Comparison

YouTube Kids vs Side+

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

Head to head
About

YouTube Kids

This app offers a safe and engaging video platform for children to explore their interests. Parents can personalize content filters, set screen time limits, and hand-pick videos to ensure a positive viewing experience.

Highlights
  • Personalized content filters
  • Age-based modes (Preschool, Younger, Older)
  • Approved Content Only mode
  • Watch it Again tab
  • Parental Controls
  • Screen time timer
Read full description

Inspire your kids to uncover their unique interests Help your kids explore video content they love and parents trust, in an app made just for kids. With easy navigation tools and a suite of features, you can help your kids spend time online uncovering new interests, unleashing their imagination, and building their confidence in their own unique world. Help your kids grow at their own pace Your kids are unique, so they should only see content they're ready to explore. Decide what videos will help them make the most of their time online, then personalize individual profiles using custom content filters as they grow. - Help your youngest kids learn their ABCs, nurture their curiosity, and more in the Preschool mode. - Expand your kids interests to songs, cartoons, or DIY crafts in Younger mode. - Give your older kids the freedom to search popular music and gaming videos in Older mode. - Or hand-pick the videos, channels, and collections your kids can see in Approved Content Only mode. Rewatch videos and bond over favorites Quickly find your kids’ favorite videos and the content you’ve shared with them in the Watch it Again tab. Shape your kids’ viewing experience with Parental Controls Parental Control features help you limit what your kids watch and better guide their viewing experience. Our blocking process aims to help keep videos on YouTube Kids family-friendly and safe – but each family's preferences are unique. Don't like a video or channel, or see inappropriate content? Flag it for our team to review. Set a screen-time limit Encourage your kids to take a break in between exploring content. Use the Timer feature to freeze the app when screen time is up so your kids can apply their new skills to the real world. See important information - Parental setup is needed to ensure the best experience for your family. - Kids may see commercial content from YouTube creators that are not paid ads. - See The Privacy Notice for Google Accounts managed with Family Link for information on our privacy practices for signing in with a Google Account. - If your kids use the app without signing in with their Google Account, the YouTube Kids Privacy Notice applies.

About

Side+

Access exclusive content, behind-the-scenes footage, and interactive Q&A sessions from popular creators. Engage with a global community and participate in unique challenges and events.

Highlights
  • Exclusive weekly episodes
  • Behind-the-scenes content
  • Exclusive podcast access
  • Weekly Q&A segments
  • Exclusive challenges and events
  • Private Zoom calls
Features
Read full description

Side+ brings you exclusive Sidemen videos every single week completely ad-free, and you can watch over 1,000 videos right now FOR FREE. Download the app, sign-up for our 3-Day free trial and enjoy. But what's ACTUALLY on Side+? Friday: SIDECAST - Our podcast we usually film on set Saturday: SIDE+ SATURDAYS - Our flagship show where the Sidemen are thrown into different challenges Sunday: BEHIND THE SCENES & SIDEMEN SUNDAY - Hate watching ads on YouTube? We upload our main Sidemen Sundays to have the perfect viewing - then find out how the video was created directly after with our BTS We also have FILMS with special documentaries from our Charity Match games and Reality Shows! And then we have our special additional series, such as SIDE HUSTLE where the Sidemen try unique jobs for the day, SIDELESS MONDAYS where guest creators re-create our videos Sidemen videos. To access all features and content you can subscribe to Side+ on a monthly or yearly basis with an auto-renewing subscription right inside the app.* Pricing can vary by region and will be confirmed before purchase in the app. In app subscriptions will automatically renew at the end of their cycle. * All payments will be paid through your iTunes Account and may be managed under Account Settings after the initial payment. Subscription payments will automatically renew unless deactivated at least 24-hours before the end of the current cycle. Your account will be charged for renewal at least 24-hours prior to the end of the current cycle. Cancellations are incurred by disabling auto-renewal. Terms of Service: https://watch.sideplus.com/tos Privacy Policy: https://watch.sideplus.com/privacy

Screenshots

YouTube Kids4 screens
Side+4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Side+ at 96% against YouTube Kids's 54%. Side+ also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6). YouTube Kids's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Side+ sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. YouTube Kids asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Side+ holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: YouTube Kids has 2.7M ratings behind it against 7.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of YouTube Kids's written reviews are positive against 96% of Side+'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

YouTube Kids ships an update weekly, Side+ every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
YouTube Kids versus Side+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYouTube KidsSide+
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (2.7M ratings)4.9 (7.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.7% of reviews96.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.7M — better7.1K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#48 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size210 MB68 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperGoogleSidemen Entertainment Limited

Customer experience

YouTube Kids

All ratings2,697,629 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral4.1%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews4,099 reviews
Positive53.7%
Neutral11.5%
Negative34.8%

Side+

All ratings7,117 ratings
Positive99.0%
Neutral0.3%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews1,248 reviews
Positive96.2%
Neutral1.8%
Negative2.0%

User reviews

YouTube Kids

From 2.7M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great for kids
  • 👍 Appropriate content
  • 🔒 Parental controls
  • 🎨 Customizable profiles

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent video availability
  • 🔍 Limited search and subscription options
  • 🎶 Lack of music and audio options
  • 📺 Outdated/repetitive content

Side+

From 7.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth app experience
  • 👍 Entertaining content
  • 💡 Exclusive behind-the-scenes and podcasts
  • 🤑 Good value for money

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🔍 Needs better content organization/navigation

Bugs and requests

YouTube Kids

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Difficulty accessing parental controls
  • Videos freezing or not loading
  • Inappropriate content slipping through filters

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to comment, like, and subscribe
  • Improve search functionality and video recommendations
  • Expand content for older kids (8-12)
  • Allow language preferences for video selection
  • Implement a 'back to beginning' video playback option

Side+

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Full-screen mode issues (video pausing)
  • Resume feature not always accurate

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add ability to sort/filter content by date or category
  • Improve video playback controls (e.g. seek, pause)
  • Add subtitles/closed captions for accessibility

In-app purchases

None

YouTube Kids

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Side+

Subscriptions2
  • Side+ Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Side+ Yearly$99.991 Year

Questions

Is YouTube Kids free?
YouTube Kids is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Side+ free?
Side+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, YouTube Kids or Side+?
Side+ is rated higher. YouTube Kids averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.7M ratings, while Side+ averages 4.9 from 7.1K ratings.
Do YouTube Kids or Side+ have ads?
Neither YouTube Kids nor Side+ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, YouTube Kids or Side+?
YouTube Kids ships an update weekly, and Side+ every 6 weeks. Most recently, YouTube Kids was updated on September 25, 2026 and Side+ on September 25, 2026.

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