# Puppet Pals vs ScratchJr

The clearest difference is price: ScratchJr at Free against Puppet Pals's $6.99. ScratchJr also leads on ratings volume (1.8K vs 13) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). Puppet Pals's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

ScratchJr is free to download; Puppet Pals costs $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Puppet Pals holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ScratchJr has 1.8K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Puppet Pals's written reviews are positive against 67% of ScratchJr's.

Puppet Pals ships an update every 3 weeks, ScratchJr every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Puppet Pals | ScratchJr |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $6.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.1 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puppet-pals-school-edition/id462134755/reviews)** | [3.9 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratchjr/id895485086/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **69.7% of reviews** | 66.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 75 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Polished Play, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/332686547) | [Scratch Foundation, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1066012912) |

## What reviewers say

### Puppet Pals

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

This app provides a complete toolkit for students to create animated stories, ideal for educational projects like book reports and historical reenactments. It allows for custom character and backdrop creation using drawing or photos, and includes over 100 pre-loaded characters. The app is safe for schools with no online sharing or ads.

**Highlights:** Create animated stories, Draw custom characters and backdrops, Use photos as characters/backgrounds, Over 100 pre-loaded characters, Printable lesson plans and resources, Offline functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### ScratchJr

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scratchjr/id895485086)

This app allows young children to create their own interactive stories and games by snapping together graphical programming blocks. It fosters problem-solving, creative expression, and develops early numeracy and literacy skills in a fun, motivating context.

**Highlights:** Program interactive stories, Create games, Snap-together programming blocks, Develop problem-solving skills, Foster creative expression, Learn coding fundamentals

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use for kids
- 🚀 Great for coding and creating animations
- 💡 Allows customization of characters and backgrounds
- ⭐ Fun and engaging for young users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy drawing/editing tools
- 🔧 Limited number of frames/scenes per project
- 🎨 Lack of color options and customization
- 🔊 Poor audio quality and limited sound options

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing and crashing issues
- Incorrect character movements and positioning
- Saving and loading problems
- Microphone and recording bugs

**Requested features**

- Add more frames/scenes per project
- Improve drawing/editing tools
- Expand color and customization options
- Enhance audio features and sound library
- Integrate with the full Scratch platform


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Puppet Pals free?

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

### Is ScratchJr free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Puppet Pals or ScratchJr?

Puppet Pals is rated higher. Puppet Pals averages 4.1 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while ScratchJr averages 3.9 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Puppet Pals or ScratchJr have ads?

Neither Puppet Pals nor ScratchJr shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Puppet Pals or ScratchJr?

Puppet Pals ships an update every 3 weeks, and ScratchJr every 6 months. Most recently, Puppet Pals was updated on October 18, 2026 and ScratchJr on October 17, 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.*