Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Budge World vs Thomas & Friends

Budge World 4.3★ · Free + IAP 60
Winner Budge World
Thomas & Friends 4.4★ · Free + IAP 55

Budge World offers a broader range of content for its subscription, while Thomas & Friends is primarily criticized for a recent visual update and its paywall for additional content.

Full reviews: Budge World · Thomas & Friends

Budge World and Thomas & Friends are both children's apps that operate on a freemium model with in-app purchases. Budge World faces significant user frustration over its mandatory subscription and unclear free trial terms, while Thomas & Friends users are primarily upset by a recent visual update to the characters and the need to pay for additional content.

Head to head

Price/Value tieR1R2R3R4
Budge World Many users express strong dissatisfaction with Budge World's subscription model, finding the prices expensive and the requirement to pay unfair, especially for a children's game R1R2R3. There's also confusion and frustration around the free trial, with some reporting immediate charges or difficulty canceling R4R9.
Thomas & Friends Thomas & Friends users also complain about having to pay for additional trains, mini-games, and tracks, noting that much of the content used to be free R51R53. Some find the monthly subscription for all content ludicrous and prefer a one-time purchase option .
Features/Content edge: Budge WorldR8R11R14R21
Budge World Users who do pay for Budge World generally enjoy the variety of games, stickers, and new worlds, finding it fun and educational for kids R8R11R14R21. Some users request more updates or additional characters like Peppa Pig or Hello Kitty R14.
Thomas & Friends Thomas & Friends offers mini-games and collectible toys . However, a significant number of users are highly critical of a recent update that changed the visual style of the characters to the 'All Engines Go' cartoon style, which they find babyish and a downgrade from the older CGI style R56R61. Many also report that previous purchases were reset or are no longer compatible with the new version .
Reliability/Performance tieR29R75R89R97
Budge World One user reported that Budge World crashes and turns off their device R29.
Thomas & Friends Thomas & Friends has reports of constant freezes on iPads, making it impossible to interact with game elements R89. One user also mentioned glitches with character appearances and camera issues R75R97.
Pick Budge World if

You are looking for a children's app with a wide variety of games and characters, and you are willing to pay for a subscription after a free trial R8R14.

Pick Thomas & Friends if

You or your child are a fan of Thomas & Friends and are not bothered by the 'All Engines Go' visual style, and you are prepared for in-app purchases to unlock full content .

Evidence note: The reviews for Budge World are heavily skewed towards complaints about its mandatory subscription and unclear free trial terms, making it difficult to assess other aspects of the app for non-paying users. Thomas & Friends reviews are dominated by negative feedback regarding a recent visual update and the cost of content.

Frequently asked

Is Budge World truly free to play?
No, Budge World is not truly free to play; while it offers a free trial, users report that a subscription is required to access most content, and there are many complaints about being charged immediately or not being able to exit the trial without paying R1R3R4R9.
What are the main complaints about Thomas & Friends?
The main complaints about Thomas & Friends revolve around a recent update that changed the character designs to the 'All Engines Go' style, which many users find unappealing and babyish, and the requirement to pay for additional trains, mini-games, and tracks R51R53R56R61.
Can I revert to the old Thomas & Friends character designs?
Based on user reviews, there is currently no option to revert to the old Thomas & Friends character designs, which has caused significant disappointment among users who preferred the previous CGI style R65R73R80R90.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 110 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] Budge World 1/5 · GB 🤢👎👶🏿🕸😬: Don’t get it because you have to pay for it
  2. [R2] Budge World 4/5 · GB My opinion: So it’s an amazing game for kids and all but I would love if u could change the prices lower since they’re really expensive I also haven’t played in years so back in 2015-2016 So yep!
  3. [R3] Budge World 3/5 · GB My review: from watching the video it looks really good but when do you open the app it doesn’t say anything about having a free trial on the video we don’t have money for games at my house so please can you not make us pay for it because if it’s just a game that we have to pay for there is no point playing it you’re not you’re not gonna use it anymore That’s why I’ve only gave it to a three star
  4. [R4] Budge World 2/5 · GB Fix It please: Soooo I download It and There was the free trial and there was no x button to get out please fix It NOWOWOOWOWOWOOWOWOWOWOWOOWOW I REALLY WANNA PLAY
  5. [R8] Budge World 5/5 · GB I looovveee budge world: Hello today I’m going to be telling you of my story of how I got budge world and fell in love with it at first are used to play all of your games and I absolutely loved it but one day when I went on the App Store to find some more budge games I found an app it was very new and it was called budge world I was so excited so I was downloading it after when it downloaded I tap
  6. [R11] Budge World 5/5 · GB Good: It’s so good and great 🙀😸😍🤗🤑🥳🤯😻🕺🏼🌚🌜🌛🌛
  7. [R14] Budge World 5/5 · GB We can courage you Budge!: I like this game. There could be a peppa pig game added though I do really like this game. It would be ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛ ᴏʀ ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ ɪғ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇs ғʀᴏᴍ ʜᴇʟʟᴏ ᴋɪᴛᴛʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ. ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ʙʏᴇ^^!
  8. [R21] Budge World 5/5 · GB Budge world: Budge world is a game for 2+ on
  9. [R29] Budge World 4/5 · GB Amazing..........................................................................: Amazing game but it crashes and turns of the device pleas fix ASAP!
  10. [R75] Thomas & Friends 1/5 · GB Creepy spencer: When I was doing that passenger mini game a creepy spencer popped up and the camera went crazy and blacked out
  11. [R89] Thomas & Friends 2/5 · GB Constant freezes on iPad: Very annoying constant freezes on iPad. Can’t move cows/passengers. The app is just stuck.
  12. [R97] Thomas & Friends 2/5 · GB Glitches and bugs: When I bought this game for my 5 year old son back in 2021, he played the game a lot of the time but then started playing the game for merely a minute before converting to ThomasMinis. So when he found out about the new All Engines Go update he got really excited but when he entered the game, the first thing he saw was a black Thomas in the sheds with Percy, Diesel, Kana and Nia
  13. [R9] Budge World 3/5 · GB It’s okay but...: Well so I asked my parents if I’m aloud this for doing lots of homework, so they said yes. But I was so exited to play it and I could not bc of the free daily trial that I did not know was there first so it’s no good but it’s fine I guess. Lizz happy Halloween :)
  14. [R51] Thomas & Friends 2/5 · US It’s Ok But: The game is fun but in order to have more fun is EVERYTHING = FREE Any of you remember when you didn’t have to pay for the other trains and the “toys”. PS. If you don’t know, everything used to be free
  15. [R53] Thomas & Friends 3/5 · US Please do this: So my kids are 4 and 6 and they keep on begging me to buy them more of the mini games because all of the other trains and mini games aside from Thomas’s cost money so they can’t play it so all I’m asking for is to make All of the other stuff unlockable and not cost money
  16. [R56] Thomas & Friends 3/5 · GB Doesn’t give me tingles: When I first downloaded the app when I was 6 I was in love the graphics and gameplay were amazing but now when I wanted to play it again for the memories I was let down by how the engines looked ‘THEY TURNED THEM INTO CARTOONS !!’ that was my reaction but at least the gameplay stayed the same
  17. [R61] Thomas & Friends 1/5 · US Why?: What happened to the old engines They were way better.
  18. [R65] Thomas & Friends 1/5 · US I mean the new one is nice but the old was better: I have suggestion on the setting screen can there be a switch the says cgi then everything will go back to the cgi version please do it
  19. [R73] Thomas & Friends 1/5 · US It’s ok: I like this game but I like the old update better because it takes me back and I miss the old characters as him as Raul, Henry, ashima, Ryan, Spencer just bring it back now please.
  20. [R80] Thomas & Friends 4/5 · US Switch Styles: Add a toggle to switch between the old style and the new style. I haven’t played this game in years, and I reinstalled it just today. I was surprised seeing the new style, but I miss the old style. I’m 18 years old, so I’ve grown up with the old style.
  21. [R90] Thomas & Friends 5/5 · US there could be skins one there like picking the old one or the latest one: ?

Synthesized from 110 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store