# Doodle Kids vs Talking Carl

The clearest difference is price: Doodle Kids at Free against Talking Carl's $0.99. Doodle Kids also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (82% vs 71%). Talking Carl's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (931 vs 21). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Doodle Kids is free to download; Talking Carl costs $0.99 up front. Talking Carl sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Doodle Kids asks for nothing beyond the download.

Talking Carl holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Talking Carl has 931 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of Doodle Kids's written reviews are positive against 71% of Talking Carl's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Doodle Kids ships an update monthly, Talking Carl every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Doodle Kids | Talking Carl |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [3.7 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doodle-kids/id302828886/reviews) | **[4.3 (931 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talking-carl/id417373312/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 21 | **931** |
| Positive reviews | **82.3% of reviews** | 71.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#87** |
| Size | 1 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | **4.3** | 9.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Virtual GS](https://appshunter.io/developer/302652687) | [Tayasui.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/359375853) |

## What reviewers say

### Doodle Kids

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doodle-kids/id302828886)

This app provides a simple and fun painting experience for children. It generates random shapes and colors, allowing kids to create unique artwork. Users can also set photos as backgrounds and clear the canvas with a shake.

**Highlights:** Draws random shapes and colors, Tap to clear screen with random color, Shake to access menu, Set photos as background, Supports iPhone 5

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and creative
- 🎨 Great for kids
- 💡 Impressive for a 9-year-old developer
- 🎨 Colorful and entertaining

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔒 Lacks save/export options
- 🔒 Limited customization options
- 🔒 Simplistic design

**Reported bugs**

- Compatibility issues with iOS 11
- App stops working after updates

**Requested features**

- Add save/export options
- Allow users to choose shapes and colors
- Expand customization options
- Improve overall functionality


### Talking Carl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talking-carl/id417373312)

**Currently charting:** #87 Top Paid · Entertainment (US App Store)

Interact with a funny talking character by talking, tickling, and feeding him. He repeats your words with a silly voice and reacts to your actions with laughs, growls, and more. Features a baby mode for younger children.

**Highlights:** Talk and hear words repeated, Feed the character, Tickle for laughs, Poke for reactions, Baby mode for kids, Swipe gestures for actions

**Features:** iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sticker Pack | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 😊 Funny and entertaining
- 🤩 Brings back childhood memories
- 👍 Great for kids and adults
- 💕 Cute and lovable character

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔧 Glitchy and buggy
- 🕰️ Outdated and not updated
- 🤖 Unresponsive voice recognition

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Sprites and animations glitch out
- Voice recording and playback issues
- Incompatibility with newer devices

**Requested features**

- Update the app to fix bugs and glitches
- Add more features and interactions
- Bring back old fan-favorite games and modes
- Improve voice recognition and responsiveness


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Doodle Kids free?

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

### Is Talking Carl free?

Talking Carl costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Doodle Kids or Talking Carl?

Talking Carl is rated higher. Doodle Kids averages 3.7 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Talking Carl averages 4.3 from 931 ratings.

### Do Doodle Kids or Talking Carl have ads?

Neither Doodle Kids nor Talking Carl shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Doodle Kids or Talking Carl?

Doodle Kids ships an update monthly, and Talking Carl every 5 weeks. Most recently, Doodle Kids was updated on October 23, 2026 and Talking Carl 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.*