# PLAY vs ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava

The clearest difference is ratings volume: ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava at 6.8K against PLAY's 26. ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). PLAY's advantage is review sentiment (51% vs 31%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PLAY sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for PLAY against 4.1 for ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava has 6.8K ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 51% of PLAY's written reviews are positive against 31% of ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava's.

PLAY ships an update every 2 months, ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PLAY | ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-doh-create-abcs/id652113712/reviews)** | [4.1 (6.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc-tracing-from-dave-and-ava/id1280283742/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 26 | **6.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **51.2% of reviews** | 31.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 243 MB | 306 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PlayDate Digital Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/652113715) | [Dave and Ava Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1081852425) |

## What reviewers say

### PLAY

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-doh-create-abcs/id652113712)

This app uses virtual Play-Doh to teach children the alphabet. Kids can trace letters, learn new vocabulary, and create custom Play-Doh scenes. It also includes letter matching games and progress tracking for parents.

**Highlights:** Virtual Play-Doh letter tracing, Vocabulary association with letters, Customizable Play-Doh creations, Play-Doh scene building, Letter matching games, Progress tracking for parents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Alphabets | $3.99 | one-time |


### ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc-tracing-from-dave-and-ava/id1280283742)

This app helps young children learn the alphabet, letter sounds, and tracing skills through interactive games and activities. It focuses on early literacy development with a kid-friendly interface and no third-party ads.

**Highlights:** Learn letter sounds, Practice tracing letters, Develop fine motor skills, Build vocabulary, Interactive learning games, Kid-friendly and safe environment

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great learning tool for kids
- 🚀 Engaging and interactive
- 💡 Helpful for alphabet and letter recognition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with tracing/animation functionality
- 💰 Expensive for full access
- 🔒 Issues with restoring purchases across devices

**Reported bugs**

- Letters obscured by large bugs/grass
- Blank/white screen after tracing
- App not working on older iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add lower case letter tracing
- Improve letter sound accuracy
- Implement family sharing for purchases


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PLAY free?

PLAY is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava free?

ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PLAY or ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava?

PLAY is rated higher. PLAY averages 4.2 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava averages 4.1 from 6.8K ratings.

### Do PLAY or ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava have ads?

Neither PLAY nor ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PLAY or ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava?

PLAY ships an update every 2 months, and ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava every 3 months. Most recently, PLAY was updated on November 6, 2026 and ABC Tracing from Dave and Ava on November 11, 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.*