Comparison

Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose vs Code Karts

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

Head to head
About

Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose

This app teaches preschool and early elementary children letter names, sounds, and spelling of words up to six letters. It offers four learning levels and engaging activities like collecting stickers and creating constellations.

Highlights
  • Learn letter names
  • Learn letter sounds (phonics)
  • Spell 4-letter words
  • Spell 6-letter words
  • Interactive activities
  • Collect stickers
  • Create constellations
Read full description

Word Wagon is a fun, award-winning app teaching letters, phonics and spelling. Based on Common Core State Standards kids will learn letter names, sounds and spelling of 4 and 6 letter words. AGES: 2-6. OVERVIEW 4 Levels for Preschool, Kindergarten and First Grade: - Level 1: Letters – learn the names of the letters - Level 2: Phonics – learn the sounds of the letters - Level 3: Spelling I – spell words up to four letters - Level 4: Spelling II – spell words up to six letters CATEGORY: Curriculum ACTIVITIES - LEARN letters, words and phonics - PLAY with Mozzarella the Mouse and his best friend Coco the bird - COLLECT stickers. Earn colorful stickers for each word in a sticker book. Touch the animated stickers to hear funny sounds. - EARN stars. Use the stars to make different constellations, which are shaped like animals. Mozzarella the mouse will dress up as an astronaut and float in space! - DISCOVER interactive surprises like playing hide and seek, dressing up as a ghost and drawing pictures with Mozzarella the Mouse and Coco AWARDS - Parents’ Choice Gold Award - Parents’ Choice Foundation - Children’s Technology Review Editor’s Choice Award for Excellence in Design ABOUT DUCK DUCK MOOSE (A wholly-owned subsidiary of Khan Academy) Duck Duck Moose, an award-winning creator of educational mobile apps for families, is a passionate team of engineers, artists, designers, and educators. Founded in 2008, the company has created 21 top-selling titles and has received 21 Parents’ Choice Awards, 18 Children’s Technology Review Awards, 12 Tech with Kids’ Best Pick App Awards, and a KAPi award for “Best Children’s App” at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with a mission to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Duck Duck Moose is now part of the Khan Academy family. Like all Khan Academy offerings, all Duck Duck Moose apps are now free, without ads or subscriptions. We rely on our community of volunteers and donors. Get involved today at www.duckduckmoose.com/about. Check out the Khan Academy app to learn and practice all kinds of topics for elementary school through college and beyond. We’d love to hear from you! Visit us at www.duckduckmoose.com or drop us a line at support@duckduckmoose.com.

About

Code Karts

This app introduces children aged 4 and up to pre-coding concepts through engaging logic puzzles presented as a raceway. It teaches fundamental coding principles and problem-solving skills through interactive gameplay, including counting in binary.

Highlights
  • Pre-coding logic puzzles
  • Learn to count in binary
  • Develop sequencing and problem-solving
  • Over 70 levels
  • Two game modes
  • Intuitive UI for young children
Features
Read full description

Ready, Set, Code! Code Karts introduces pre-coding to children from the age of 4 through a series of logical puzzles presented in the form of a raceway. What’s more, it teaches kids the fundamentals of code while they race! New in version 4.0: Learn to count in binary with 5 new games! Kids will learn to count like a computer using only 0 and 1 numerals. These activities will sharpen their problem-solving skills and develop their understanding of the decimal system. With over 70 levels, a variety of puzzling obstacles, and two different game modes, there’s no shortage of educational content for kids to enjoy. In Code Karts, the objective is to use direction bricks to get the race car to the finish line. Through careful observation of the track ahead and some logical thinking, kids will quickly pick up on solutions to more and more difficult puzzles and will begin to absorb key elements of code-based thinking. For example, one of the obstacles, the switch, represents “if-then” statements, one of the most common programming tools. While there are a number of games that aim to teach children the fundamentals of code, we’ve found that they are often too difficult to truly educate their intended audience. Code Karts aims to teach the youngest of children the fundamentals of code, allowing them a deeper and more immediate understanding once they become old enough to actually begin writing code themselves. FEATURES: - 2 modes: Classic or Competition (race against the device) - Very intuitive User Interface for children from age 4 - Develop sequencing, problem solving and logic - 70+ levels - 21 languages In our technology-driven world, programming is becoming more and more of a vital skill. It’s a proven fact that the earlier you are introduced to something, the more likely you are to be able to master it as you learn. The same applies to code! By introducing kids to code at a young age, you can ensure that they get a head start in the fascinating realm of computer technology. And what’s a better way to introduce them than through Code Karts, our fun and engaging educational game! About EDOKI ACADEMY We founded EDOKI ACADEMY to bring our classroom experience with hundreds of children to the Digital world of tablets. As certified teachers, our aim is to develop a range of truly educational as well as beautiful apps based on the Montessori Method. All our apps can be used at home or in class. They can also be used by speech therapists. We are proud winners of several Awards from the Parent's Choice Foundation and Common Sense Media. For any support, please contact us on support@edokiacademy.com. PRIVACY POLICY We take personal data protection very seriously. We do not collect or share personal information about your child. You can read our privacy policy here: https://www.edokiacademy.com/en/privacy-policy/ CONNECT WITH US! If you have any support requests, comments, or questions do not hesitate to contact us at support@edokiacademy.com or visit the Edoki Academy Online Community at edokiacademy.com. We’d love to hear from you!

Screenshots

Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose4 screens
Code Karts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose at none against Code Karts's 1. Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 61%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). Code Karts's advantage is ratings volume (147 vs 36). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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

Both are free to download. Code Karts sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 36 and 147 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose's written reviews are positive against 61% of Code Karts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 14, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose versus Code Karts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWord Wagon by Duck Duck MooseCode Karts
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (36 ratings) — better3.8 (147 ratings)
Positive reviews76.7% of reviews — better61.2% of reviews
Number of ratings36147 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB260 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDuck Duck Moose LLCEDOKI ACADEMY

Customer experience

Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose

All ratings36 ratings
Positive72.2%
Neutral8.3%
Negative19.4%
Written reviews60 reviews
Positive76.7%
Neutral13.3%
Negative10.0%

Code Karts

All ratings147 ratings
Positive68.0%
Neutral4.8%
Negative27.2%
Written reviews121 reviews
Positive61.2%
Neutral13.2%
Negative25.6%

User reviews

Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose

From 36 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Engaging for young children
  • 👍 Teaches spelling effectively
  • 👍 Good for early readers
  • 👍 Interactive and fun
  • 👍 Colorful graphics

Room to improve

  • 👎 Doesn't use phonics (for some)
  • 👎 Lowercase 'a' in computer format
  • 👎 Letter colors blend in dark mode
  • 👎 Uppercase letters prioritized over lowercase
  • 👎 American voice/accent

Code Karts

From 147 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great introduction to coding
  • 👍 Fun and engaging for kids
  • 👍 Good for logic and sequencing
  • 👍 Quick customer support
  • 👍 No ads

Room to improve

  • 👎 Requires purchase to continue
  • 👎 Purchase not restoring
  • 👎 Issues with family sharing
  • 👎 Tedious arrow interaction
  • 👎 Broken bonus level

Bugs and requests

Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App not working
  • Letters freeze/can't be dragged
  • Dark mode letter color issue
  • iPad compatibility issues (pixelation, iPhone version)

Requested features

9 requests
  • Add more levels
  • Add phonics games focusing on letter-sound correspondence
  • Option to prefer letter sounds over letter names
  • UK version for voice/accent
  • Slower phonic pronunciations
Show 4 more
  • Lowercase 'a' in school-like font
  • Add incentive for progress saving (stickers, levels)
  • Option to switch between uppercase and lowercase letters
  • Clearer indication of iPad vs. iPhone version

Code Karts

Reported bugs

26 issues
  • Cannot restore purchases
  • Purchased content not unlocking on new devices
  • Family sharing not working for purchases
  • Bonus level is unplayable/unexitable
  • Back button not working in bonus level
Show 21 more
  • App stuck on 'please wait' screen
  • Errors when family member tries to access paid features
  • Purchase not applying across devices
  • Game won't open after purchase attempt
  • Levels not unlocking after purchase
  • Inconsistent silent mode
  • Binary counting errors
  • Frustrating race crashes
  • Car crashes on corners in races
  • Game freezes or pauses on first screen
  • Purchased features not unlocking on other devices
  • Trophy points not accumulating
  • Coins disappearing after iPad update
  • Coins not collecting
  • Error when trying to buy full version (no internet connection)
  • Black screen after completing level 20 on iPad 2
  • Buggy purchase process
  • App asks to buy again after previous purchase
  • Binary game has errors in Turkish dubbing
  • App doesn't work on iPad 3 (popup connection required)
  • Silent mode is inconsistent

Requested features

12 requests
  • Extend free trial
  • Improve arrow interaction
  • Add more levels
  • Add option to reset progress
  • Improve Turkish dubbing accuracy
Show 7 more
  • Fix binary counting errors
  • Add more complex challenges
  • Allow changing car speed
  • Fix car not cleaning issue
  • Provide clues for race crashes
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve sound options

In-app purchases

None

Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Code Karts

One-time1
  • Full Game Unlock$2.99

Questions

Is Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose free?
Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Code Karts free?
Code Karts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose or Code Karts?
Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose is rated higher. Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose averages 4.0 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while Code Karts averages 3.8 from 147 ratings.
Do Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose or Code Karts have ads?
Neither Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose nor Code Karts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose or Code Karts?
Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose ships an update every 4 months, and Code Karts every 4 months. Most recently, Word Wagon by Duck Duck Moose was updated on November 14, 2026 and Code Karts on November 11, 2026.

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