Comparison

Doodle Jump vs Whale Trail

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

Head to head
About

Doodle Jump

Guide a character upwards on a graph paper world using tilt controls. Collect power-ups like jet packs and avoid obstacles such as black holes and monsters. Compete with friends and other players on global leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Tilt controls for movement
  • Collect jet packs and power-ups
  • Avoid black holes and monsters
  • Jump on monsters Mario-style
  • Global leaderboards and achievements
  • Race against friends
Features
Read full description

BE WARNED: Insanely addictive! "possibly the best iPhone game ever created" - Touch Arcade From prime-time sitcoms (BIG BANG THEORY) to late night TV (JIMMY FALLON) to a fashion accessory for pop stars (LADY GAGA), Doodle Jump is EVERYWHERE! It's a cultural craze, a hot new trend! iTunes reviews (US) ************* "I just got dumped cuz I wouldn't put this game down! And I just kept playing while she walked away... ITS THAT GOOD!" "Somehow it's better than sleep for me. I am sick, sleep deprived, and achy, and yet I cannot put it down" "Coming from someone who owns a PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360, I play this game more!! This game is amazing!!" Media reviews: ******* "Doodle Jump is a perfect micro-game, insanely addictive, and deliciously replayable. Go get it." - MacWorld.com "the most addicting iPhone game yet?" -GIZMODO "...the king of casual games on the App Store ...tons of updates and lots and lots of gameplay in a super simple and accessible package." - TUAW So, what is it? **** In Doodle Jump, you guide Doodle the Doodler—using some of the most subtle and accurate tilt controls in existence—on a springy journey up, up, up a sheet of graph paper, picking up jet packs, avoiding black holes, and blasting baddies with nose balls along the way. Laugh with delight as Doodle™ blows past other players' actual score markers scribbled in the margins. And be warned: this game is insanely addictive. FEATURES: - 11 incredible worlds + 3 SECRET easter eggs - broken, moving, disappearing, moveable, and EXPLODING platforms - JET PACKs, PROPELLER HATS, ROCKETS, and springs that fly you higher - UFOs, black holes, monsters, bear traps! - jump on monsters to bring them down MARIO-style - share your scores - race agains friends! - global leaderboards, achievements! How to play: Tilt to move left or right, tap the screen to shoot. -------------------------------------------------- *Please don't Doodle Jump and drive, and BE WARNED: Doodle Jump is Insanely Addictive!

About

Whale Trail

Embark on a vibrant journey as a whale, collecting items, performing aerial maneuvers, and battling enemies. Unlock new characters, enhance abilities, and explore numerous challenge levels. Enjoy a visually stunning and engaging arcade experience.

Highlights
  • Fly as Willow the Whale
  • Collect Blubbles and earn Krill
  • Unlock playable friends
  • Upgrade Willow's skills
  • Smash enemies
  • 96 Challenge levels
  • Classic and Challenge game modes
Features
Read full description

***Previously Apple Game of the Week*** 26,000+ 5 Star Ratings! (and counting) Fly as Willow the Whale, collect Blubbles, loop the loop, unlock playable friends, upgrade Willow's skills, smash enemies and meet bonkers characters along the way. ================================= > ‘The next smash hit in iOS gaming.’ - TNW > ‘The game is GORGEOUSLY cute. Try it out for a buck.’ - Gizmodo > ‘Whale Trail is an absolute joy.’ - TouchArcade > ‘The kind of winningly simple concept from which App Store phenomena are made.’ - Edge > ‘Impossible not to like, stellar production values and solid gameplay.’ - Pocket Gamer > ‘Ditch your jetpack, it’s time to ride the psychedelic Whale Trail.’ - Kotaku > ‘It’s simple and gorgeous. There’s rarely been a better gaming value for money.’ - T3 ================================= • Soundtrack by Gruff Rhys of ‘The Super Furry Animals’ • Simple and intuitive one touch gameplay • 2 game modes, Classic and Challenge • Earn Krill and use it in Willow's store • Upgrade Willow's skills • Unlock playable friends • Use 'Treats' while flying for instant bonuses! • 96 Challenge levels, can you 3 STAR them all? • Smash the Thunder Bros in 'Frenzy' mode • Launch into space at speed-boosts • Compete against friends with Game Center • Heaps of challenging missions to unlock

Screenshots

Doodle Jump4 screens
Whale Trail4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Whale Trail at Free against Doodle Jump's $1.99. Whale Trail also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (95% vs 71%). Doodle Jump's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#36 vs unranked). On update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Whale Trail is free to download; Doodle Jump costs $1.99 up front. Doodle Jump sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Whale Trail sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Whale Trail holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Whale Trail has 4.3K ratings behind it against 828, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Doodle Jump's written reviews are positive against 95% of Whale Trail's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Doodle Jump versus Whale Trail: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDoodle JumpWhale Trail
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (828 ratings)4.8 (4.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.0% of reviews94.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8284.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#36 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLima Skyustwo games

Customer experience

Doodle Jump

All ratings828 ratings
Positive78.1%
Neutral7.5%
Negative14.4%
Written reviews473 reviews
Positive71.0%
Neutral8.2%
Negative20.7%

Whale Trail

All ratings4,251 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews504 reviews
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.6%

User reviews

Doodle Jump

From 828 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Favorite game
  • 🎮 Great classic
  • 👍 Fun and addictive
  • 🕹️ Amazing game
  • 🎨 Cute characters and themes

Room to improve

  • 🙄 Too many ads
  • 🤔 Confusing controls
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 💰 Paid version still has ads
  • 🔁 Repetitive gameplay

Whale Trail

From 4.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🐳 Cute and fun game
  • 🎶 Wonderful soundtrack
  • 👍 Simple and addictive gameplay
  • 🌈 Vibrant and colorful visuals
  • 🕰️ Nostalgic for long-time players

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🤖 Outdated for newer devices
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🤯 Challenging and frustrating at times

Bugs and requests

Doodle Jump

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Missions progress not saving properly
  • Crashes on certain devices
  • Multiplayer connection issues
  • Incorrect theme/character unlocking

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more themes and characters
  • Improve multiplayer functionality
  • Add difficulty settings
  • Provide an option to turn off sound effects
  • Optimize for newer devices

Whale Trail

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Krill not properly credited after completing levels
  • Game freezing on certain device models
  • Whale controls not responsive on larger screens

Requested features

4 requests
  • Multiplayer mode
  • More customization options for whales
  • Wider screen support for newer devices
  • Additional levels and worlds to explore

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Doodle Jump

One-time11
  • 1000 coins$0.99
  • 1000 candies$0.99
  • 500 eggs$0.99
Show 8 more
  • 10,000 gold$0.99
  • 10,000 coins$1.99
  • 5000 eggs$1.99
  • 100,000 gold$1.99
  • 30,000 coins$2.99
  • 10000 candies$2.99
  • 15000 eggs$2.99
  • 100,000 coins$3.99
7 purchases

Whale Trail

One-time7
  • Unlock Pack 1$1.99
  • Unlock Pack 2$1.99
  • Pocket Money$1.99
Show 4 more
  • Unlock Pack 3$1.99
  • Bucket Full$2.99
  • Serious Clams$6.99
  • Swimming In It$19.99

Questions

Is Doodle Jump free?
Doodle Jump costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Whale Trail free?
Whale Trail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Doodle Jump or Whale Trail?
Whale Trail is rated higher. Doodle Jump averages 4.2 out of 5 from 828 ratings, while Whale Trail averages 4.8 from 4.3K ratings.
Do Doodle Jump or Whale Trail have ads?
Whale Trail shows ads; Doodle Jump does not.
Which is updated more often, Doodle Jump or Whale Trail?
Doodle Jump ships an update every 2 months, and Whale Trail every 2 months. Most recently, Doodle Jump was updated on September 24, 2026 and Whale Trail on September 24, 2026.

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