Comparison

Potty Time with Elmo vs Alphablocks, How to Write

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

Head to head
About

Potty Time with Elmo

This app uses an animated storybook, songs, and games featuring Elmo to help young children transition from diapers to underwear. It includes a progress chart to track potty training milestones and offers helpful tips for parents.

Highlights
  • Animated storybook narrated by Elmo
  • Five fun potty-time songs
  • Potty progress chart with stickers
  • Three engaging preschool games
  • Two reading modes
  • Parental training tips
Read full description

Elmo reads this animated storybook in an app filled with games, songs, stickers and a potty progress chart that all help ease your child through toilet training. When it’s time to potty train your little one, Elmo leads the way! The Potty Time with Elmo app is a fun way to transition from diapers to big-kid underpants. Developed for children ready to potty train, this charming app features everyone’s favorite furry red monster, Elmo, helping his toy Baby David learn to use the potty. Also included are three playful games: • A preschooler-friendly running game • Jigsaw puzzles • a bubble-popping counting game With familiar tunes and instructive, easy-to-sing lyrics, five songs provide a super fun way to learn good bathroom habits. • When It’s Potty Time, You Feel It • I Am Waiting on the Potty • Flush Goes the Potty • I Wash, Wash, Wash My Hands • Boom, Boom, Ain’t It Great to Be a Big Kid Tap around to see two hidden animations on each story page – finding them earns a sticker for the potty chart! You can track potty progress with the chart: Go, Wipe, Flush, and Wash. The Potty Time with Elmo app will engage, encourage, and delight even the youngest kids. Learn the basics of potty use by listening to the story and interacting with it and wait for the giggles to start! FEATURES • Narrated by Elmo! • 5 fun-to-sing potty-time songs • 15 animated stickers for use in the Potty Chart • Potty Chart to track your child’s progress • 5 potty-themed jigsaw puzzles • Helpful training tips for parents of would-be potty-goers • 2 reading modes to choose from: • “Listen & Play” mode, which lets you hear the story read aloud; find stickers, sounds, and songs; and turn the pages • “Read & Play” mode, which lets you read the story yourself OR tap text to hear it read by Elmo ABOUT US Sesame Workshop’s mission is to use the educational power of media to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Delivered through a variety of platforms, including television programs, digital experiences, books and community engagement, its research-based programs are tailored to the needs of the communities and countries they serve. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org. PRIVACY POLICY The Privacy Policy can be found here: https://sesameworkshop.org/about-us/legal/privacy-policy/ CONTACT US Your input is very important to us. If you have any questions, comments, or need help, please contact us at: sesameworkshopapps@sesame.org.

About

Alphablocks, How to Write

This app uses animated characters to teach children how to write letters and numbers. It features a guided learning path with pre-writing exercises, letter families, and tracing practice with rhymes. The app is designed by educational experts and is ad-free.

Highlights
  • Pre-writing line practice
  • Letter families based on shape
  • Scaffolded learning trajectory
  • Letter and numeral tracing
  • Writing rhymes for memorization
  • Adventure-based learning
Read full description

Alphablocks and Numberblocks, How to Write is a hands-on, fun way for children to learn to write, packed with brand new Writing Magic. Imagine if the letters of the alphabet and numbers came to life to teach your child how to write... This is exactly what happens in How to Write! Join your favourite characters from the hit CBeebies shows, Alphablocks and Numberblocks, as they find their way home, helping children practice fine motor skills and letter formation accompanied by catchy rhymes along the way. This app is brought to you by top educators and experts in play from the BAFTA award-winning creators of Numberblocks and Blue Zoo animation studios. How does Alphablocks and Numberblocks, How to Write help your child? "Alphablocks and Numberblocks, How to Write helps children build confidence as they practice fine motor skills covering the foundational line shapes that they will need to form letters. The journey is carefully scaffolded, taking children through generic practice lines, pre-letter lines and letter formation. A brilliant app!" Professor Kate Ruttle, Early Years Writing expert and advisor to Alphablocks Ltd. 1. Carefully scaffolded learning trajectory, designed by top literacy educators and experts in play. 2. This app is fun, educational and safe, being COPPA and GDPR-K compliant and 100% ad-free. 3. All presented through a safe, 100% ad-free, digital game for your child to explore. Featuring… - Pre-writing lines to help children practice fine motor skills. - Letters are carefully broken down into four letter families, based on similarities of shape: Bouncy, Straight Line, Curly and Zigzag letter families. - Within each letter family, letters are introduced with the simplest first, so children can build up their skills confidently. - Pre-letter lines help children to repeat the key movement in each letter and numeral, as carefully specified by our literacy experts. - Letter and numeral tracing practice, accompanied by special writing rhymes for each letter of the alphabet and numbers 0-9 help children to remember the movements! - A fun adventure, helping each Alphablock and Numberblock find their way home... and ultimately customising their home with a fun surprise! Privacy & Safety At Blue Zoo Productions Ltd. and Alphablocks Ltd., your child’s privacy and safety is the first priority for us. There are no ads in the app and we will never share personal information with any 3rd parties or sell this on. You can find out more in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service: Privacy Policy: https://www.learningblocks.tv/privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://www.learningblocks.tv/terms-of-service

Screenshots

Potty Time with Elmo4 screens
Alphablocks, How to Write4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Alphablocks, How to Write at 3.9 against Potty Time with Elmo's 3.4. Alphablocks, How to Write also leads on review sentiment (56% vs 36%) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 19 months). Potty Time with Elmo's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $3.99). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Potty Time with Elmo costs $2.99 and Alphablocks, How to Write $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Alphablocks, How to Write holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 65 and 24 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Potty Time with Elmo's written reviews are positive against 56% of Alphablocks, How to Write's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Potty Time with Elmo ships an update every 19 months, Alphablocks, How to Write every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Potty Time with Elmo versus Alphablocks, How to Write: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPotty Time with ElmoAlphablocks, How to Write
Price$2.99 — better$3.99
Rating3.4 (65 ratings)3.9 (24 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.0% of reviews55.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings65 — better24
Update frequencyEvery 19 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size131 MB323 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSesame Workshop (Apps)Blue-Zoo

Customer experience

Potty Time with Elmo

All ratings64 ratings
Positive53.1%
Neutral14.1%
Negative32.8%
Written reviews136 reviews
Positive36.0%
Neutral4.4%
Negative59.6%

Alphablocks, How to Write

All ratings22 ratings
Positive63.6%
Neutral9.1%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral11.1%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

Potty Time with Elmo

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Sound not working
  • App crashing or not loading properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • More interactive features and animations
  • Option for boy and girl characters
  • Ability to reset/customize reward chart
  • More songs and games

Alphablocks, How to Write

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Potty Time with Elmo

No in-app purchases

None

Alphablocks, How to Write

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Potty Time with Elmo free?
Potty Time with Elmo costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Alphablocks, How to Write free?
Alphablocks, How to Write costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Potty Time with Elmo or Alphablocks, How to Write?
Alphablocks, How to Write is rated higher. Potty Time with Elmo averages 3.4 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while Alphablocks, How to Write averages 3.9 from 24 ratings.
Do Potty Time with Elmo or Alphablocks, How to Write have ads?
Neither Potty Time with Elmo nor Alphablocks, How to Write shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Potty Time with Elmo or Alphablocks, How to Write?
Potty Time with Elmo ships an update every 19 months, and Alphablocks, How to Write every 5 months. Most recently, Potty Time with Elmo was updated on October 24, 2026 and Alphablocks, How to Write on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons