Scout Elf® Ideas vs Mardles
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Scout Elf® Ideas
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.
- 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
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AN OFFICIAL, AWARD-WINNING ELF ON THE SHELF® APP Scout Elves always match the unique personalities of their families! Some are playful and creative, while others are sporty and adventurous. This app offers fun daily photos to inspire every Scout Elf during the Christmas season. Discover fun ideas for spending time with your family along with pictures of Scout Elves that come with materials and instructions. From quick and easy ideas to creative and complex ones, this app has them all! You can find links to printable crafts and Scout Elf clothes to enhance certain designs. Filter to find tons of different ideas for your Scout Elf and get special daily reminder alerts from the North Pole. Find fun ideas for the Scout Elves and get into the holiday spirit with The Elf on the Shelf® Ideas! The Elf on the Shelf® Ideas App Features: DAILY PHOTO FEED — During the holidays, receive new daily photos from the North Pole for your family and every Scout Elf to enjoy. — Click on each for more details along with a list of materials and instructions! IDEA SPINNER — Not sure what you are looking for? Check out the new feature: Scout Elf Idea Spinner! — Tap the spin button for a fun random Scout Elf Idea! FILTER PHOTOS AND IDEAS — Santa wants to make sure you can find the right inspiration for your Scout Elf. — Use the filter to narrow down what photos display on the feed. — Feel inspired and help your Scout Elf decorate scenes! MATERIALS, INSTRUCTIONS AND MORE! — Not only were these elves captured in action, they also helped us put together a list of what your Scout Elf might need! — Recreate each photo and the Scout Elf challenges by spending time with your family. — Look at pictures and enjoy making fun arts and crafts with your Scout Elves! NORTH POLE ALERTS — Santa wants to make sure his favorite helpers have everything they need to be creative! — Check the special daily alerts from Santa so your family can remember to prepare your home. ELF ARRIVAL + DEPARTURES — Receive alerts from the North Pole before the Scout Elves depart for their annual visits and when it’s time to return to the North Pole. — Make sure your home is ready for the elves and know when they have to return to the North Pole to help Santa get ready for next year. FAREWELL MESSAGE — Santa likes to teach the Scout Elves to be polite and courteous! — Keep an eye out for a special farewell letter from your Scout Elf, thanking you for all the fun they've shared with your family. Find fun ideas and pictures of the Scout Elves before they visit your home for Christmas. Make sure your home is ready for tons of fun this holiday season with The Elf on the Shelf® Ideas App! KIDS MODE —Toggle over to the Kids experience! Your little one can be directed to Santa's North Pole, our official website with games, activities, videos and more! Download now to find holiday ideas for the scout elves! — Don't forget to RATE THIS APP! Santa wants to make sure families everywhere have access to this great inspiration for Scout Elves.
Mardles
This app uses augmented reality to make physical products come alive in 3D with sound effects. Watch stickers, masks, and storybooks transform into interactive experiences.
- 3D product animation
- Sound effects
- Augmented reality experience
- Parent-friendly design
- Offline functionality
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Download Mardles to magically bring Mardles products to life! Stickers, Masks, Storybooks and more will appear in 3D with sound effects before your eyes! The Mardles range is available to buy at www.mardleslife.com. The free Mardles app is 100% parent friendly with no in-app purchases, no data capture and no need for an internet connection once the app is installed.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Scout Elf® Ideas at 4.6 against Mardles's 4.0. Scout Elf® Ideas also leads on ratings volume (3.6K vs 43) and review sentiment (65% vs 52%). On price, update cadence, ads 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
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 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scout Elf® Ideas has 3.6K ratings behind it against 43, 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 52% of Mardles's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Scout Elf® Ideas | Mardles |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (3.6K ratings) — better | 4.0 (43 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 65.0% of reviews — better | 52.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3.6K — better | 43 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 145 MB | 488 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Elf on the Shelf CCA & B LLC. | Harmony Studios Limited |
Customer experience
Scout Elf® Ideas
Mardles
User reviews
Scout Elf® Ideas
From 3.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎅 Fun and creative elf ideas
- 👍 Helpful for keeping Christmas traditions alive
- 🎨 Inspires family creativity and bonding
- 🕰️ Useful reminder for elf activities
Room to improve
- 🔒 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
Mardles
From 43 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤩 Kids love it
- 💡 Interactive and engaging
- 👍 Easy to use (for some)
- ✨ Stickers come to life
- 🎁 Great gift idea
Room to improve
- 😞 Doesn't work for many
- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- ⏳ Long loading times
- 🚫 App won't load
- 💸 Waste of money
Bugs and requests
Scout Elf® Ideas
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashing or freezing
- Inability to delete the app
- Saved favorites/ideas not persisting
- Videos and images not loading properly
Requested features
4 requests- More original and simple elf ideas
- Ability to save/share custom elf ideas
- Password protection for adult section
- Expanded content for international users
Mardles
Reported bugs
10 issues- App crashes constantly
- App won't load
- Screen is black
- App goes back to home screen
- Camera won't focus on stickers
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Start button doesn't work
- App closes shortly after opening
- Loading issues on Apple devices
- App keeps crashing on iPad and iPhone
- App doesn't work on older devices
Requested features
10 requests- Fix app crashes
- Improve loading times
- Add selfie camera functionality
- Allow saving photos to camera roll
- Provide clear instructions
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Ensure compatibility with a wider range of devices
- Fix the 'start' button issue
- Make it easier to position animated elements
- Improve the realism of animations
- Add joystick on/off option
In-app purchases
Scout Elf® Ideas
No in-app purchases
Mardles
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Scout Elf® Ideas free?
Is Mardles free?
Which has better reviews, Scout Elf® Ideas or Mardles?
Do Scout Elf® Ideas or Mardles have ads?
Which is updated more often, Scout Elf® Ideas or Mardles?
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