Comparison

EQ Ninjas vs Ava for Schools

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

Head to head
About

EQ Ninjas

Features
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Kids deal with frustration, disappointment, conflict, and big emotions every day. Most of them have never had a clear way to practice what to do in those moments. EQ Ninjas gives parents a simple, structured way to help. Through short challenges and a belt system kids can understand, EQ Ninjas turns emotional growth into something they can actually work on. Each belt builds a different skill: WHITE BELT Recognize and name what you are feeling. YELLOW BELT Slow down before reacting. ORANGE BELT Keep going when something feels hard. PURPLE BELT Notice how someone else may be feeling. BLACK BELT Handle social situations in a way that helps things go well. The challenges are short, practical, and built for real family life. Kids are not just learning words about emotions. They are practicing what to do with them. For parents, that means you do not have to figure out how to teach all of this on your own. EQ Ninjas gives you a clear path to help your child work on things like: β€’ Naming what they are actually feeling β€’ Pausing before reacting β€’ Staying with something when it gets hard β€’ Recognizing emotions in other people β€’ Responding more thoughtfully in everyday situations The goal is not perfect behavior. The goal is steady practice before the next hard moment. Your child can work on naming a feeling before the next meltdown. They can practice slowing down before the next argument. They can build persistence before the next time they want to quit. One challenge at a time. One belt at a time. One skill at a time. EQ Ninjas helps parents turn emotional intelligence from something they value into something their kids can practice. EQ Ninjas is an educational skill-building program. It is not therapy, counseling, diagnosis, or medical treatment.

About

Ava for Schools

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Starring an autistic star mapper, Ava by Social Cipher gives neurodivergent students a safe place to learn and practice valuable social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. As students play the game, they encounter real-life scenarios that encourage them to solve problems, manage their emotions, build relationships, and more. WHY EDUCATORS TRUST AVA BUILT BY A NEURODIVERSE TEAM Led by an autistic founder, Ava was developed by a team of educators, counselors, and neurodivergent advocates, and play tested with neurodivergent youth to ensure it provides a neurodiversity-affirming experience. ALIGNS WITH SEL STANDARDS Each module explores one or more core competencies of the CASEL Framework – self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness. FLEXIBLE IMPLEMENTATION Ava can be used in a whole-class, small group, and individual sessions, as part of dedicated SEL instruction time, and even as a cool-down tool to help students regulate their emotions. PERSONALIZED, INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCE The dialogue story format empowers students to make choices that reflect their individual thoughts, needs, and perspectives. Their decisions influence what comes next in the game.

Screenshots

EQ Ninjas4 screens
Ava for Schools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Ava for Schools at 13.0 against EQ Ninjas's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EQ Ninjas ships an update every 5 weeks, Ava for Schools every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
EQ Ninjas versus Ava for Schools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEQ NinjasAva for Schools
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 4 weeks β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS18.013.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size109 MB482 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperEQ Ninjas, LLCSocial Cipher, Inc

In-app purchases

None

EQ Ninjas

No in-app purchases

None

Ava for Schools

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EQ Ninjas free?
EQ Ninjas is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ava for Schools free?
Ava for Schools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do EQ Ninjas or Ava for Schools have ads?
Neither EQ Ninjas nor Ava for Schools shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EQ Ninjas or Ava for Schools?
EQ Ninjas ships an update every 5 weeks, and Ava for Schools every 4 weeks. Most recently, EQ Ninjas was updated on October 8, 2026 and Ava for Schools on October 12, 2026.

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