# Puppet Pals vs BrainPOP Jr.

The clearest difference is price: BrainPOP Jr. at Free against Puppet Pals's $6.99. BrainPOP Jr. also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (21K vs 13). Puppet Pals's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5). On review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

BrainPOP Jr. is free to download; Puppet Pals costs $6.99 up front. BrainPOP Jr. sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Puppet Pals asks for nothing beyond the download.

BrainPOP Jr. holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BrainPOP Jr. has 21K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Puppet Pals's written reviews are positive against 72% of BrainPOP Jr.'s.

Puppet Pals ships an update every 3 weeks, BrainPOP Jr. every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Puppet Pals | BrainPOP Jr. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $6.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.1 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puppet-pals-school-edition/id462134755/reviews) | **[4.6 (21K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainpop-jr/id536371867/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **21K** |
| Positive reviews | 70.6% of reviews | **72.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 78 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Polished Play, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/332686547) | [BrainPOP®](https://appshunter.io/developer/364894355) |

## What reviewers say

### Puppet Pals

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puppet-pals-school-edition/id462134755)

This app provides a complete toolkit for creating animated puppet shows, allowing students to draw custom characters, use photos, and access pre-loaded assets. It includes printable lesson plans for various subjects and is designed for safe, offline classroom use.

**Highlights:** Create animated puppet shows, Draw custom characters and backdrops, Use photos as characters/backgrounds, Over 100 pre-loaded characters, Printable lesson plans and resources, Offline functionality, No ads or in-app purchases

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none


### BrainPOP Jr.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainpop-jr/id536371867)

This app offers engaging animated movies, interactive activities, and quizzes for K-3 learners. It aims to transform passive screen time into active, enriched educational experiences with relatable characters guiding children through various subjects. The platform is designed to foster critical thinking and independent learning.

**Highlights:** Animated movies, Interactive activities, Quizzes, K-3 curriculum, Critical thinking focus, Independent learning

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BrainPOP Jr. Explorer Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Full Access Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| BrainPOP Jr. Monthly Combo | $19.99 | per month |
| Full Access Yearly | $119.00 | per year |
| BrainPOP Jr. Yearly Combo | $159.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Makes learning fun
- 👍 Engaging videos and quizzes
- 👍 Helpful for homeschooling and supplemental learning
- 👍 Informative and educational content
- 👍 Funny and entertaining

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 💰 Lack of free content
- 🐛 Crashes and technical issues
- 👎 Limited content selection

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to subscribe
- Videos not loading properly
- Quiz functionality not working

**Requested features**

- More free videos and content
- Lower subscription pricing
- Improved device compatibility
- Expanded topic coverage
- Better navigation and organization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Puppet Pals free?

Puppet Pals costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BrainPOP Jr. free?

BrainPOP Jr. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Puppet Pals or BrainPOP Jr.?

BrainPOP Jr. is rated higher. Puppet Pals averages 4.1 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while BrainPOP Jr. averages 4.6 from 21K ratings.

### Do Puppet Pals or BrainPOP Jr. have ads?

Neither Puppet Pals nor BrainPOP Jr. shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Puppet Pals or BrainPOP Jr.?

Puppet Pals ships an update every 3 weeks, and BrainPOP Jr. every 6 weeks. Most recently, Puppet Pals was updated on November 13, 2026 and BrainPOP Jr. on November 13, 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.*