Comparison

Begin Learning vs Noggin

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

Head to head
About

Begin Learning

Explore a curated collection of award-winning learning games for children aged 2-10. This free app offers engaging activities in early reading, math, STEM, coding, and social-emotional skills, featuring content from popular educational brands.

Highlights
  • Curated selection of award-winning learning games
  • Covers early reading, math, STEM, coding, and social-emotional skills
  • Content from Sesame Street, HOMER, codeSpark, and Little Passports
  • Designed for ages 2-10
  • Focuses on curiosity, character, core skills, creativity, and critical thinking
Features
Read full description

Tap into the power of digital play with a free, curated selection of Begin's award-winning learning games. Designed for learners of all ages, there's something for everyone to explore, like early reading, math, social-emotional skills, STEM, coding, and more. Unlock 10+ exclusive games from Learn with Sesame Street by Begin, HOMER, codeSpark, and Little Passports and enjoy skill-building screen time you and your child can feel good about. The Begin Approach focuses on the five essential skill areas proven to help children succeed in school and life. We call these the 5 C's (curiosity, character, core skills, creativity, and critical thinking), and we deliver them through each playful learning experience we design. We are so excited to share the best content from our beloved products in a single app, so you can see if our full products are right for your child. Why You'll Love It - No ads. EVER. - Free (no in-app purchases!), safe, and fun to play - Something for everyone ages 2-10 - Includes the best content from our award-winning family of apps What’s included From Learn with Sesame Street by Begin (social-emotional learning): - Big Bird's Bowling Party - Marshall Grover - It Feels Good to be Kind From HOMER (early reading and math): - Pizza Party - Biggest Bubble - Jack's Concert From codeSpark (#1 learn-to-code app): - Foo Rescue - Paper Shape - Footorial: What is Code? From Little Passports (curiosity and exploration): - Plunge Into the Pacific - Max & Mia Serengeti - Aloft in the Amazon

About

Noggin

This app offers a safe, ad-free environment for children to explore their interests through interactive games and curated videos. It encourages hands-on learning and skill-building in areas like baking, chess, and DIY, turning screen time into active discovery.

Highlights
  • Interactive mini-games
  • Curated video library
  • Hands-on skill building
  • Ad-free environment
  • Safe for all ages
  • Interest-based content categories
Read full description

Noggin is back: bigger, brighter, and more hands-on than ever. Whether you’re crafting your town in the game or tuning into your latest obsession on NogginTV, Noggin is made for discovering what you love and actually doing it. From chess matches in castle towers to baking quests and DIY how-tos, Noggin’s game world and curated video library help you get curious, go deep, and build real-world skills through screen time that’s anything but passive. No ads. No paywall. Just ways to engage, explore, and find your thing. Noggin is: - FREE. Watch NogginTV for free. No subscription, no ads. - SAFE. Relax in a walled garden environment, safe for all ages. - INSPIRING. Stream “live” programming designed to spark interests in everything from fashion and music to baking and building. - CURATED. Choose from a video library of best-in-class creator content, curated by our real-life Noggin hosts and categorized by kid interests. - PLAYFUL. Explore new interests and get good at them through hands-on mini games - CHALLENGING. Use new skills to help solve problems in epic game quests - FUN. Bake real recipes in Nogginville where frosting is a food group and play chess with the king of the castle with some help from a wizard Ready for your next thing? Download Noggin for free. With Noggin, you don’t just sit back and swipe— you engage with a world designed to spark curiosity and sustain it. Whether you’re obsessed with interests like baking or chess, or looking for something new, Noggin helps you discover what you love – and actually do it. No pressure, no rules. Just your thing, your way. Download and fire up your Noggin. Castles, cupcakes, and adventures await. About Us: Noggin turns everyday interests into full-blown obsessions. Discover what you love and do it. Learn more at noggin.com. Here are the links to our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions: Privacy Policy: https://noggin.com/privacy_policy.html Terms and Conditions: https://noggin.com/terms_of_use.html Have questions or need support? Contact help@noggin.com.

Screenshots

Begin Learning4 screens
Noggin4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Noggin at every 2 weeks against Begin Learning's every 3 months. Noggin also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.9) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Begin Learning's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Noggin holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 55 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Begin Learning's written reviews are positive against 72% of Noggin's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Begin Learning ships an update every 3 months, Noggin every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 12, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Begin Learning versus Noggin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBegin LearningNoggin
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (16 ratings)4.2 (55 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews72.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1655 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size137 MB882 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHomerNoggin Holdings, Inc.

Customer experience

Begin Learning

All ratings16 ratings
Positive68.8%
Neutral6.3%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

Noggin

All ratings49 ratings
Positive79.6%
Neutral10.2%
Negative10.2%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive72.2%
Neutral16.7%
Negative11.1%

Bugs and requests

Begin Learning

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Noggin

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Rip-off app with the same name on the App Store

Requested features

3 requests
  • Bring back Moose and Zee
  • Add voice-overs and books
  • Expand the virtual world with more quests and content

In-app purchases

None

Begin Learning

No in-app purchases

None

Noggin

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Begin Learning free?
Begin Learning is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Noggin free?
Noggin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Begin Learning or Noggin?
Noggin is rated higher. Begin Learning averages 3.9 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Noggin averages 4.2 from 55 ratings.
Do Begin Learning or Noggin have ads?
Neither Begin Learning nor Noggin shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Begin Learning or Noggin?
Begin Learning ships an update every 3 months, and Noggin every 2 weeks. Most recently, Begin Learning was updated on August 12, 2026 and Noggin on September 21, 2026.

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