Comparison

Pearl Diver vs Drill Math Word Problems

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

Drill Math Word Problems

This app offers a distraction-free environment for children to practice and master fundamental math skills through word problems. It includes various math topics with adjustable difficulty levels and a practice mode for focused learning.

Highlights
  • Addition word problems
  • Randomly generated questions
  • Three difficulty levels
  • Practice mode
  • Customizable question types
Features
Read full description

Banana Math App is a fun way to practice and master fundamental math facts. The user interface is simple and clear with no distractions, allowing for kids to focus on learning. Some of the salient features are: - Addition Word Problems (free) - Subtraction Word Problems (locked) - Algebra Word Problems (locked) - Geometry (locked) - Time Problems (locked) - Randomly generated questions. - Three difficulty levels - Practice mode - Allows to practice a given feature. - Settings - Turn on/off the type of questions to include. Enjoy learning...

Screenshots

Pearl Diver4 screens
Drill Math Word Problems4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pearl Diver at 5.0 against Drill Math Word Problems's 3.5. Pearl Diver also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 37%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Drill Math Word Problems's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 20 months) and ratings volume (56 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pearl Diver holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drill Math Word Problems has 56 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Pearl Diver's written reviews are positive against 37% of Drill Math Word Problems's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pearl Diver ships an update every 20 months, Drill Math Word Problems every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Pearl Diver versus Drill Math Word Problems: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPearl DiverDrill Math Word Problems
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better3.5 (56 ratings)
Positive reviews76.2% of reviews — better36.9% of reviews
Number of ratings256 — better
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNew Mexico State University Board of RegentsPower Math Apps LLC

Customer experience

Pearl Diver

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

Drill Math Word Problems

All ratings56 ratings
Positive60.7%
Neutral5.4%
Negative33.9%
Written reviews65 reviews
Positive36.9%
Neutral10.8%
Negative52.3%

Bugs and requests

Pearl Diver

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Drill Math Word Problems

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Cannot get into settings
  • Website won't accept comments for reporting problems
  • Geometry tiles are blank for pattern questions
  • In-app purchases not working
  • Answer tiles do not display images
Show 4 more
  • Program crashes when trying to choose an answer on the chalkboard
  • Bought in a bundle, now asking to buy again
  • Blank boxes instead of answers
  • Small print on iPhone

Requested features

5 requests
  • Track student progress
  • Simple number sense for preschoolers
  • Prompt that reads problems for non-readers
  • Ability to show work
  • More challenging problems for older students

In-app purchases

None

Pearl Diver

No in-app purchases

None

Drill Math Word Problems

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pearl Diver free?
Pearl Diver is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Drill Math Word Problems free?
Drill Math Word Problems is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pearl Diver or Drill Math Word Problems?
Pearl Diver is rated higher. Pearl Diver averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Drill Math Word Problems averages 3.5 from 56 ratings.
Do Pearl Diver or Drill Math Word Problems have ads?
Neither Pearl Diver nor Drill Math Word Problems shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pearl Diver or Drill Math Word Problems?
Pearl Diver ships an update every 20 months, and Drill Math Word Problems every 2 months. Most recently, Pearl Diver was updated on November 1, 2026 and Drill Math Word Problems on November 1, 2026.

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