Comparison

codeSpark vs Hungry Caterpillar Play School

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

Head to head
About

codeSpark

This app offers hundreds of interactive coding games and activities for children aged 3-10. Kids can solve puzzles, design their own games and stories, and even participate in coding contests. It focuses on building essential coding concepts and problem-solving skills in a safe, ad-free environment.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of coding games and activities
  • Create your own games and stories
  • Puzzles to master coding concepts
  • Monthly coding contests
  • Multiplayer coding challenges
  • Pre-coding activities for preschoolers
Read full description

codeSpark: The Award-Winning Learn-to-Code App for Kids (Ages 3–10) 100s of coding games & activities—plus tools to create your own! Kids as young as 3 can start coding through play with puzzles, storytelling, and creativity tools designed just for them. Older kids can design and publish their own games, join monthly contests, and explore projects created by other kid coders. Get full access with a monthly or annual subscription—try membership free for 7 days! Annual subscribers can create up to 5 child profiles, making codeSpark perfect for families with multiple learners. OR play limited content through Hour of Code with no credit card required. Learn Coding Through Play - Puzzles – Master core coding and problem-solving concepts level by level - Create – Design and code your own games and interactive stories - Made by Kids – Play and explore games created by other young coders around the world - Monthly Coding Contests – Showcase creativity, code projects, and win prizes - Code Together – Join friends in a multiplayer water balloon fight while practicing coding logic - Pre-Coding for Preschoolers – Activities designed for early learners ages 3–4 - Adventure Maps – Unlock new puzzles and challenges while progressing through fun coding worlds Educational Benefits Backed by Research codeSpark’s curriculum is based on research from MIT, Princeton, and Carnegie Mellon. Kids learn the basics of computer science in a fun, accessible way—without words. - Coding concepts: sequencing, loops, conditionals, events, and debugging - Computational thinking: problem-solving, logic, pattern recognition, and creativity - Reinforces early skills: reading, math, and critical thinking - Builds confidence, perseverance, and collaboration through play - Encourages design thinking by letting kids turn ideas into working games and stories Kid-Safe & Ad-Free - Every game and story is reviewed before publishing to ensure safety - No ads, no micro-transactions, no distractions - Parent dashboard to manage profiles and track progress - A trusted environment for independent learning Praise from Parents & Teachers “My daughters are 6 and 8, and this is their new favorite game. Now they want to be programmers!” – Parent Review “I loved seeing how my children enjoyed working together on the puzzles.” – Parent Review Teachers and parents worldwide use codeSpark to introduce coding in classrooms, after-school programs, and at home. Kids stay motivated because the learning feels like play, and they are proud to share their creations. - Awards & Recognition - The LEGO Foundation – Pioneer in Reimagining Learning & Play - Children’s Technology Review – Editor’s Choice Award - Parent’s Choice Award – Gold Medal - Collision Conference – Kids & Family Silver Winner Why Families Choose codeSpark - Designed for kids ages 3–10 with no reading required - Builds STEM skills through fun, engaging coding challenges - Supports creativity with open-ended game and story design tools - Encourages collaboration through multiplayer games and contests - Trusted by parents, teachers, and schools worldwide - Helps kids see themselves as creators, problem-solvers, and future innovators Subscription & Download Start with a 7-day free membership trial. Subscriptions renew automatically; manage or cancel anytime in Account Settings. Annual subscribers can create up to 5 child profiles, making it easy to support the whole family. Privacy Policy: http://codespark.com/privacy/ Terms of Use: http://codespark.com/terms/ Start your child’s coding journey today with codeSpark—the award-winning learn-to-code app that makes programming fun, safe, and accessible for every kid ages 3–10!

About

Hungry Caterpillar Play School

This app provides a Montessori-inspired learning environment for children aged 2-6, featuring hundreds of books, activities, and games. It encourages independent learning through art, music, math, science, and problem-solving, with a focus on digital wellness and offline play.

Highlights
  • Montessori-inspired activities
  • Hundreds of books, games, and songs
  • Child-centric learning
  • Eric Carle art style
  • Early learning for ages 2-6
  • Offline play
  • Meditations for wellness
Features
Read full description

Hungry Caterpillar Play School offers a calming and beautiful environment for young children ages 2-6. Activities are based on Montessori principles that encourage hands-on and independent learning. The app is inspired by Eric Carle, a beloved author and illustrator known for his classic children’s books, including “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”. • Hundreds of books, activities, videos, songs, and meditations. • Child-centric learning—explore and learn at your own pace • Eric Carle's beautiful and unique art style • Essential early learning for kids aged 2-6 • Gentle rewards to encourage repeated play—crucial for early learners • Highly praised by parents of neurodivergent children LEARNING BENEFITS ABCs - learn the alphabet and how to read. Children trace letters and learn to spell their name. EARLY MATH - explore numbers 1-10. Play games that teach early coding, measurement, patterns, and more. SCIENCE & NATURE - activities and non-fiction books make little ones aware of science and the natural world. PROBLEM-SOLVING - match pairs, learn shapes, solve jigsaw puzzles, and complete fun quizzes. ART & MUSIC - artistic activities include coloring, collage, and building blocks. Experiment with musical notes, explore scales, learn chords, and create beats. HEALTH & WELLNESS - practice meditations to calm down, relax, and reduce anxiety. Apple Editor’s Choice 2022 FEATURES • Safe and age-appropriate • Designed responsibly to let your child enjoy screen time while developing healthy digital habits at a young age • Play pre-downloaded content offline without wifi or internet • Regular updates with new content • Apple Family Sharing for easy subscription sharing with other family members • No third-party advertising • No in-app purchases for subscribers SUPPORT For any questions or assistance, please reach out to us at support@storytoys.com ABOUT STORYTOYS Our mission is to bring the world's most popular characters, worlds, and stories to life for children. We make apps for kids that engage them in well-rounded activities designed to help them learn, play, and grow. Parents can enjoy peace of mind knowing their kids are learning and having fun at the same time. PRIVACY & TERMS StoryToys takes children's privacy seriously and ensures that its apps comply with privacy laws, including the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If you would like to learn more about the information we collect and how we use it, please visit our privacy policy at https://storytoys.com/privacy. Read our terms of use here: https://storytoys.com/terms. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS This app contains sample content that is free to play. However, LOTS MORE fun and entertaining games and activities are available if you purchase a monthly or yearly subscription. While you are subscribed you can play with EVERYTHING. We regularly add new stuff, so subscribed users will enjoy ever-expanding play opportunities. • Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually according to the rate of the selected subscription plan. • You can change your mind at any point. Cancelling can be done through your iTunes settings. • Your subscription will auto-renew at the cost of the chosen package unless you cancel it 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. Subscription fees are charged to your iTunes account. • After purchase, you can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings. • When you purchase a subscription, you forfeit any unused portion of a free trial period. • You can use your subscription on any device registered with the same Apple ID that you subscribed from.

Screenshots

codeSpark4 screens
Hungry Caterpillar Play School4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: codeSpark at 4.6 against Hungry Caterpillar Play School's 4.2. codeSpark also leads on review sentiment (52% vs 39%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). Hungry Caterpillar Play School's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. codeSpark sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Hungry Caterpillar Play School sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

codeSpark holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41K and 25K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of codeSpark's written reviews are positive against 39% of Hungry Caterpillar Play School's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

codeSpark ships an update fortnightly, Hungry Caterpillar Play School every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
codeSpark versus Hungry Caterpillar Play School: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametercodeSparkHungry Caterpillar Play School
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (41K ratings) — better4.2 (25K ratings)
Positive reviews51.7% of reviews — better39.0% of reviews
Number of ratings41K — better25K
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size126 MB463 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHomerStoryToys Limited

Customer experience

codeSpark

All ratings40,564 ratings
Positive89.0%
Neutral2.8%
Negative8.1%
Written reviews1,438 reviews
Positive51.7%
Neutral6.3%
Negative42.1%

Hungry Caterpillar Play School

All ratings23,698 ratings
Positive79.3%
Neutral9.7%
Negative10.9%
Written reviews305 reviews
Positive39.0%
Neutral6.9%
Negative54.1%

User reviews

codeSpark

From 41K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and engaging
  • 🚀 Great for learning coding
  • 🎨 Lots of creative possibilities
  • 🤩 Awesome game/app
  • 💯 Best coding app ever

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
  • 🔍 Confusing UI/UX
  • 🔑 Forced to pay for access
  • 🤬 Unauthorized charges

Hungry Caterpillar Play School

From 25K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Engaging and educational
  • 👍 Great for young kids
  • 👍 Variety of games and activities
  • 👍 Calming and relaxing
  • 👍 Visually appealing

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Sound issues
  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 💰 Misleading pricing and trial
  • 🤬 Deceptive subscription practices

Bugs and requests

codeSpark

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Disappearing progress and lost stories
  • Inconsistent performance and crashes
  • Incorrect item purchases and coin deductions
  • Inability to access drafts and profiles
  • Incompatibility issues with newer devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more pet foos and customization options
  • Improve story sharing and collaboration features
  • Introduce more puzzles and challenges
  • Allow custom character and block creation
  • Implement better communication between coders

Hungry Caterpillar Play School

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to log in
  • Freezing and crashing
  • Unresponsive touch controls
  • Content not unlocking after purchase

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved accessibility options
  • Better navigation and organization
  • More reading and spelling activities
  • Family sharing support
  • Ability to cancel subscription easily

In-app purchases

8 purchases

codeSpark

Subscriptions8
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment1 Month trial$9.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial2 variants$12.991 Month
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial$15.001 Month
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial2 variants$79.991 Year
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial$90.001 Year
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial$99.991 Year
10 purchases

Hungry Caterpillar Play School

Subscriptions10
  • Special Offer$2.991 Month
  • Learning - Pay Monthly7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Start learning – Pay monthly1 Month trial$7.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Learning - Pay Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Monthly Membership7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Limited Offer - Pay Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Learning - Pay Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Annual - Best Value7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Learning - Pay Yearly - Save!1 Month trial$59.991 Year
  • Big Savings - Pay Annually7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is codeSpark free?
codeSpark is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hungry Caterpillar Play School free?
Hungry Caterpillar Play School is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, codeSpark or Hungry Caterpillar Play School?
codeSpark is rated higher. codeSpark averages 4.6 out of 5 from 41K ratings, while Hungry Caterpillar Play School averages 4.2 from 25K ratings.
Do codeSpark or Hungry Caterpillar Play School have ads?
Neither codeSpark nor Hungry Caterpillar Play School shows ads.
Which is updated more often, codeSpark or Hungry Caterpillar Play School?
codeSpark ships an update fortnightly, and Hungry Caterpillar Play School every 5 weeks. Most recently, codeSpark was updated on November 5, 2026 and Hungry Caterpillar Play School on November 5, 2026.

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