Comparison

McGraw Hill AR vs ACT Help Coach

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

Head to head
About

McGraw Hill AR

This educational app uses augmented reality to make learning engaging through interactive, multisensory activities. It covers a wide range of subjects for grades 3-12, gamifying complex concepts to promote deeper understanding. Features include collaborative play and Spanish language options.

Highlights
  • Augmented reality learning experiences
  • Gamified activities for abstract concepts
  • Covers Math, Science, Social Studies, ELA
  • Group Play for collaborative learning
  • Spanish language support
  • Activities for grades 3-12
Read full description

This award-winning app brings learning to life through bite-sized, multisensory activities that promote deep, conceptual learning. The app leverages augmented reality to gamify challenging and abstract concepts, helping students learn through play. A growing library of activities cover 3-12th grade Math, Science, Social Studies, and ELA. A Group Play option for select activities offers collaborative opportunities, Spanish versions of activities are available via Settings, and web versions of activities can be found at mharonline.com. Examples of activities across subjects: - Math: Slope: Calculate slope to help an animated skateboarder make their jump. - Social Studies: Boston Massacre: Experience the Boston Massacre from various witness viewpoints - Science: Human Eye: Dissect the human eye to explore its different parts - ELA: Romeo and Juliet: Transform Romeo & Juliet’s balcony scene to create your own AR version of what happened Math - Cross Sections - Nets - Rotations - Slope - One-Step Equations - Two-Step Equations - Growth Functions - Parallel & Skew Lines - Pythagorean Theorem in 3D - Reflections - Graph Theory - Quadratic Functions (group activity included) - Coordinate Plane - LCM - Equivalent Fractions - Ratios - Game Theory (group activity included) - Divide with Remainders - Add and Subtract Fractions Social Studies - Vikings - Boston Massacre - Westward Expansion - Parthenon - Space Race (group activity included) - Trench Warfare - Silk Road - Industrial Revolution - Civicstown - Machu Picchu - Pyramids - Stickball - Grocery Go! - The Colosseum - Civil War - Panama Canal - Deforestation in the Amazon - Map Dash! (group activity included) Science - Human Eye - V8 Engine - Photosynthesis - Circulatory System - Respiratory System - Glaciers - Law of Reflection (group activity included) - Periodic Table - Simple Machines - Sonic Shapes - Tornado Factory - Fibonacci Forest Quest - Fireworks Factory - Animal Cell Lab - Big Dig - Seismic Shake - Electric Escape - Bird Beak Bonanza (group activity included) ELA - Romeo & Juliet - The Great Race - GrammarBot: Modifiers

About

ACT Help Coach

Features
Read full description

The ACT Coach helps students truly learn through daily practice and step-by-step explanations. Practice key ACT topics, see every step explained, and build confidence one problem at a time. Features: • Daily ACT practice sets • Step-by-step explanations for every problem • Topics including Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies • Progress tracking to build consistency • Clean, focused design made for learning Pro Version: • Unlock full step-by-step explanations • Unlimited practice • Future updates included Perfect for: • Middle school and high school students • Homework support • Parents who want real learning—not shortcuts Terms of Use (EULA): https://jtmrebels.github.io/act-coach/terms.html

Screenshots

McGraw Hill AR4 screens
ACT Help Coach4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: McGraw Hill AR at none against ACT Help Coach's 2. McGraw Hill AR also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.2). On price, update cadence and ads 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

Both are free to download. ACT Help Coach sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. McGraw Hill AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
McGraw Hill AR versus ACT Help Coach: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMcGraw Hill ARACT Help Coach
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (77 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings77 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size127 MB4 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperMcGraw-Hill School Education GroupJTM

In-app purchases

None

McGraw Hill AR

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

ACT Help Coach

Subscriptions2
  • ACT Coach Pro – Monthly$9.991 Month
  • ACT Coach Pro – Yearly$59.991 Year

Questions

Is McGraw Hill AR free?
McGraw Hill AR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ACT Help Coach free?
ACT Help Coach is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do McGraw Hill AR or ACT Help Coach have ads?
Neither McGraw Hill AR nor ACT Help Coach shows ads.
Which is updated more often, McGraw Hill AR or ACT Help Coach?
McGraw Hill AR ships an update every 2 months, and ACT Help Coach every 2 months. Most recently, McGraw Hill AR was updated on October 4, 2026 and ACT Help Coach on October 13, 2026.

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