# Scout Elf® Ideas vs Dog

The clearest difference is rating: Scout Elf® Ideas at 4.6 against Dog's 3.9. Scout Elf® Ideas also leads on ratings volume (3.6K vs 173). Dog's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Scout Elf® Ideas holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scout Elf® Ideas has 3.6K ratings behind it against 173, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Scout Elf® Ideas's written reviews are positive against 58% of Dog's.

Scout Elf® Ideas ships an update monthly, Dog every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scout Elf® Ideas | Dog |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scout-elf-ideas/id909087462/reviews)** | [3.9 (173 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dog-e/id1673193342/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.6K** | 173 |
| Positive reviews | **65.0% of reviews** | 58.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 145 MB | 158 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Elf on the Shelf CCA & B LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/559893611) | [WowWee Group Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/417361068) |

## What reviewers say

### Scout Elf® Ideas

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scout-elf-ideas/id909087462)

This app provides daily photo inspiration and creative ideas for Scout Elves during the Christmas season. Discover crafts, clothes, and instructions to recreate scenes and enhance your holiday traditions. Get alerts from the North Pole to prepare for elf arrivals and departures.

**Highlights:** Daily photo feed with inspiration, Idea Spinner for random suggestions, Filterable ideas and photos, Materials and instructions included, North Pole alerts for preparation, Elf arrival and departure notifications, Kids Mode with North Pole activities

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎅 Fun and creative elf ideas
- 👍 Helpful for keeping Christmas traditions alive
- 🎨 Inspires family creativity and bonding
- 🕰️ Useful reminder for elf activities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Concerns about app access for children
- 🤔 Some ideas too complex or require extra purchases
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches with app functionality
- 🔍 Lack of ability to easily switch between kid and adult modes

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing or freezing
- Inability to delete the app
- Saved favorites/ideas not persisting
- Videos and images not loading properly

**Requested features**

- More original and simple elf ideas
- Ability to save/share custom elf ideas
- Password protection for adult section
- Expanded content for international users


### Dog

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dog-e/id1673193342)

Interact with a unique robot dog through a dedicated app. Care for, train, and play games with your digital companion. Customize its appearance and teach it tricks using simple programming.

**Highlights:** Care and status tracking, Virtual treat feeding, Play 6 fun games, Train tricks with sequential programming, Customize tail messages and drawings, Mint unique Dog-E profiles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun to play with
- 🐶 Cute robot dog
- 💖 Interactive features
- 📱 App enhances experience
- 🤖 Dog-E is awesome

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❓ Unclear battery percentage
- 🤷‍♀️ App stuck on intro
- ❓ Don't know what to do
- 🤔 Confusing permissions
- 🚫 Items are locked

**Reported bugs**

- App stuck on intro screen
- App won't pair or open
- App freezes on screen
- Bluetooth connection issues
- App crashes

**Requested features**

- Update app for new features
- More interactive features
- More games
- More updates
- Fix tail color to look green


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scout Elf® Ideas free?

Scout Elf® Ideas is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Dog free?

Dog is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Scout Elf® Ideas or Dog?

Scout Elf® Ideas is rated higher. Scout Elf® Ideas averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while Dog averages 3.9 from 173 ratings.

### Do Scout Elf® Ideas or Dog have ads?

Neither Scout Elf® Ideas nor Dog shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scout Elf® Ideas or Dog?

Scout Elf® Ideas ships an update monthly, and Dog every 5 days. Most recently, Scout Elf® Ideas was updated on September 26, 2026 and Dog on September 25, 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.*