# Pickatale vs Sumdog

The clearest difference is monetization model: Sumdog at free with in-app purchases against Pickatale's subscription. Sumdog also leads on ratings volume (1.6K vs 6) and review sentiment (64% vs 42%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pickatale sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Sumdog sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sumdog holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sumdog has 1.6K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of Pickatale's written reviews are positive against 64% of Sumdog's.

Pickatale ships an update monthly, Sumdog every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pickatale | Sumdog |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pickatale/id669433655/reviews) | **[4.2 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sumdog/id1145809959/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **1.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 42.3% of reviews | **63.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 122 MB | 135 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pickatale AS](https://appshunter.io/developer/602599556) | [Sumdog Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/644331332) |

## What reviewers say

### Pickatale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pickatale/id669433655)

This app offers unlimited access to thousands of narrated and illustrated books for children aged 4-11, designed to improve reading confidence. It features curated reading stages, comprehension quizzes, and an AI-powered book creator for educators.

**Highlights:** Unlimited narrated books, Illustrated children's books, Reading stages categorization, Reading comprehension quizzes, AI-powered book creator, Teacher dashboard

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $8.99 | per month |
| Pickatale Monthly Subscription | $8.99 | per month |
| Pickatale Pro Monthly Subscription | $17.99 | per month |
| Pickatale Yearly subscription | $43.99 | per year |
| Teacher Monthly | $69.00 | per month |
| Pickatale Pro Yearly Subscription | $87.99 | per year |
| Teacher Yearly | $690.00 | per year |


### Sumdog

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sumdog/id1145809959)

This app offers personalized math and spelling practice for children aged 5-14 through engaging games and adaptive learning. It uses diagnostic tests to tailor learning journeys and provides virtual rewards to motivate students. Parents can set up accounts for home use or connect to school-assigned work.

**Highlights:** Personalized adaptive learning, Engaging single and multiplayer games, Thousands of standards-aligned questions, Virtual coin rewards system, 3D avatar and house personalization, Diagnostic assessment

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Family Membership | $8.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun and engaging games
- 🏆 Competitive leaderboards
- 🏠 Customizable avatar and house
- 📚 Helps with learning math, spelling, and grammar
- 🏫 Useful for schools and teachers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🕰️ Slow loading times
- 🔒 Limited access to premium features without subscription
- 🤖 Weird or unappealing 3D character models
- 🔍 Lack of instructions for some games

**Reported bugs**

- Flower Defenders game not working properly
- Goalz game not registering shots correctly
- Sudden logout issues
- Incompatibility with certain devices or browsers

**Requested features**

- Add more free games
- Bring back old 2D games
- Allow interaction with house and garden items
- Improve multiplayer functionality
- Add more customization options for avatar and house


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pickatale free?

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

### Is Sumdog free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pickatale or Sumdog?

Sumdog is rated higher. Pickatale averages 4.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Sumdog averages 4.2 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do Pickatale or Sumdog have ads?

Neither Pickatale nor Sumdog shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pickatale or Sumdog?

Pickatale ships an update monthly, and Sumdog every 2 months. Most recently, Pickatale was updated on November 1, 2026 and Sumdog on November 2, 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.*