Comparison

Pearl Diver vs Maphi

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

Head to head
About

Pearl Diver

Dive into the ocean to master the number line, including fractions and decimals, by collecting pearls. This educational game is designed by experts to align with Common Core standards for grades 3-8.

Highlights
  • Number line mastery
  • Fractions and decimals
  • Common Core alignment
  • Progress tracking
  • Educational game design
Features
Read full description

Throw on your diving helmet, and head into the depths of the sea! Master the number line, including fractions and decimals, while gathering beautiful pearls. Will you find the elusive black pearl? • Ideal for elementary and middle school students, grades 3-8. Developed by mathematics educators, researchers, and game developers at the Learning Games Lab at New Mexico State University. Games developed by the Learning Games Lab undergo a rigorous instructional design process, extensive user testing, and input from learners, teachers, and researchers. Pearl Diver addresses Common Core standards relevant to the number line and properties of numbers, including: • Understanding numbers, ways of representing numbers, and number systems. • Understanding and representing commonly used fractions. • Understanding fractions as part of unit wholes and as locations on number lines. • Comparing and ordering fractions, and finding their approximate locations on the number line. Read about research documenting learning effectiveness of Math Snacks: http://mathsnacks.com/research.html Pearl Diver was developed as part of the "Math Snacks" initiative. Other free animations, activities, and games are available through the Math Snacks web site at http://mathsnacks.org. Math Snack materials were developed with support from the National Science Foundation (0918794 & 1503507). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Some materials were originally prototyped or discussed as part of a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Education (U295A050004).

About

Maphi

This app offers an interactive way to learn and solve mathematical problems. Users can manipulate expressions directly on screen to discover solutions, with a step-by-step guide available for assistance. Gamification elements make the learning process engaging.

Highlights
  • Interactive expression manipulation
  • Touch, swipe, and drag controls
  • Step-by-step guidance
  • Gamification elements
  • Arithmetic, Variables, Fractions
  • Linear equations, Derivatives, Integrals
Features
Read full description

Maphi makes understanding math easier than ever before! You can touch, swipe, and drag mathematical expressions to find your very own solutions to challenging mathematical problems. You’ll soon realise: The best way to understand Math, is to do it yourself. And the best way to do it yourself is with Maphi! Among others, the free version allows the full use of the following chapters: - Arithmetic - Variables - Fractions - Distributive Law - Linear equations The pro version contains the additional chapters: - Rational equations with linear terms - Systems of linear equations - Powers - Derivatives - Integrals Maphi is based on an advanced computer algebra system that has been optimized for ease of use and touch control. If you get stuck a step-by-step guide can be activated for immediate assistance. The unique didactic approach and gamification elements make learning math an interesting and fun experience. See https://www.maphi.app/tos for our general terms and conditions.

Screenshots

Pearl Diver4 screens
Maphi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pearl Diver at none against Maphi's 4. Pearl Diver also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Maphi's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 20 months) and review sentiment (93% vs 76%). On price and device support 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. Maphi sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Pearl Diver asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pearl Diver holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Maphi has 39 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Pearl Diver's written reviews are positive against 93% of Maphi's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pearl Diver ships an update every 20 months, Maphi fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Pearl Diver versus Maphi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPearl DiverMaphi
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.6 (39 ratings)
Positive reviews76.2% of reviews93.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings239 — better
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.610 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNew Mexico State University Board of RegentsEdutapps GmbH

Customer experience

Pearl Diver

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive76.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative19.0%

Maphi

All ratings38 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral2.6%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive93.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.0%

Bugs and requests

Pearl Diver

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Maphi

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezes on the title screen
  • App crashes immediately after starting on iPhone XS Max
  • Integration by parts has u-substitution problems

Requested features

8 requests
  • More trigonometric functions (csc, sec, cot, arc sin, arc cos, arc tan)
  • More calculus content (Calc II, Calc III)
  • One-time payment option for premium features
  • Randomly generated problems under a time limit
  • Daily quizzes
Show 3 more
  • Step-by-step explanations for problems
  • Ability to set a comma in the formula editor
  • Faster double-tap recognition for easier manipulation

In-app purchases

None

Pearl Diver

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Maphi

Subscriptions3
  • Maphi Pro 1 Month$2.491 Month
  • Maphi Pro 6 Months$4.996 Months
  • Maphi Pro 12 Months$6.991 Year
One-time1
  • Maphi Pro Lifetime$8.99

Questions

Is Pearl Diver free?
Pearl Diver is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Maphi free?
Maphi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pearl Diver or Maphi?
Pearl Diver is rated higher. Pearl Diver averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Maphi averages 4.6 from 39 ratings.
Do Pearl Diver or Maphi have ads?
Maphi shows ads; Pearl Diver does not.
Which is updated more often, Pearl Diver or Maphi?
Pearl Diver ships an update every 20 months, and Maphi fortnightly. Most recently, Pearl Diver was updated on November 1, 2026 and Maphi on November 6, 2026.

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