Comparison

Elf Studio® vs Kids Activity Ideas

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

Head to head
About

Elf Studio®

Create magical videos and photos of Santa and his elves visiting your home using augmented reality. Place characters in any environment, customize their appearance and animations, and record your own festive scenes.

Highlights
  • Add Santa Claus and elves
  • Unlimited elves and recording time
  • Create custom elves with Elf Workshop
  • Customize elf outfits and accessories
  • Elves with walking and dancing animations
  • Pre-plan or perform animations
  • Customize lighting, shadows, and camera filters
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Elf Studio®! The latest marvel from the Software Elves here at the North Pole Command Center (Creators of Speak to Santa)! Turn your elf's Christmas mischief into photos and videos set in your own home! Put them under the tree, send them towards the cookie jar, or dream up a surprise of your own. - SCAN YOUR OWN ELF! Start with one photo of your elf toy, with room for up to four views. Every account includes one elf scan. Elf Studio Pro includes ten a month, with no additional credit charge. - NO TOY? DRAW OR DESCRIBE ONE! Sketch your elf on the drawing pad or describe it in words, and the AI turns it into an elf you can cast in any scene. - QUICK CREATE OR STUDIO! Pick an elf and a photo, then describe the action, or stage your photo by dragging elves and props into place, choosing poses and adjusting sizes. - GET HELP WITH THE WORDS! Studio builds a scene script from your layout. Get Ideas suggests actions for your photo, and Improve helps rewrite your prompt. - AI PHOTOS & VIDEOS! Make photo takes, compare them and animate your favorite. Cast up to three elves with their own roles in the scene. - DIRECT THE SHOT! Create five-second AI videos with Natural, Stop Motion or Storybook styling, camera movement, portrait or landscape framing and optional generated sound. Use start and end images to guide the action. - MAKE AN EXAMPLE YOUR OWN! Browse scene ideas and use an example recipe with your chosen elf and your own photo. - THE ELF WORKSHOP! Choose ready-made elves in classic and felt styles, or design one in 3D with hair, hats, outfits, gloves, shoes, glasses and colors, with a live preview. - ENHANCE WITH AI! Give your elf a lifelike look and keep different looks to choose from. - BRING THE PROPS! Pick from the prop shelf, scan a toy or describe a prop for the AI to create reference pictures. - STICKERS & POSES! Make AI stickers of your elf striking new poses, then use those poses in your Studio photos. Add a bust sticker of any custom elf, made right on your device. - SEND THEM IN MESSAGES! Open Elf Studio® in the Messages app drawer to send the cast, your own elves and the stickers you have made. - HOME SCREEN WIDGETS! Count the sleeps until Christmas or until your elf arrives, with a posed elf of your choice keeping watch. - MAKE THEM AR-READY! Generate a 3D model of a scanned elf or prop before placing it in your room. - FILM IN AUGMENTED REALITY! Place AR-ready elves and props on your floor, draw walking routes, add stops and choose animations. Capture AR photos and videos, with Look at Camera, footsteps, lighting and actions you can trigger while filming. AR needs a compatible device. - CATCH THEIR FACES! Record the viewer's reaction as your video plays. Reaction recordings stay on your device and are not uploaded to Elf Studio®. - ADD THE FINISHING TOUCH! Apply eight video looks and filters without changing the original. Find your creations in the Gallery, save them to Photos and share the files. AI generation needs an internet connection. Once a job is sent, it can continue on our servers while you leave the app. Enable notifications to hear when it is ready. Your Gallery is stored on this device. Elf Studio® does not provide cloud library backup, so export the memories you want to keep. AI or AR. Photo or video. Your elf, your home, your Christmas story! Elf Studio® is created by North Pole Command Centre Limited and works with any toy. Elf Studio® is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Elf on the Shelf®, but many families use Elf Studio® alongside their existing Elf on the Shelf traditions. Made by the software elves here at the North Pole Command Center! Elf Studio® is a registered trademark in the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States. All rights reserved.

About

Kids Activity Ideas

Discover over 500 creative play ideas and activities for children aged 0-10. Easily filter by age and interest, save favorites to a watch list, and enjoy step-by-step instructions for crafts and experiments. The premium version offers exclusive content and an ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • 500+ play ideas
  • Age and interest filtering
  • Custom watch list
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • Regular new activity updates
  • Premium ad-free content
Read full description

Discover "Kids Activity Ideas" the app for parents, grandparents and caregivers looking for creative and fun play ideas and activities for children aged 0-10 years. 500+ play ideas: With over 500 varied play ideas and activities for kids aged 0-10, you'll always find the perfect entertainment for your children. Easy navigation: Filter activities by age groups and interests to quickly find the right one. Watch list: Save your favorite activities to your custom watch list to have them handy anytime, anywhere. No searching, just instant fun! Regular updates: We're constantly adding new activities to ensure there's always something new to discover. Keep your children's curiosity alive! Step-by-step instructions: Simple instructions make crafting, experimenting, and exploring a breeze. Premium version: Opt for our monthly or annual subscription to get exclusive access to premium content without advertising. Family fun: Create precious memories together by trying out new activities to delight young and old. "Kids Activity Ideas" is more than just an app - it creates experiences and memories for the whole family. Enjoy family time together and foster the bond between your children. Download the app today and experience how easy it is to excite and inspire your children! For questions or support, please contact us at info@dev-visions.com. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Elf Studio®4 screens
Kids Activity Ideas4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Kids Activity Ideas at 100% against Elf Studio®'s 45%. Elf Studio®'s advantage is rating (4.6 vs 1.0) and ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Elf Studio® sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Kids Activity Ideas sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Elf Studio® holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elf Studio® has 3.8K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 45% of Elf Studio®'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Kids Activity Ideas's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Elf Studio® ships an update every 6 days, Kids Activity Ideas every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Elf Studio® versus Kids Activity Ideas: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElf Studio®Kids Activity Ideas
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.8K ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.8K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size343 MB79 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNorth Pole Command Centre LimitedMoritz Kross

Customer experience

Elf Studio®

All ratings3,780 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral3.3%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews99 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral6.1%
Negative48.5%

Kids Activity Ideas

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Elf Studio®

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Unable to scan surfaces for elf placement
  • Crashes and freezes when trying to use app

Requested features

3 requests
  • More free customization options
  • Ability to save and share created scenes
  • Improved surface detection for elf placement

Kids Activity Ideas

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

15 purchases

Elf Studio®

Subscriptions5
  • Unlock Elf Studio$1.991 Month
  • Elf Studio™ - Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Unlock Elf Studio$3.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Elf Studio™ - Annual$6.991 Year
  • Elf Studio Pro - Annual$9.991 Year
One-time10
  • 50+ Elf Dance Animations$0.99
  • 1 Elf Video Credit$1.99
  • 1 Credit - Pro Price$1.99
Show 7 more
  • 5 Credits - Pro Price$5.99
  • 5 Elf Video Credits$7.99
  • 10 Credits - Pro Price$9.99
  • Elf Studio - Lifetime Pass$19.99
  • 25 Credits - Pro Price$22.99
  • 50 Credits - Pro Price$34.99
  • 50 Credits$39.99
2 purchases

Kids Activity Ideas

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Premium Annual Subscription3 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Elf Studio® free?
Elf Studio® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kids Activity Ideas free?
Kids Activity Ideas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Elf Studio® or Kids Activity Ideas?
Elf Studio® is rated higher. Elf Studio® averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.8K ratings, while Kids Activity Ideas averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Elf Studio® or Kids Activity Ideas have ads?
Kids Activity Ideas shows ads; Elf Studio® does not.
Which is updated more often, Elf Studio® or Kids Activity Ideas?
Elf Studio® ships an update every 6 days, and Kids Activity Ideas every 3 months. Most recently, Elf Studio® was updated on October 25, 2026 and Kids Activity Ideas on October 11, 2026.

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