# AlphaBaby Play vs Elmo Loves ABCs

The clearest difference is price: AlphaBaby Play at Free against Elmo Loves ABCs's $4.99. AlphaBaby Play also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 52%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). Elmo Loves ABCs's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#92 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

AlphaBaby Play is free to download; Elmo Loves ABCs costs $4.99 up front. AlphaBaby Play sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Elmo Loves ABCs asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for AlphaBaby Play against 4.1 for Elmo Loves ABCs. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 36 and 147 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of AlphaBaby Play's written reviews are positive against 52% of Elmo Loves ABCs's.

AlphaBaby Play ships an update every 4 months, Elmo Loves ABCs every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AlphaBaby Play | Elmo Loves ABCs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.2 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphababy-play/id333177252/reviews)** | [4.1 (147 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elmo-loves-abcs/id426747278/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 36 | **147** |
| Positive reviews | **89.1% of reviews** | 51.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#92** |
| Size | 5 MB | 548 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Little Potato Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/321916103) | [Sesame Workshop (Apps)](https://appshunter.io/developer/339077104) |

## What reviewers say

### AlphaBaby Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphababy-play/id333177252)

This app introduces toddlers to letters and shapes through interactive touch and sound. Users can personalize the experience by recording their own voices and adding custom images and captions, fostering early learning and engagement.

**Highlights:** Interactive letters and shapes, Voice recording for customization, Add custom images and captions, Shrink and grow letter animations, Flick and fly animations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to Full AlphaBaby | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👶 Excellent for babies and toddlers (ages 8 months to 4 years)
- 🎓 Educational tool teaching letters, numbers, shapes, and colors
- 🎤 Ability to record custom voice and add personal photos
- 🆓 Free version available with quality features
- 🛡️ Child-proof design prevents accidental app store clicks

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔄 Random presentation lacks structured learning approach
- 📚 Uses letter names instead of phonetic sounds
- 🔊 Volume control not available
- 💾 In-app purchases not persisting across device changes
- 🎙️ Custom sound recording feature unreliable for some users

**Reported bugs**

- In-app purchases lost when changing iOS devices
- Custom sound recording not working reliably
- In-app upgrade icon not updating after purchase
- Same objects appearing consecutively in random mode
- Settings menu difficult to access and discover

**Requested features**

- Phonetic sound options instead of letter names
- Extended number range (up to 50+)
- Sound/volume level control
- Delay option to discourage button mashing
- Multiple voice recordings per object for multilingual families


### Elmo Loves ABCs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elmo-loves-abcs/id426747278)

**Currently charting:** #92 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Explore the alphabet with interactive games, songs, and videos featuring beloved characters. This app offers engaging activities to help children learn letter identification, sounds, and tracing, fostering art and music appreciation.

**Highlights:** Interactive letter games, Songs and videos about letters, Coloring pages, Letter tracing activities, Personalization options, Progress tracker for adults

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Engaging and educational for children
- 🎨 Customizable with personal videos and photos
- 🎥 Classic Sesame Street videos and songs
- 🤖 Elmo is a beloved character
- 💡 Wide variety of activities per letter

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Tracing letters can be difficult and unresponsive
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes reported
- 🔇 Audio issues like missing sounds or echoes
- 🛑 Paid version has intrusive ads
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/accessing all content

**Reported bugs**

- Tracing not working as expected
- Crashes and freezes on various devices
- Audio issues like missing sounds
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
- Difficulty downloading/accessing full version

**Requested features**

- Improved letter tracing functionality
- Ability to disable ads in paid version
- More customization options
- Expanded content beyond just letters
- Better organization and navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AlphaBaby Play free?

AlphaBaby Play is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Elmo Loves ABCs free?

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

### Which has better reviews, AlphaBaby Play or Elmo Loves ABCs?

AlphaBaby Play is rated higher. AlphaBaby Play averages 4.2 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while Elmo Loves ABCs averages 4.1 from 147 ratings.

### Do AlphaBaby Play or Elmo Loves ABCs have ads?

Neither AlphaBaby Play nor Elmo Loves ABCs shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AlphaBaby Play or Elmo Loves ABCs?

AlphaBaby Play ships an update every 4 months, and Elmo Loves ABCs every 5 months. Most recently, AlphaBaby Play was updated on November 6, 2026 and Elmo Loves ABCs on November 12, 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.*