custom train sets
- 🤩 Nostalgic for Thomas fans

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 📺 Constant ads and pop-ups
- 🔒 Difficulty restoring purchases across devices
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Blueprints not unlocking properly
- Trains getting stuck or freezing
- Inability to restore previous purchases

**Requested features**

- Add more free content and characters
- Larger build areas and more track pieces
- Option to turn off ads after purchase
- Ability to rotate track pieces
- More free challenges and unlockables


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bubbles free?

Bubbles costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Thomas & Friends Minis free?

Thomas & Friends Minis is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bubbles or Thomas & Friends Minis?

Thomas & Friends Minis is rated higher. Bubbles averages 3.2 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while Thomas & Friends Minis averages 4.4 from 61K ratings.

### Do Bubbles or Thomas & Friends Minis have ads?

Neither Bubbles nor Thomas & Friends Minis shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bubbles or Thomas & Friends Minis?

Bubbles ships an update every 3 months, and Thomas & Friends Minis every 4 months. Most recently, Bubbles was updated on November 6, 2026 and Thomas & Friends Minis on November 8, 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.*