Some of my most vivid childhood memories involve my beloved American Girl dolls. My first was Felicity, a historical doll representing English colonial America. Her freckles looked like mine. I read every single corresponding book, and I LOVED her. Next, I got Addy, followed by Kirsten, before I finally got the then-newly released dolls you can customize to look just like you (yes, I was lucky to have so many). Everything American Girl enamored me as a kid, and they played a part in every gift-receiving occasion I had growing up, right through about sixth grade.
Later, when I was pregnant and found out I was having a girl, American Girl dolls were one of the things I couldn’t wait to share with her. Now she’s 5 and at the prime age to get a doll of her own.
But, as a shopping and commerce writer, I also became aware of a secondary, more affordable doll option—the Our Generation Doll collection exclusively available at Target.
Chances are, you’ve seen them too, and maybe have even struggled to tell the two apart, like I have. Though I’ve strolled by the display countless times, I never really took a close look at comparing the two, until now. To my daughter’s benefit, I was recently able to do a proper doll comparison for a friendly face-off between the two competing brands. Here’s an honest review of American Girl vs. Our Generation dolls from one mom—me!
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Key Takeaways
- Both brands have decades-long histories as popular toys for kids.
- Price comparison: 18-inch American Girl dolls start at $135 vs. Our Generation dolls start at $29.99
- American Girl dolls offer high-quality, collectability, and licensed/historical characters.
- Our Generation dolls offer a wide range of diverse, budget-friendly dolls and accessories.
- Budgets, priorities, interests, and the nostalgia factor may determine which doll is best.
- Clothes and accessories fit both American Girl and Our Generation dolls. Shop our favorites.
History of American Girl and Our Generation brands
American Girl dolls first hit the market back in 1986, created by Pleasant T. Rowland of Pleasant Company. Initially, each 18-inch heirloom-quality doll represented a historical fiction character throughout American history and came with books that told their story. It was a mix of education, history, and play. The brand has grown exponentially, having been purchased by Mattel in 1998. American Girl is still releasing new historical dolls, including twins from the 1990s, and their annual “Girl of the Year” dolls, Truly Me dolls, and fully customizable dolls are available for purchase online or in-person at one of their retail experiences.
Our Generation dolls came on the scene in 1994 by Battat, a Canadian company that now exclusively partners with Target, with a variety of dolls and accessories available in Target stores and online.
Cost comparison: American Girl vs. Our Generation Dolls
It’s no secret that American Girl dolls are more expensive than their competitors, with pre-designed 18-inch dolls starting around $135 and rising from there. At Target, Our Generation Dolls (also 18 inches) begin around $29.99, nearly 75 percent cheaper.
American Girl also has the option to customize your own with their Create Your Own offering, which begins at $275. Our Generation doesn’t offer this fully customizable option, but it does have a diverse range of dolls currently available.
Because Our Generation dolls are available at Target, you can often score them on sale or fall within a promotional code or discount. American Girl does run promotions, just less often, and it won’t close the gap in price too much.
However, it’s also worth mentioning that American Girl dolls are considered collector’s items and, at times, can increase in resale value. Our Generation dolls released a few special-edition dolls starting in 2024 to celebrate the brand’s 30th anniversary. They aren’t quite collector items yet—but you never know!
Doll quality: American Girl vs. Our Generation
On the surface, I’m not able to tell the difference between the two dolls. They are both the same height, have relatively similar facial features and hair lengths, and even their accessories are somewhat similar. You can feel the difference, though.
Hair Quality
In my opinion, the Our Generation dolls’ hair can be described as basic, somewhat dry doll hair, whereas the American Girl counterparts’ hair feels a bit thicker, a bit more luxe, and a bit more shiny. (Again, this only matters if you care about these things, but one of my favorite things to do as a kid was practice braiding on my dolls, so I happen to think hair is important!)
However, Our Generation dolls do offer some dolls for the purpose of hair play and accessorizing. So if your child is really hoping for a hair moment with braids and extensions, Our Generation Hair Grow & Styling sets could be good for them.
Face and Eyes
This might be subjective, but American Girl dolls do seem to have a more realistic eye and eyelash quality—is it a stretch to say more “soul” than Our Generation dolls?
Doll Mobility
I also think the body parts of the American Girl dolls have a bit more flexibility and poseability than Our Generation. Other reviewers agree that American Girl dolls are easier to stand up.
Unique offerings from American Girl
In addition to having fully customizable dolls, American Girl has licensed partnerships and collaborations with brands including Disney, Dreamworks, and LoveShackFancy. So if having a doll that looks just like your child, trendy accessories, or iconic Disney princess dresses is important to you, American Girl dolls might be for you.
Additionally, while books aren’t technically considered doll accessories, it’s important to note that when American Girl was first founded in 1986 with the historical character dolls, they were each aligned with a set of books that told the story of the girl. This created an interactive bridge between doll playing, collecting, and learning. The founder, Pleasant T. Rowland, was a writer and educator after all. So while some Our Generation dolls come with books featuring the characters as well, they don’t yet compete with the American Girl historical dolls.
Unique offerings from Our Generation
But the Our Generation accessories cover almost all the bases too—think pets, furniture, school accessories, camping gear, and more. And yes, the accessories for both American Girl and Our Generation dolls are interchangeable.
“Yes, the accessories for both American Girl and Our Generation dolls are interchangeable.”
In 2025, Our Generation has also launched holiday selections and a new dollhouse to fit the 18-inch dolls to fit any American Girl or Our Generation doll.
other birthday doll hair/skin colors available
Accessory comparison: American Girl vs. Our Generation Dolls
Both brands of dolls offer an impressive selection of accessories from furniture to clothing, hobby-related items, medical and health materials, as well as clothing and footwear. Since both dolls are 18 inches tall, the clothing for American Girl and Our Generation dolls does fit each other. However, the doll proportions are ever-so-slightly different, so clothes may not fit perfectly, but not enough for most children to notice. Here are some similar product comparisons between American Girl and Our Generation accessories:
Customer service comparison: American Girl vs. Our Generation Dolls
Since American Girl dolls are their own brand, they also have their own designated Customer Service department for any issues with ordering, shipping, delivery, and product quality. If your doll happens to get damaged or “injured,” the company has a Care Center that can help to repair and refresh your doll under most circumstances. They can repair or reattach limbs, clean the doll, restyle the doll’s hair, and more. Some of the American Girl stores, like the one in NYC, even have a cafe, in-store party options, hotel packages, a “spa,” and more.
Because Target’s Our Generation dolls are exclusively sold at Target, they are considered Target merchandise and are subject to their customer service policy. Speaking only from personal experience, Target has a pretty robust return and exchange policy and does tend to stand by the items they sell. Though they don’t offer repairs or refreshes and have yet to open a “spa.”
So, Which Doll is “Better”?
To me, there really is no “better” as it’s truly a matter of priorities and preferences.
I’m sure childhood nostalgia has something to do with my brand loyalty, but I do prefer the American Girl dolls. As for my daughter, she’s 5. She doesn’t know the difference. So we will continue to mix and match both doll brands and accessories—because why not?
Erin Celletti, Contributing Writer
Erin is an NYC-based writer with a BA in Journalism from Quinnipiac University and two master’s degrees in education. She is a proud mama to a little girl and a lifestyle, beauty, wellness, and trends reports writer. Beyond The Everymom, Erin’s editorial work has been featured in publications like Bustle, Allure, Byrdie, The Everygirl, TeenVogue, BRIDES, Sunday Edit, and TODAY.
Products in graphic linked in article and credited to American Girl and Target.
