Comparison

Target vs Carter's

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Target

Discover seasonal essentials, outfit ideas, and home decor. Shop deals on groceries, pantry staples, and gifts. Enjoy convenient services like curbside pickup and same-day delivery.

Highlights
  • Shop seasonal arrivals
  • Curbside pickup
  • Same-day delivery
  • Exclusive deals & offers
  • Virtual try-on
  • Check store stock
  • Build shopping lists
Features
Read full description

Make the most of fall with fall decor, cozy home essentials, seasonal treats, and everything you need for autumn gatherings. With Halloween around the corner, it’s easy to get ready for all the fun October brings. Find Halloween costumes for the whole family, along with Halloween decorations, Halloween candy, trick-or-treat essentials, party supplies, and more. From picking out the perfect costume to adding festive touches with Halloween décor, you’ll find plenty of ways to get ready for October 31. Whether you’re planning a Halloween party, stocking up on candy, decorating your home, or getting ready for trick-or-treating, the Target app makes it simple to shop Halloween essentials and all your everyday favorites in one place. Get fresh deals and Target Circle offers, free Drive Up for curbside pickup, same-day delivery and easy returns, all with just a tap. Everything you love about Target is just a tap away. Free Drive Up: Just check out with Drive Up and we’ll bring your order out to your car, we’ll even load the trunk, no extra charge. Same-Day Delivery from Target & More Local Stores: Score unlimited same-day delivery on orders over $35 with a Target Circle 360™ membership, or just pay $9.99 per delivery. Target Circle Deals: Browse hundreds of exclusive Target Circle deals, and scan barcodes as you shop so you never miss a way to save. Just-For-You Bonuses: Earn with Target Circle rewards and save with personalized deals. Save & Pay in a Snap: At checkout, just scan your Wallet barcode to stack all your savings, Target Circle deals, gift cards and even 5% off with your Target Circle™ Card. Plan Ahead, Shop Smarter: Build your list ahead of time, find your items in the aisles and spot what’s on sale before you even walk in. Check Stock Before You Go: Know what’s available at your store, see top-rated finds, and read real reviews from fellow shoppers. Shop by Category for Everything You Need: With the Target app, you can easily shop by category, whether you’re looking for food & beverage, essentials & beauty, apparel & accessories or home & electronics. Just tap to find everything you need in one spot. See It in Your Space: Place furniture and decor in your space before you decide to buy, making shopping for your space easy and fun. Virtual Try-On: See how beauty products and accessories look on you with our virtual try-on feature, no guesswork, just confidence in your picks. Shop Target-Owned Brands: You’ll find groceries, electronics and all the everyday essentials from Target’s own brands, like Good & Gather, up&up and Heyday. Designer Collections You’ll Love: We team up with top designers to bring you limited-edition home decor, apparel & accessories and so much more. Download the Target app and unlock savings, surprises, and a little everyday joy, every time you shop.

About

Carter's

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
Currently charting
Read full description

The Carter's app makes shopping for your little ones easier than ever — with styles from all 5 brands: Carter's®, OshKosh B'gosh®, Skip Hop®, Little Planet®, and Otter Avenue™. Whether you're shopping for baby, toddler, or big kid, the app helps you find what you need fast, with curated collections for bedtime, playtime, gift-giving, and more. Key Features: - Shop all 5 brands in one place - Quickly check local store inventory - Choose curbside pickup or same-day delivery (where available) - Track and redeem Carter's Rewards - Stay up to date with app-exclusive launches - Easily browse soft, sustainable essentials for every age and stage Save time, stay inspired, and shop confidently — right from your phone.

Screenshots

Target4 screens
Carter's4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Carter's at none against Target's shown. Carter's also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Target's advantage is ratings volume (7M vs 187K) and chart position (#16 vs #185). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Target against 4.9 for Carter's. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Target has 7M ratings behind it against 187K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of Target's written reviews are positive against 67% of Carter's's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Target ships an update weekly, Carter's fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Target versus Carter's: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTargetCarter's
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (7M ratings) — better4.9 (187K ratings)
Positive reviews59.4% of reviews67.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7M — better187K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#16 — better#185
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size587 MB189 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTargetCarter's Retail, Inc.

Customer experience

Target

All ratings6,948,709 ratings
Positive98.2%
Neutral0.9%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews4,329 reviews
Positive59.4%
Neutral7.1%
Negative33.5%

Carter's

All ratings186,190 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral1.2%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews468 reviews
Positive67.1%
Neutral5.3%
Negative27.6%

User reviews

Target

From 7M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Intuitive and fluid shopping experience
  • 🔍 Helpful product search and filtering
  • 📍 In-store location and price lookup features
  • 💳 Convenient wallet and loyalty program integration
  • 🛒 Smooth checkout and order management

Room to improve

  • 🤔 Confusing settings and navigation
  • 🤷‍♀️ Inconsistent in-stock information
  • 🤬 Fraudulent pricing and dark patterns
  • 🔌 Unreliable wallet and payment features
  • 🚚 Delivery and order fulfillment issues

Carter's

From 187K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

Target

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login and account management issues
  • Inconsistent behavior across different device and OS versions
  • Glitches in order placement, tracking, and fulfillment

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved in-store inventory visibility and filtering
  • Seamless integration of pickup, delivery, and shipping options
  • Enhanced personalization and customization capabilities
  • Streamlined checkout and payment experiences
  • Better communication and transparency around order status

Carter's

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

In-app purchases

None

Target

No in-app purchases

None

Carter's

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Target free?
Target is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Carter's free?
Carter's is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Target or Carter's?
Target is rated higher. Target averages 4.9 out of 5 from 7M ratings, while Carter's averages 4.9 from 187K ratings.
Do Target or Carter's have ads?
Target shows ads; Carter's does not.
Which is updated more often, Target or Carter's?
Target ships an update weekly, and Carter's fortnightly. Most recently, Target was updated on November 1, 2026 and Carter's on November 1, 2026.
Which is more popular, Target or Carter's?
Target currently peaks at #16 in the App Store charts, and Carter's at #185. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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