# Pictello Visual Stories vs Counting Bear

The clearest difference is price: Counting Bear at $0.99 against Pictello Visual Stories's $19.99. Counting Bear also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months) and rating (4.5 vs 4.1). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Pictello Visual Stories costs $19.99 and Counting Bear $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Counting Bear holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 33 and 86 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Pictello Visual Stories's written reviews are positive against 76% of Counting Bear's.

Pictello Visual Stories ships an update every 7 months, Counting Bear monthly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pictello Visual Stories | Counting Bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | [4.1 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pictello-visual-stories/id397858008/reviews) | **[4.5 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/counting-bear-easily-learn-how-to-count/id414967966/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 33 | **86** |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | **76.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 660 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AssistiveWare](https://appshunter.io/developer/308368167) | [Innovative Investments Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/414603477) |

## What reviewers say

### Pictello Visual Stories

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pictello-visual-stories/id397858008)

Create engaging visual stories and social schedules with photos, videos, and text. Supports literacy development through features like word-by-word highlighting and text-to-speech. Easily share your creations with others or export them for wider distribution.

**Highlights:** Create visual stories with photos and videos, Text-to-speech and voice recording, Word-by-word text highlighting, Built-in word prediction, Import books from Tar Heel Reader, Share stories via server or Dropbox, Export to PDF or print

**In-app purchases:** none


### Counting Bear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/counting-bear-easily-learn-how-to-count/id414967966)

This educational game helps young children learn to count from 1 to 20 through interactive sight, sound, and touch. It allows for personalization with custom voices and items, offering a multi-sensory learning experience for ages 0 to 6.

**Highlights:** Learn numbers 1-20, Count objects by sight, Count by touch with audio feedback, Add custom voice recordings, Personalize with own photos, Adjustable difficulty, Multi-sensory learning

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for learning to count
- 🎨 Highly customizable
- 🗣️ Ability to record own voice
- 🖼️ Realistic and nice pictures
- 🧒 Engaging for young children

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Photo loader/custom photos don't work
- 🐛 App freezes or closes unexpectedly
- 🔊 Audio issues (no sound, incorrect counting)
- 🚫 No support from developers

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when adding own pictures
- Photo loader doesn't work
- App crashes when the bear in the corner is touched
- App freezes and doesn't progress
- App crashes on launch after update

**Requested features**

- Allow counting past 20
- Option to delay voice prompts
- Landscape view option
- Confirmation at the end of counting
- Option to create an endpoint or 'play again'


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pictello Visual Stories free?

Pictello Visual Stories costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Counting Bear free?

Counting Bear costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pictello Visual Stories or Counting Bear?

Counting Bear is rated higher. Pictello Visual Stories averages 4.1 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while Counting Bear averages 4.5 from 86 ratings.

### Do Pictello Visual Stories or Counting Bear have ads?

Neither Pictello Visual Stories nor Counting Bear shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pictello Visual Stories or Counting Bear?

Pictello Visual Stories ships an update every 7 months, and Counting Bear monthly. Most recently, Pictello Visual Stories was updated on November 1, 2026 and Counting Bear 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.*