Comparison

PLAY vs Word Waves

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

Head to head
About

PLAY

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
Read full description

“Top 20 Best Apps of the Week” - The Guardian UK “The perfect blend of nostalgia and learning opportunities” - About.com “Fun, mess free way for learning”-Yahoo Voices “Well-thought out, educationally beneficial, colorful”- The Learning Treehouse “Completely transforms the way kids interact with technology” - Appshappens.com Learn your ABCs using ‘virtual’ PLAY-DOH modeling compound with this delightfully interactive educational app! PLAY-DOH Create ABCs application is designed to help children develop the essential skills required for reading and writing. Using this app, children will learn to: recognize letters, write letters using proper stroke order and associate letters with sounds. WRITE AND CRAFT! Learn how to write letters of the alphabet by using ‘virtual’ PLAY-DOH modeling compound. Discover new vocabulary words that start with the same letter. What starts with the letter A? An alligator! But be careful, it’s ready to chomp! When you successfully complete each letter, you are rewarded with a ‘virtual’ PLAY-DOH treat that you can create and customize. Want to change the color? Go ahead! Want to squish it? You can do that, too! CREATE AND SHARE! Build your own PLAY-DOH scenes with your PLAY-DOH creations. The PLAY-DOH gallery is just a click away on the ‘create and share’ button. There you can enjoy all the animated, colorful objects you make as you work your way through the letters of the alphabet. Select your favorite background and then bring PLAY-DOH scenes to life with custom PLAY-DOH pictures. Save your creations on your phone or tablet and share them with others! LETTER MATCHING Click on the ‘match’ button and you can enjoy a new activity: matching letters with the PLAY-DOH creations. The ‘match’ feature reinforces initial letter sounds by matching letters with objects that start with the same sound. A letter select screen allows you to play the activity on any letter you choose. Can you match the letters of the alphabet to the different PLAY-DOH creations? Give it a try! PLAY-DOH Create ABCs includes: -Tracing of uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet -Exciting ‘virtual’ PLAY-DOH treats -Poem and animations to re-enforce learning letter sounds -‘Squishable’ PLAY-DOH animations! -A matching activity to match letters with pictures -A letter select screen that allows children to choose any letter to play -A creativity zone, the PLAY-DOH gallery, where kids design custom PLAY-DOH scenes -A save-to-camera feature where parents can save and share their child’s colorful creations -Curriculum developed and reviewed by preschool education expert
s -Multiplayer profiles that allow more than one child to play and save their progress -Parental reporting to show progress PLAY-DOH Create ABCs will help children develop: -Language and pre-reading skills, including letter recognition and phonemic (sound) awareness and knowledge. - Fine motor skills and coordination -Their creativity via ‘learning by doing’ NOTE: Before you download this experience, please consider that this app contains in-app purchases that cost money. Additional content cannot be unlocked without spending money. ABOUT PLAYDATE DIGITAL PlayDate Digital Inc. is an emergent publisher of high-quality, interactive, mobile educational software for children. PlayDate Digital's products nurture children's emerging literacy and creativity skills by turning digital screens into engaging experiences. PlayDate Digital content is built in partnership with some of the world's most trusted global brands for kids. Visit us: playdatedigital.com Like us: facebook.com/playdatedigital Follow us: @playdatedigital Watch all our app trailers: youtube.com/PlayDateDigital1 HAVE QUESTIONS? We'd love to hear from you! Your questions suggestions and comments are always welcome. Contact us 24/7 at info@playdatedigital.com

About

Word Waves

Features
Read full description

Word Waves – Word Puzzle & Vocabulary Quiz Challenge your brain with Word Waves, the addictive word game that tests your vocabulary, spelling, and speed! Ride through hundreds of word puzzles across multiple categories and levels — from beginner to expert. HOW TO PLAY Solve word puzzles, build your vocabulary, and climb the ranks. Each correct answer earns XP, builds your combo multiplier, and improves your accuracy score. The better you play, the higher you wave! FEATURES - Hundreds of word puzzles & vocabulary quizzes - Multiple categories — expand your English vocabulary - Combo system — chain correct answers for bonus XP - Accuracy tracking — challenge yourself to perfect scores - Level progression — unlock harder word challenges as you improve - Share your scores and compete with friends - New content across all skill levels PERFECT FOR • Word game lovers who want a daily brain workout • Students looking to build vocabulary and spelling skills • English learners wanting to improve their language skills • Puzzle fans who love word challenges Whether you're a casual player looking for a fun word quiz or a competitive word game enthusiast chasing perfect scores — Word Waves has a challenge for you. Download Word Waves now and start your vocabulary journey! EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

PLAY4 screens
Word Waves3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PLAY at none against Word Waves's shown. PLAY also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). Word Waves's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price and in-app purchases 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. PLAY sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Word Waves sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PLAY ships an update every 2 months, Word Waves fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PLAY versus Word Waves: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPLAYWord Waves
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (25 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews51.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings25 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size243 MB80 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPlayDate DigitalZico Bakker

In-app purchases

2 purchases

PLAY

One-time2
  • Remove Ads$1.99
  • Unlock All Alphabets$3.99
2 purchases

Word Waves

Subscriptions2
  • Word Waves Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Word Waves Yearly$49.991 Year

Questions

Is PLAY free?
PLAY is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Word Waves free?
Word Waves is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PLAY or Word Waves have ads?
Word Waves shows ads; PLAY does not.
Which is updated more often, PLAY or Word Waves?
PLAY ships an update every 2 months, and Word Waves fortnightly. Most recently, PLAY was updated on October 3, 2026 and Word Waves on September 30, 2026.

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