# HMH Brain Arcade vs MathTango

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MathTango at 76% against HMH Brain Arcade's 0%. MathTango also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). HMH Brain Arcade's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MathTango sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. HMH Brain Arcade asks for nothing beyond the download.

HMH Brain Arcade ships an update every 5 months, MathTango every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HMH Brain Arcade | MathTango |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.6 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathtango-math-games-for-kids/id6475483877/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **75.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 233 MB | 884 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Houghton Mifflin Harcourt](https://appshunter.io/developer/409368007) | [Piknik](https://appshunter.io/developer/640702079) |

## What reviewers say

### HMH Brain Arcade

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hmh-brain-arcade/id1532111654)

Practice math skills through engaging games that reinforce arithmetic reasoning, number fluency, and problem-solving. Unlock new challenges and levels as you progress, building proficiency in fractions, decimals, and more.

**Highlights:** Engaging math games, Arithmetic reasoning practice, Number fluency building, Progress tracking and rewards, Fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, Companion to MATH 180 curriculum

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### MathTango

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathtango-math-games-for-kids/id6475483877)

This app offers hundreds of engaging math games for children aged 5-10+, covering addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Kids progress through playful challenges, collect rewards, and build confidence in math skills. It features a customized curriculum and adaptive learning.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of math games for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Customized, age-appropriate lesson plan wizard, Adaptive learning based on Common Core curriculum, Playful worlds and missions for engagement, Multiple user profiles for family use, Offline play without WiFi

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MathTango Plan | $7.99 | per month |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $14.99 | per month |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $14.99 | per month |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $14.99 | per month |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $79.99 | per year |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💙 Love it
- 🤍 Fun and enjoyable
- 👍 Great learning game
- 🎨 Lovely graphics
- 🧠 Helps with math skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔄 Reactive missions
- 💸 High in-game prices
- 🔒 Lost access to previous version
- 🚫 Subscription issues

**Reported bugs**

- Progress and purchases not carrying over to new version
- Inability to log in to paid account on new device
- Accidental purchases cannot be refunded

**Requested features**

- Update the game to be more like the original MathTango
- Change the name to MathTango and the icon to Isacc
- Add more features and updates to continue playing puzzles
- Remove the daily puzzle limit


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HMH Brain Arcade free?

HMH Brain Arcade is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MathTango free?

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

### Do HMH Brain Arcade or MathTango have ads?

Neither HMH Brain Arcade nor MathTango shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HMH Brain Arcade or MathTango?

HMH Brain Arcade ships an update every 5 months, and MathTango every 2 months. Most recently, HMH Brain Arcade was updated on November 3, 2026 and MathTango on November 13, 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.*