# Itsy Bitsy Spider vs Highlights™ Shapes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Itsy Bitsy Spider at none against Highlights™ Shapes's 6. Itsy Bitsy Spider also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.8). Highlights™ Shapes's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (325 vs 40). On price, review sentiment, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Highlights™ Shapes sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Itsy Bitsy Spider asks for nothing beyond the download.

Itsy Bitsy Spider holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Highlights™ Shapes has 325 ratings behind it against 40, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Itsy Bitsy Spider's written reviews are positive against 63% of Highlights™ Shapes's.

Itsy Bitsy Spider ships an update every 7 months, Highlights™ Shapes every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Itsy Bitsy Spider | Highlights™ Shapes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itsy-bitsy-spider-easter-egg/id378995141/reviews)** | [3.8 (325 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlights-shapes/id1127726827/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 40 | **325** |
| Positive reviews | **70.5% of reviews** | 62.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 26 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 10.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duck Duck Moose LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/303076298) | [Highlights for Children, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/567496442) |

## What reviewers say

### Itsy Bitsy Spider

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itsy-bitsy-spider-easter-egg/id378995141)

An interactive and educational retelling of a classic nursery rhyme for young children. Features include hidden surprises, sing-along recording, and mini-games that teach counting and nature.

**Highlights:** Interactive illustrations with hidden surprises, Record your own voice singing, Learn about nature with Cloe the fly, Counting activities with a squirrel, Play peek-a-boo with a frog, Watch a caterpillar transform

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👶 Highly engaging for toddlers and young children
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and animations
- 🎵 Entertaining music and sound effects
- 🖱️ Interactive cause-and-effect gameplay
- 🎓 Educational value for learning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎤 Male singer's voice sounds creepy or odd
- 📱 Limited content - only 2 screens
- ⏱️ Short play duration before boredom sets in
- 🔄 Repetitive gameplay with limited variety
- 💸 Expensive for the amount of content

**Reported bugs**

- App won't progress past opening screen after iOS 13 update
- App won't open at all after recent update
- Stuck on first page with no way to turn pages
- Sound not working despite troubleshooting
- Program crashes and requires restart to change pages

**Requested features**

- More nursery rhymes in similar format
- Additional screens and content
- Female or child voice option for singing
- More verses of Itsy Bitsy Spider incorporated
- Automatic music playback option


### Highlights™ Shapes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlights-shapes/id1127726827)

This app helps young children learn and practice matching, sorting, and categorizing shapes and colors through engaging, story-driven puzzles. It features imaginative worlds and gradually increasing challenges to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

**Highlights:** Shape and color matching, Sorting and categorizing activities, Color mixing lessons, Progressive challenge levels, Exploration of imaginative worlds, Ad-free environment, Multiple language options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chapter Two | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chapter Three | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chapter Four | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chapter Five | $1.99 | one-time |
| "Pack 2 + Pack 3" | $2.99 | one-time |
| 25% Off Preschool Puzzle Fun! | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👶 Excellent educational tool for learning shapes and colors
- 🎮 Engaging and intuitive gameplay mechanics for toddlers
- 🧠 Builds abstract reasoning, patience, and problem-solving skills
- 🎨 Appealing graphics and visual design
- 🦊 Charming fox character guide

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔊 Persistent sound/audio issues across multiple devices
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases for additional levels
- 🚫 No family sharing support for purchases
- 📉 Limited content - only 3-4 levels available
- ⏱️ Levels complete too quickly (3-10 minutes each)

**Reported bugs**

- Sound/audio not working despite system updates and reinstalls
- Notifications must be enabled for sound to function
- Purchased levels not transferring to new devices
- Language switching glitch preventing Spanish audio
- Home button not protected from accidental child taps

**Requested features**

- More levels and increased difficulty progression
- Additional shape types and more complex puzzles
- Alphabet/letter learning app similar to shapes version
- Language options including Spanish and Chinese audio
- Family sharing capability for purchases


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Itsy Bitsy Spider free?

Itsy Bitsy Spider is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Highlights™ Shapes free?

Highlights™ Shapes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Itsy Bitsy Spider or Highlights™ Shapes?

Itsy Bitsy Spider is rated higher. Itsy Bitsy Spider averages 4.2 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Highlights™ Shapes averages 3.8 from 325 ratings.

### Do Itsy Bitsy Spider or Highlights™ Shapes have ads?

Neither Itsy Bitsy Spider nor Highlights™ Shapes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Itsy Bitsy Spider or Highlights™ Shapes?

Itsy Bitsy Spider ships an update every 7 months, and Highlights™ Shapes every 6 weeks. Most recently, Itsy Bitsy Spider was updated on September 27, 2026 and Highlights™ Shapes on September 14, 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.*