How We Review Coloring Apps
Every app on Best Coloring Apps goes through the same hands-on process, whether it's a third-party app or one developed by a team affiliated with us. Here's exactly how that works.
1. Install
We install and test the current public version of the app from the App Store, the same version any reader would download.
2. Test
We evaluate onboarding, the core coloring experience, navigation, any paywalls or purchase prompts, ad behavior, settings, and major features — using the app the way a real user (or their kid) would.
3. Score
Every app is scored using the same eight-criteria BCA Score framework below, so ratings are comparable across the whole site rather than app-by-app gut calls.
4. Compare
We compare each app against relevant alternatives in the same category — audience, theme, or feature set — to place its score in context.
5. Update
Major reviews are revisited after significant app changes. When we retest an app, we update its "last tested" date and reviewed version so you know how current the data is.
The BCA Score
The BCA Score is our single-number summary of an app's overall quality, on a scale of 0.0–10.0. It's built from eight weighted criteria so that no single factor — like flashy artwork — can carry an app to a high score on its own.
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Artwork & Content | 20% |
| Ease of Use | 15% |
| Safety | 15% |
| Ads & Distractions | 15% |
| Value for Money | 10% |
| Offline Experience | 10% |
| Age Appropriateness | 10% |
| Performance & Polish | 5% |
Example Score Breakdown
Here's what a sample breakdown looks like on a review page:
- Artwork & Content
- Ease of Use
- Safety
- Ads & Distractions
- Value for Money
- Offline Experience
- Age Appropriateness
- Performance & Polish
Apps Made by Our Own Team
Some apps we review are developed by companies affiliated with our editorial team. We disclose this directly on every affected review and apply the exact same BCA Score framework to those apps as we do to every third-party app — no separate, more forgiving process. See our full disclosure policy for details.