Comparison

DRAWNIMAL vs DNA Play

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

Head to head
About

DRAWNIMAL

This app combines drawing and learning the alphabet by having children draw animals around a device. It encourages creative thinking and offers a fun, interactive way to practice letters with animations and audio.

Highlights
  • Draw and animate animals
  • Learn the alphabet creatively
  • Interactive drawing experience
  • Supports 35 animals
  • Available in 5 languages
  • No internet or ads
Features
Read full description

Draw funny animals! Learn the alphabet! Expand your device with pen and paper! DRAWNIMAL is a unique app where kids draw adorable animals while learning the alphabet. With your phone or tablet placed on paper, kids select an animal face from the alphabet menu and draw around the device. The app then instructs how to draw the rest of the animal body. The digital screen is inventively extended with a simple physical interaction, which encourages kids to think outside the box. Hilarious and delightful animations motivate to keep learning. Our primary goal with the app was to expand your device by using simple tangible tools like pen and paper. Features: + Play with up to 35 animals + Get the first 5 animals (A-E) for free + Draw animals and see them come alive with animation + Practice the alphabet in a creative and interactive way + Switch between 5 languages + Lively animations and impressive audio + No failing, no goal, no wrong or right + Supports all iPads and iPhones with iOS 16 or later + No internet access needed! + No advertisements! Available in 5 languages with full voice acting: English, Spanish, German, French and Italian! Learn more about YATATOY: yatatoy.com Contact us for assistance or to give feedback: https://yatatoy.com/info/ MADE BY YATATOY

About

DNA Play

Design and mutate unique creatures by solving DNA puzzles and altering genes. Interact with your creations in real-time through various activities, discovering their personalities and evolving their forms.

Highlights
  • Create over 200 billion unique monsters
  • Solve DNA puzzles to build creatures
  • Alter genes for real-time mutations
  • Interact with monsters in various activities
  • Discover monster personalities and quirks
  • Save monster creations and DNA blueprints
Read full description

Create your own funny monsters and transform them in real-time by building and tweaking their DNA! Over 200 billion unique life forms at your fingertips! Feed your monsters, dance with them, watch them skate, get to know their quirks. • App Store "Best of 2015" • Reached #1 in Kids & Education on the App Store in US, UK & many more countries • Digital Ehon Award - Prize Winner 2017 • Tutora Award - Best Educational App 2017 • "App of the Week" by BBC Focus Magazine • Featured in "Apps of the Month" by The Guardian • "Learning about genetics becomes child’s play" - Cool Mom Tech • "A playful and amusing introduction to a big STEM concept!" - Madison Public Library • "Sneak scientific knowledge under a child’s radar by turning it into a game" - The Sunday Times This fun monster maker game introduces kids to the basic science of DNA in an easy pure-play style. Learn how to build creatures by completing a series of simple DNA puzzles. Get creative and experiment with quirky mutations of different body parts by altering genes. Have fun playing with your monsters and change their form in real-time while they dance, skate, eat or sleep! CREATE & MUTATE Start with a basic unformed figure and complete the gene puzzles to give it a fully grown torso, face and limbs. Then tweak the genes or simply tap on the monster's body parts to trigger mutations. Observe how the tiniest change in the DNA code can lead to unimaginable new characteristics. Watch your monster turn from yellow to red, grow pink hair and 6 eyes, have its ears transform into fish fins and its belly pop out and crave for food. Best of all, these are emotional creatures with vivid personalities, so prepare to be surprised! PLAY & EXPLORE Once you complete all 6 body parts it's time to play with your monsters and have fun! Feed them, tweak them, push them, squeeze them, make them jump or slide! Go for a skateboard ride with them! Get to know their quirks. Do they enjoy being chased by an elephant, being hypnotized or listen to music? Are they afraid of the dark? Discover what makes them sneeze, laugh or cry, how their voice changes after mutating their faces! Try, experiment and evolve! Why stick with 2 short legs when 4 tall ones are so much better for flamenco dancing? Keep transforming and observe which forms look better in various activities! Take photos and share your genetic blueprints so friends can clone your beasts. Build your personal library of ready-to-play, cute little monsters. Science has never been so fun! MAIN FEATURES • A playful introduction to DNA, biology and genetics • Build over 200 billion unique monsters! • Complete the DNA puzzles, swap their pieces to mutate • Tap on body parts to trigger random mutations • Plenty of unexpected and hilarious interactions • Transform monsters in real-time while they dance, sleep, eat, skate & more! • Save your monsters in a ready-to-play library  • Save snapshots of your creations stamped with their DNA code • Parents' section includes basic info on DNA, illustrated tutorial, interaction hints & play ideas • Ideal for kids 4-9 years old • Perfect for STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) • Language neutral game-play • No time limits, free-play style • Exceptional graphics, superb music & original sound design • Safe for kids: COPPA compliant, no 3rd party ads, no in-app purchases PRIVACY POLICY We respect your privacy! We do not collect, store, or share any personal information. Our app does not contain 3rd party ads or in-app purchases and is completely safe for young children. Read our privacy policy here: http://avokiddo.com/privacy-policy. ABOUT AVOKIDDO Avokiddo is an award-winning studio, creating top quality apps for education and playful learning. We think that when you enjoy something, you become one with it; and it is in this creative state that learning takes place. More about us at: avokiddo.com

Screenshots

DRAWNIMAL4 screens
DNA Play4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: DRAWNIMAL at Free against DNA Play's $4.99. DRAWNIMAL also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 6 months). DNA Play's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 135). On review sentiment, ads and device support 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

DRAWNIMAL is free to download; DNA Play costs $4.99 up front. DRAWNIMAL sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. DNA Play asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DNA Play holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DNA Play has 2.2K ratings behind it against 135, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of DRAWNIMAL's written reviews are positive against 68% of DNA Play's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DRAWNIMAL ships an update every 3 months, DNA Play every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
DRAWNIMAL versus DNA Play: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDRAWNIMALDNA Play
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.2 (135 ratings)4.4 (2.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.9% of reviews67.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1352.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB155 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYATATOYAVOKIDDO

Customer experience

DRAWNIMAL

All ratings135 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral8.1%
Negative14.1%
Written reviews449 reviews
Positive63.9%
Neutral6.9%
Negative29.2%

DNA Play

All ratings2,160 ratings
Positive84.5%
Neutral7.7%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews68 reviews
Positive67.6%
Neutral14.7%
Negative17.6%

User reviews

DRAWNIMAL

From 135 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Engaging and creative app
  • 🎨 Fun drawing experience
  • 🌍 Available in multiple languages
  • 🤗 Great for kids and adults
  • 💡 Encourages creativity and imagination

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and compatibility issues
  • 📄 Requires physical paper and pen
  • 🔍 Limited content (only up to letter C)
  • 🔊 Inconsistent audio (e.g. 'zed' instead of 'zee')
  • 🎨 Some animal illustrations not very recognizable

DNA Play

From 2.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and creative
  • 💡 Teaches about DNA and diversity
  • 🥰 Child-friendly and engaging
  • 🤩 Customizable monsters

Room to improve

  • 😕 Limited gameplay and interaction
  • 😒 Repetitive and boring after a while
  • 🤔 Difficulty controlling/interacting with monsters
  • 💰 Overpriced for the content

Bugs and requests

DRAWNIMAL

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes on launch
  • Unable to progress past letter C
  • Swipe gesture not working as expected
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Expand content to full alphabet
  • Allow in-app drawing without physical paper
  • Add more animal options
  • Improve audio consistency across languages
  • Introduce a 'sounds' mode to focus on letter sounds

DNA Play

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Food items hard to pick up
  • Glitches and crashes on some devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More gameplay options and activities
  • Ability to name and save monsters
  • Additional customization options
  • Improved controls and responsiveness

In-app purchases

4 purchases

DRAWNIMAL

One-time4
  • Letter Pack 1$2.49
  • Letter Pack 2$2.49
  • Letter Pack 3$2.49
Show 1 more
  • All letter packs$4.99
None

DNA Play

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DRAWNIMAL free?
DRAWNIMAL is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DNA Play free?
DNA Play costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DRAWNIMAL or DNA Play?
DNA Play is rated higher. DRAWNIMAL averages 4.2 out of 5 from 135 ratings, while DNA Play averages 4.4 from 2.2K ratings.
Do DRAWNIMAL or DNA Play have ads?
Neither DRAWNIMAL nor DNA Play shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DRAWNIMAL or DNA Play?
DRAWNIMAL ships an update every 3 months, and DNA Play every 6 months. Most recently, DRAWNIMAL was updated on October 18, 2026 and DNA Play on October 19, 2026.

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