Comparison

Learning Maths Shapes vs Thomas & Friends™

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

Head to head
About

Learning Maths Shapes

Features
Read full description

The Science Animations: Learning Maths Shapes animation is for learners in the early stages of primary school. Kids will learn to identify maths shapes by playing simple games. They will also learn about polyhedrons, perspective and mirror images. They can build 3D objects with cubes.

About

Thomas & Friends™

Children can drive their favorite engines and build custom train tracks on the Island of Sodor. This app offers hands-on fun, encourages imagination, and helps develop important skills for preschoolers and neurodivergent children.

Highlights
  • Drive favorite engines
  • Build custom train tracks
  • Explore Island of Sodor
  • Kid-friendly controls
  • Develops spatial awareness
  • Inclusive play experience
Features
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Thomas & Friends: Let’s Roll invites kids to drive their favorite engines and build their own tracks, fueling big imaginations and tons of hands-on fun. Perfect for preschoolers ages 2-6 and thoughtfully made for all kids to enjoy! • Drive around the Island of Sodor to enjoy lots of exciting journeys! • You can pick a different engine for each journey, including Thomas, Bruno, Percy, and more. Even very young children can enjoy a rewarding driving experience with our kid-friendly driving controls. • The TRACK BUILDER feature lets you build a train track and drive a toy train on it! • You can enhance your track with lots of fun and interesting scenery options. • Watch your trains chug along the track and the landscape you created! • This app helps kids develop spatial awareness, fine motor skills, and self-expression. FUN FOR EVERYONE Designed for ALL kids, (especially little neurodivergent engineers) this app brings expert input from autistic writer Jody O'Neill to create a playful, inclusive experience. Kids set their own pace, are offered clear choices, and can safely explore alongside Bruno the Brake Car, a neurodivergent friend from Sodor. Designed for repeated play sessions, this app will offer joy and comfort to kids, over and over again! JOURNEYS The Old Mine, Whiff’s Recycling Plant, Norramby Beach, McColl’s Farm, and Winter Wonderland CHARACTERS Thomas, Bruno, Gordon, Percy, Nia, Diesel and Kana FEATURES - Safe and age-appropriate - Designed responsibly to let your child enjoy screen time while developing healthy digital habits at a young age - Play pre-downloaded content offline without Wi-Fi or internet - Regular updates with new content - Apple Family Sharing for easy subscription sharing with other family members - No third-party advertising - No in-app purchases for subscribers SUPPORT For any questions or assistance, please reach out to us at support@storytoys.com. ABOUT STORYTOYS Our mission is to bring the world's most popular characters, worlds, and stories to life for children. We make apps for kids that engage them in well-rounded activities designed to help them learn, play, and grow. Parents can enjoy peace of mind knowing their kids are learning and having fun at the same time. PRIVACY & TERMS StoryToys takes children's privacy seriously and ensures that its apps comply with privacy laws, including the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If you would like to learn more about the information we collect and how we use it, please visit our privacy policy at https://storytoys.com/privacy. Read our terms of use here: https://storytoys.com/terms/ SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS This app contains sample content that is free to play. However, LOTS MORE fun and entertaining games and activities are available if you purchase a monthly or yearly subscription. While you are subscribed you can play with EVERYTHING. We regularly add new stuff, so subscribed users will enjoy ever-expanding play opportunities. • Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually according to the rate of the selected subscription plan. • You can change your mind at any point. Cancelling can be done through your iTunes settings. • Your subscription will auto-renew at the cost of the chosen package unless you cancel it 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. Subscription fees are charged to your iTunes account. • After purchase, you can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings. • When you purchase a subscription, you forfeit any unused portion of a free trial period. • You can use your subscription on any device registered with the same Apple ID that you subscribed from. © 2026 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. The Thomas name and character and the Thomas & Friends™ logo are trademarks of Gullane (Thomas) Limited and its affiliates and are registered in many jurisdictions throughout the world.

Screenshots

Learning Maths Shapes4 screens
Thomas & Friends™4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Thomas & Friends™ at Free against Learning Maths Shapes's $3.99. Thomas & Friends™ also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 23 months). Learning Maths Shapes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On 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

Thomas & Friends™ is free to download; Learning Maths Shapes costs $3.99 up front. Thomas & Friends™ sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Learning Maths Shapes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Learning Maths Shapes ships an update every 23 months, Thomas & Friends™ monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Learning Maths Shapes versus Thomas & Friends™: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLearning Maths ShapesThomas & Friends™
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating—4.2 (9.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews—71.5% of reviews
Number of ratings—9.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 23 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB462 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWillie van SchalkwykStoryToys Limited

Bugs and requests

Learning Maths Shapes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Thomas & Friends™

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Respawning issues at McColl's Farm
  • Inability to complete the loop in Crystal Cave
  • Character catchphrases turning back on after restart

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more playable engines (James, Emily, Edward, etc.)
  • Introduce new locations (Knapford, Vicarstown, etc.)
  • Implement interactive journey scenarios (railroad crossings, traffic jams, etc.)
  • Fix issues with cargo physics and character whistles/horns
  • Improve performance and stability

In-app purchases

None

Learning Maths Shapes

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Thomas & Friends™

Subscriptions7
  • UNLOCK EVERYTHING$4.991 Month
  • UNLOCK EVERYTHING-7 day trial7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • UNLOCK EVERYTHING$6.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • UNLOCK EVERYTHING - BEST VALUE$6.991 Month
  • 7day trial & UNLOCK EVERYTHING7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • UNLOCK EVERYTHING - BEST VALUE2 variants$29.991 Year
  • UNLOCK EVERYTHING - BEST VALUE$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Learning Maths Shapes free?
Learning Maths Shapes costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Thomas & Friends™ free?
Thomas & Friends™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Learning Maths Shapes or Thomas & Friends™ have ads?
Neither Learning Maths Shapes nor Thomas & Friends™ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Learning Maths Shapes or Thomas & Friends™?
Learning Maths Shapes ships an update every 23 months, and Thomas & Friends™ monthly. Most recently, Learning Maths Shapes was updated on October 12, 2026 and Thomas & Friends™ on October 25, 2026.

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