Mental Calculation vs Light Up the Cave
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mental Calculation
Practice basic arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Engage in challenges against the AI or another player, choosing difficulty levels to improve your math skills with fun.
- Addition and subtraction practice
- Times tables and division
- Challenge MathyBot mode
- Two-player mode
- Selectable difficulty levels
- Customizable operations
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Practice addition, subtraction; times tables and divisions. Challenge MathyBot or "two players" mode. Enable which operations you want to practice. Select level for each player: easy - medium - master Answer fast and correctly to win the match! And to learn mathematics with some fun!
Light Up the Cave
Explore different light sources within a simulated dark cave environment. This educational tool is designed to align with grade 1 physical science curriculum, focusing on how we can illuminate our surroundings.
- Cave light source simulation
- Grade 1 physical science alignment
- Interactive learning tool
- Exploration of illumination methods
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This simulation allows users to test various light sources in a dark cave. This resource is aligned with the Smithsonian Science for the Classroom grade 1 physical science module, "How Can We Light Our Way in the Dark?"
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Light Up the Cave at 5.0 against Mental Calculation's 3.8. Light Up the Cave also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Mental Calculation's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 35 months) and ratings volume (22 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Light Up the Cave holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mental Calculation has 22 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Mental Calculation ships an update every 3 months, Light Up the Cave every 35 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Mental Calculation | Light Up the Cave |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (22 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 22 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 35 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.1 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jaime C. Carriedo | Smithsonian Institution |
Customer experience
Mental Calculation
Light Up the Cave
In-app purchases
Mental Calculation
No in-app purchases
Light Up the Cave
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Mental Calculation free?
Is Light Up the Cave free?
Which has better reviews, Mental Calculation or Light Up the Cave?
Do Mental Calculation or Light Up the Cave have ads?
Which is updated more often, Mental Calculation or Light Up the Cave?
Other comparisons
