Peko Pal vs Tin Can vs a phone
| Feature | Tin Can |  Peko Pal | A phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | None | None. Buttons and sound. | Touchscreen |
| Talk with friends and family | Calls with contacts you approve | Voice or text messages and calls with people you approve, on another Pal or in the Peko Pal app on an iPhone or iPad | Anyone, unless you set up controls |
| Messages | Answering machine | Kids send voice or text messages and hear replies whenever they are ready | Texts and voice notes |
| Where it works | Plugs into the wall at home | Handheld. Messages need Wi-Fi; stories play anywhere. | Anywhere with cell service |
| Stories, podcasts and music | No | Stories and podcasts stored on the device, plus internet radio. No cards to carry or lose. | Any app |
| Lessons | No | On any topic you choose, taught at their level | Learning apps |
| Walkie-talkie | No | Pal to Pal, with no Wi-Fi needed | No |
| Ask questions out loud | No | Optional AI. You write the rules it follows. | General-purpose AI apps built for adults |
| Make and print things | No | Ask Peko for a coloring page or a story, and print it at home | With apps and a printer |
| Social media, feeds and ads | None | None | Everywhere |
Tin Can features are from tincan.kids as of October 2026 and can change. Tin Can is a trademark of its owner; Peko Pal isn't affiliated with Tin Can.
More than a kids' landline
Talk from any room
Peko Pal is handheld, so the call goes where they go: their bedroom, the couch, the kitchen table. No cord, no waiting by the wall.
Messages, any time
If Grandma's busy, they send her a voice or text message in the Peko Pal app and she replies when she can. Kids hear it whenever they're ready.
Stories and music built in
Bedtime stories, podcasts and radio you choose, on the same device. Stories play in the car or on a plane without Wi-Fi.
Grows with them
A walkie-talkie for the sibling down the hall, a night light, a voice recorder and, if you choose, a first AI they ask questions out loud.
Far more than a phone line
Calling friends is just the start. You add apps from the Peko Pal app, and new ones keep arriving.
Make it, then print it
With AI turned on, your child can ask Peko for a coloring page, a story or a calendar, then say "print it" and it comes out of your printer at home.
How printing works
Lessons on any topic
Type a topic and a goal in the Peko Pal app, from times tables to why the seasons happen. Peko finds out where your child is by asking, and teaches from there.
How Lessons work
Stories that answer back
In interactive books, your child holds the button mid-story and asks a question. Peko knows the story so far and answers, without giving away the ending.
Browse the booksA few of the apps
Browse all apps and stories
Which one fits your family
- Tin Can
Choose a Tin Can if you want a classic landline-style phone that stays in one spot at home.
- Peko Pal
Choose Peko Pal if you want them talking with friends and family from anywhere in the house, with stories, music and more on the same device.
- A phone
Get a phone or smartwatch when they need to reach you away from home, or you need to see where they are. Peko Pal has no GPS and no cellular radio.
More on how it differs from a phone or tablet: Peko Pal vs a phone or tablet. On safety and privacy: Is Peko Pal safe for kids?