# NumBots vs First News

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NumBots at none against First News's 7. NumBots also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 6 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. First News sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month. NumBots asks for nothing beyond the download.

NumBots holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NumBots has 319 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of NumBots's written reviews are positive against 74% of First News's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

NumBots ships an update every 5 weeks, First News every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NumBots | First News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (319 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/numbots/id1448844836/reviews)** | [4.5 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-news/id1544460681/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **319** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | 66.5% of reviews | **73.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 31 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Maths Circle Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/973811325) | [First News](https://appshunter.io/developer/579391153) |

## What reviewers say

### NumBots

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/numbots/id1448844836)

This platform helps children master mental addition and subtraction, moving them from counting to calculating. It focuses on building understanding, recall, and fluency in these core math skills. Designed for early learners, it offers an engaging way to achieve mathematical proficiency.

**Highlights:** Master mental addition, Master mental subtraction, Build understanding, Develop recall, Achieve fluency, Transition from counting to calculating

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for learning math
- 🚀 Fun and engaging
- 💡 Helpful for improving math skills
- 💡 Customizable robot feature
- 👍 Useful for kids aged 4-7

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Unclear progression system
- ⏱️ Strict time limits
- 🤔 Repetitive levels
- 🤔 Not challenging enough for older kids

**Reported bugs**

- Coins and stars not tracking correctly
- Login issues across devices
- Keyboard not showing up on tablets
- Levels randomly locked or missing
- App crashing and freezing

**Requested features**

- More advanced levels and content
- Ability to skip to appropriate level
- Less emphasis on speed, more on accuracy
- Family account support
- Improved login and persistence


### First News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-news/id1544460681)

This app provides children with a balanced and truthful view of world events, written by award-winning journalists. It offers interactive articles, daily curated news, puzzles, games, and a video platform with news explainers to foster curiosity and critical thinking.

**Highlights:** Weekly 28-page interactive newspaper edition, Searchable archive of past issues, Hundreds of news explainer videos, Weekly topical quiz with avatar and leaderboard, Interactive puzzles linked to current news, Daily news feed with age-appropriate articles, Weekly polls and competitions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $5.49 | per month |
| 1-month subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| 3 Month Subscription | $24.49 | per 3 months |
| 3-month subscription | $28.49 | per 3 months |
| 6 Month subscription | $43.99 | per 6 months |
| 6-month subscription | $53.99 | per 6 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $79.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NumBots free?

NumBots is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is First News free?

First News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NumBots or First News?

NumBots is rated higher. NumBots averages 4.7 out of 5 from 319 ratings, while First News averages 4.5 from 22 ratings.

### Do NumBots or First News have ads?

Neither NumBots nor First News shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NumBots or First News?

NumBots ships an update every 5 weeks, and First News every 6 months. Most recently, NumBots was updated on October 29, 2026 and First News on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*