# ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles vs Elmo Loves 123s

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles at 83% against Elmo Loves 123s's 40%. ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles also leads on price ($2.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Elmo Loves 123s's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 4.1) and chart position (#143 vs unranked). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles costs $2.99 and Elmo Loves 123s $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Elmo Loves 123s holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 86 and 97 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles's written reviews are positive against 40% of Elmo Loves 123s's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles ships an update every 8 months, Elmo Loves 123s every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles | Elmo Loves 123s |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.1 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shapebuilder-preschool-puzzles/id306572986/reviews) | **[4.4 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elmo-loves-123s/id581585669/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 86 | **97** |
| Positive reviews | **83.2% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#143** |
| Size | 98 MB | 459 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Murtha Design LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/306572989) | [Sesame Workshop (Apps)](https://appshunter.io/developer/339077104) |

## What reviewers say

### ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shapebuilder-preschool-puzzles/id306572986)

This app helps young children develop cognitive thinking and fine motor skills through interactive puzzles. It features easy-to-move shapes that snap into place, revealing images and professional voice recordings of words spoken by a speech therapist. The app offers a wide variety of puzzles, including animals, letters, numbers, and musical instruments, in a fun and engaging format.

**Highlights:** Interactive shape puzzles, Speech therapist voiceovers, Develops cognitive thinking, Enhances fine motor skills, Educational content (animals, letters, numbers), Sound effects

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎓 Educational for young kids
- ⭐ Engaging and entertaining
- 🎨 Vibrant graphics and visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and compatibility issues
- 🔇 Missing sound or audio features
- 🔁 Repetitive puzzles
- 🕰️ Puzzles advance too quickly

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- No sound or audio issues
- Puzzles not displaying correctly

**Requested features**

- More variety and new puzzles
- Ability to pause, replay, or navigate puzzles
- Customization options (e.g. difficulty, categories)
- Support for multiple languages


### Elmo Loves 123s

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elmo-loves-123s/id581585669)

**Currently charting:** #143 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

This app offers a variety of games, activities, and videos designed to teach young children about numbers and counting. It features interactive tracing, puzzles, and songs with beloved characters, covering numbers 1 through 20.

**Highlights:** Number tracing with surprises, Interactive games and puzzles, Songs and videos about numbers, Coloring pages, Learning tracker for parents, Addition & Subtraction practice

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for learning numbers
- 👍 Engaging and fun activities
- 👍 Loved by toddlers
- 👍 Interactive play
- 👍 Educational content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Elmo not prominent
- 😞 Videos with crying
- 😞 Tracing not accurate
- 😞 Inconsistent learning
- 😞 Paid app issues

**Reported bugs**

- Videos with crying in them
- Count video for number 14 missing
- Purchased features gone
- Elmo nowhere to be seen after intro
- Advert added to paid app

**Requested features**

- Remove videos with crying
- Restore Count video for number 14
- Add numbers above 20
- Add music videos
- Add number 0


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles free?

ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Elmo Loves 123s free?

Elmo Loves 123s costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles or Elmo Loves 123s?

Elmo Loves 123s is rated higher. ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles averages 4.1 out of 5 from 86 ratings, while Elmo Loves 123s averages 4.4 from 97 ratings.

### Do ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles or Elmo Loves 123s have ads?

Neither ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles nor Elmo Loves 123s shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles or Elmo Loves 123s?

ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles ships an update every 8 months, and Elmo Loves 123s every 5 months. Most recently, ShapeBuilder Preschool Puzzles was updated on November 10, 2026 and Elmo Loves 123s on November 12, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*