# DRAWNIMAL vs DNA Play

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | DRAWNIMAL | DNA Play |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.2 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawnimal/id586239095/reviews) | **[4.4 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dna-play/id1033801524/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 135 | **2.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 63.9% of reviews | **67.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 69 MB | 155 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [YATATOY](https://appshunter.io/developer/1290279571) | [AVOKIDDO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1137946176) |

## What reviewers say

### DRAWNIMAL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawnimal/id586239095)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Letter Pack 1 | $2.49 | one-time |
| Letter Pack 2 | $2.49 | one-time |
| Letter Pack 3 | $2.49 | one-time |
| All letter packs | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dna-play/id1033801524)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Food items hard to pick up
- Glitches and crashes on some devices

**Requested features**

- More gameplay options and activities
- Ability to name and save monsters
- Additional customization options
- Improved controls and responsiveness


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*