# Scout Elf® Ideas vs Christmas Elf Tracker

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Scout Elf® Ideas at none against Christmas Elf Tracker's 3. Scout Elf® Ideas also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 34 months) and ratings volume (3.6K vs 473). Christmas Elf Tracker's advantage is review sentiment (73% vs 65%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Christmas Elf Tracker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Scout Elf® Ideas asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scout Elf® Ideas holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scout Elf® Ideas has 3.6K ratings behind it against 473, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of Scout Elf® Ideas's written reviews are positive against 73% of Christmas Elf Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Scout Elf® Ideas ships an update monthly, Christmas Elf Tracker every 34 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and August 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scout Elf® Ideas | Christmas Elf Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scout-elf-ideas/id909087462/reviews)** | [4.4 (473 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/christmas-elf-tracker/id6444728113/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.6K** | 473 |
| Positive reviews | 65.0% of reviews | **73.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 34 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 145 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Elf on the Shelf CCA & B LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/559893611) | [Julian Collado](https://appshunter.io/developer/1655180842) |

## 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


### Christmas Elf Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/christmas-elf-tracker/id6444728113)

This app lets you pretend to track Santa's elves on Christmas Eve. It offers realistic animations and multiple tracking modes to surprise friends and family. Enjoy a fun, interactive holiday experience with this free tool.

**Highlights:** Pretend Christmas elf tracking, North Pole phone simulation, Realistic animations, Three tracking modes (satellite, map), Surprise friends and family, Easy to use interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scout Elf® Ideas free?

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

### Is Christmas Elf Tracker free?

Christmas Elf Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

Scout Elf® Ideas is rated higher. Scout Elf® Ideas averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while Christmas Elf Tracker averages 4.4 from 473 ratings.

### Do Scout Elf® Ideas or Christmas Elf Tracker have ads?

Neither Scout Elf® Ideas nor Christmas Elf Tracker shows ads.

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

Scout Elf® Ideas ships an update monthly, and Christmas Elf Tracker every 34 months. Most recently, Scout Elf® Ideas was updated on September 26, 2026 and Christmas Elf Tracker on August 14, 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.*