# Hairy Maclary vs Bubbles

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bubbles at 100% against Hairy Maclary's 54%. Bubbles also leads on price (Free vs $1.99). Hairy Maclary's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 37 months). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Bubbles is free to download; Hairy Maclary costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Hairy Maclary ships an update every 3 months, Bubbles every 37 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hairy Maclary | Bubbles |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hairy-maclary/id383481759/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4** | — |
| Positive reviews | 53.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 37 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 217 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kiwa Digital Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/336728313) | [Ministry of Education](https://appshunter.io/developer/507340102) |

## What reviewers say

### Hairy Maclary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hairy-maclary/id383481759)

An interactive digital book featuring a beloved children's story with narration by David Tennant and sign language interpretations. Children can touch words to hear them spoken and spelled, color pages, and record their own narration.

**Highlights:** Interactive narration by David Tennant, Video narration in 3 sign languages (NZSL, AUSLAN, ASL), Touch words to hear and see them spoken and spelled, Coloring and painting mode, Record your own narration, Swipe-to-Read™ and Auto Play features

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bubbles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bubbles-ready-to-read/id892587714)

This interactive digital book teaches New Zealand Sign Language and English vocabulary through engaging animations, sound effects, and read-along features. It offers options for children to read independently or with narration, and includes coloring activities for illustrations.

**Highlights:** Swipe-to-Read™, Touch-to-Hear™, Touch-to-Spell™, Read-to-me and read-it-myself options, Record narration, Color illustrations, Animation and sound effects

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hairy Maclary free?

Hairy Maclary costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bubbles free?

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

### Do Hairy Maclary or Bubbles have ads?

Neither Hairy Maclary nor Bubbles shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hairy Maclary or Bubbles?

Hairy Maclary ships an update every 3 months, and Bubbles every 37 months. Most recently, Hairy Maclary was updated on November 6, 2026 and Bubbles on November 1, 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.*