Playground Buddy vs Tommy the Turtle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Playground Buddy
Discover playgrounds globally with a vast database of over 700,000 locations. Get directions, view photos, and share playground details. Save favorites, log visits, and contribute new playgrounds and photos.
- Worldwide playground database
- Search by location
- Get directions
- View playground photos
- Share playground info
- Save favorite playgrounds
- Log playground visits
- Add new playgrounds
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Every parent knows the question: "Where can we go play?" Playground Buddy answers it in seconds. Discover over 700,000 playgrounds around the world, see what each one is really like before you go, and turn any afternoon into an adventure. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, nanny, or anyone lucky enough to look after a little one, Playground Buddy helps you find the perfect spot — from the swings around the corner to a hidden gem across the country. WHY FAMILIES LOVE PLAYGROUND BUDDY • Find playgrounds near you, across town, or anywhere you're traveling • See real photos and details before you make the trip • Get one-tap directions in Apple Maps or Google Maps • Filter for exactly what you need — swings, slides, water play, shade, washrooms, fenced areas, and wheelchair-accessible equipment • Save your favorites and build your family's go-to list • Log your visits, rate each playground, and keep private notes • See everywhere you've already been, right on the map BUILT BY FAMILIES, FOR FAMILIES Playground Buddy is powered by a community of caregivers just like you. Spot a playground that's missing? Add it in a few taps and help the next family find it. Took a great photo? Share it so others know what to expect. PHOTOS THAT PROTECT KIDS' PRIVACY Children's safety comes first. That's why Playground Buddy automatically blurs faces in the photos you upload — so you can show what a playground looks like without sharing who was there. PLAN THE PERFECT OUTING • Heading somewhere new? Search any city and scope out playgrounds before you arrive. • Long car trip? Find a great place to stretch little legs along the way. • Need a break from the sun? Filter for shaded and covered spots. Finding somewhere wonderful for your kids to play should be the easy part of your day. Download Playground Buddy and discover your next favorite playground today.
Tommy the Turtle
This app helps babies fall asleep with a variety of sounds, songs, and stories. It allows you to record your own voice reading stories or sending messages, creating a personalized soothing experience for your child.
- 18 new stories
- 20 soothing sounds
- 20 classical lullabies
- Record personal stories
- Access free scripts
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Help baby fall into the sweetest slumber with the Tommy the Turtle Storytelling Soother app. This easy-to-use app gives you access to even more sounds, songs and stories to keep baby entertained night after night. Best of all, they’re all free. Browse more than 10 options and choose your favorites to create a custom soundtrack made just for your little one. With sounds like crickets on a warm summer night and classic lullabies by Beethoven, Chopin and more, the Tommy app has just what you need to soothe your babe for a good night’s sleep. But what makes the Tommy app really special is the voice-recording feature. Pick from one of the 18 free scripts and record yourself reading the story aloud. Your little one will feel like you’re right there even when you can’t be. You can even lull your little one to sleep with personal messages or special stories of your own. All you need to do is connect Tommy the Turtle to your smartphone via Wi-Fi and you’re ready to start downloading new stories and sounds. Tommy the Storytelling Soother app features: • 18 new stories to keep your little one entertained • 20 soothing sounds like a trickling stream and white noise • 20 classical lullabies, including Brahm’s Lullaby and more • Lets you record personal stories and messages • Access to free scripts to record stories using your own voice
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Playground Buddy at 67% against Tommy the Turtle's 0%. Playground Buddy also leads on rating (4.1 vs 2.4) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 44 months). Tommy the Turtle's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Playground Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Playground Buddy has 48 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Playground Buddy's written reviews are positive against 0% of Tommy the Turtle's.
Playground Buddy ships an update every 3 months, Tommy the Turtle every 44 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Playground Buddy | Tommy the Turtle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (48 ratings) — better | 2.4 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 48 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 44 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 75 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Birds Eye Technology | VTech Telecommunications Limited |
Customer experience
Playground Buddy
Tommy the Turtle
Bugs and requests
Playground Buddy
Reported bugs
10 issues- App crashes within seconds
- Submitting feedback results in a blank screen
- Contributions and photos disappear
- Text shows up black on black background (dark theme)
- Favorites list not linking to park data
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- App pastes from clipboard on opening
- Playgrounds saved with details/photos lose information
- App says 'no playgrounds found' initially
- Text keeps getting deleted after posting
- App crashes when trying to add parks
Requested features
15 requests- Add personal notes on places
- Filter out school playgrounds
- Ability to build a personal list of parks visited
- Support dark screens (writing visible)
- Filter for inclusive playground equipment
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- Include Spark Parks
- Change pin colors to track visited playgrounds
- Track visited but disliked parks
- Add satellite view
- Adjust top buttons for newer iPhones
- Integrate Google's business feature for crowd avoidance
- Allow users to rate playgrounds
- Add option to add parks
- Consider getting sponsors for updates
- Add dark mode support
Tommy the Turtle
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Playground Buddy
No in-app purchases
Tommy the Turtle
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Playground Buddy free?
Is Tommy the Turtle free?
Which has better reviews, Playground Buddy or Tommy the Turtle?
Do Playground Buddy or Tommy the Turtle have ads?
Which is updated more often, Playground Buddy or Tommy the Turtle?
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