Comparison

Math Snacks Video vs Newsela Student

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

Head to head
About

Math Snacks Video

This app offers engaging animated videos and resources to help students in grades 4-8 understand key math concepts like ratios, rates, and proportions. It can be used offline and includes supplementary materials for teachers and learners.

Highlights
  • Animated math concept videos
  • Offline usability
  • Supports number line, ratios, rates, proportions
  • Companion teaching resources
  • Printable teacher and learner guides
  • Aligned with Common Core standards
Features
Read full description

Take these Math Snacks videos on the go, or use them in classrooms without an Internet connection. Supports learning about the number line, ratios, rates and proportions. Bad Date: Find true love with the right ratio. Overruled!: Kingdoms teeter on the brink of war over unit conversion. Atlantean Dodgeball: Face up in a battle of ratios. Scale Ella: Our heroine uses scale factor to reverse the antics of the evil Scaleo. Number Rights: Rally the numbers to fight for their rights. Ratey the Math Cat: He can't resist pointing out the rates and "purrportions" in daily life. We have a rich collection of teaching resources and “extras” to support you, available at mathsnacks.org You will find: • Companion "Teaching With" videos for each animation showing an experienced teacher using the animation in the classroom and integrating it into a content lesson. • Printable Teacher’s Guides with discussion questions, vocabulary, and companion activities. • Printable Learner’s Guides for students which helps them apply the concepts from the animations to problem-solving activities. • Printable Comic Book Transcripts which helps kids, especially English Language Learners, follow along with the animations or refer back to them during discussion. • Games for learning. • Information on mapping the Math Snacks animations and activities onto Common Core standards. All of the student-facing resources are available in both English and Spanish. Math Snacks have been designed to be integrated into instruction, as part of the curriculum you are already using in grades 4-8. Some Math Snacks address more than one content area and can be used in a variety of lessons at different grade levels. All Math Snacks products are aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) and address the CCSSM Mathematical Practices when used as recommended. Produced by mathematics educators, researchers, and animators at the Learning Games Lab at New Mexico State University. The Learning Games Lab at New Mexico State University produces educational, research-based games and media for a wide variety of partners. Learning Games Lab products undergo a rigorous instructional design process, extensive user testing, and input from learners, teachers, and researchers. © 2009-2016 NMSU Board of Regents. All rights reserved. NMSU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. Math Snacks materials were developed in part with support from the National Science Foundation (0918794). 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

Newsela Student

This app offers engaging articles on diverse topics, each presented at five different reading levels. It includes activities and quizzes to deepen understanding, automatically adjusting difficulty to keep learners challenged and motivated. Students can track their progress and practice vocabulary.

Highlights
  • Leveled articles on any topic
  • Adjustable reading levels
  • Integrated activities and quizzes
  • Offline annotation and submission
  • Real-time progress tracking
  • Vocabulary practice (Power Words)
  • Curated and custom learning sets
Features
Read full description

Connect what’s happening in class to what’s happening in the world around you. Newsela brings authentic, real-world content into the classroom with embedded scaffolds that build knowledge, reading comprehension, and confidence across subject areas. Explore high-interest non-fiction articles, Generation Genius videos, and interactive PhET Simulations. What students can do in this app: EXPLORE HIGH-INTEREST TOPICS Discover fresh content across current events, science, technology, animals, sports, arts, pop culture, engineering, space, and more. READ YOUR OWN WAY Customize the experience with adjustable reading supports like Language Translation and Listen mode. INTERACT WITH ARTICLES Annotate text, take Polls, complete Checks for Understanding, and use Guided Highlighting. STAY ON TRACK View assignments, check due dates, and set up reminders. TAKE ON READING CHALLENGES Pick from a library of interesting articles, build independent reading habits, and earn classroom rewards. Why educators love Newsela: PROVEN SKILL GROWTH Research shows regular Newsela use can lead to up to four (4) additional months of literacy growth. RELEVANT AND TRUSTED Developed by expert learning designers in partnership with trusted publishers to deliver standards-aligned, engaging content each week. What educators are saying: “We need tools that are ever-changing, just like the world.” - New Jersey educator “Gives [students] something they can practice independently.” - Ohio teacher “They are pushing themselves to read at more difficult levels.” - Virginia teacher “They were able to connect to the novel, thereby bringing it to life.” - Michigan educator Since 2013, Newsela has worked toward one mission: Meaningful classroom learning for every student, every day. To get started, download the app and sign in with your school account or learning management system (LMS). Terms of Service: https://newsela.com/legal/terms Privacy Policy: https://newsela.com/legal/newsela-privacy-policy Help Center: https://help.newsela.com/en/

Screenshots

Math Snacks Video4 screens
Newsela Student4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Newsela Student at 4.7 against Math Snacks Video's 4.0. Newsela Student also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 29 months) and ratings volume (29K vs 2). Math Snacks Video's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 76%) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Newsela Student holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Newsela Student has 29K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Math Snacks Video's written reviews are positive against 76% of Newsela Student's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Math Snacks Video ships an update every 29 months, Newsela Student every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Math Snacks Video versus Newsela Student: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMath Snacks VideoNewsela Student
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (2 ratings)4.7 (29K ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better75.6% of reviews
Number of ratings229K — better
Update frequencyEvery 29 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS9.3 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size361 MB38 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperNew Mexico State University Board of RegentsNewsela

Customer experience

Math Snacks Video

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Newsela Student

All ratings28,929 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews315 reviews
Positive75.6%
Neutral3.8%
Negative20.6%

Bugs and requests

Math Snacks Video

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Newsela Student

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues on iOS 12
  • Binder page frequently freezes or glitches
  • Inability to see all available article sets
  • Replying and submitting work takes too long

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add word definitions or translations
  • Implement auto-save for writing assignments
  • Introduce a teacher-specific version of the app
  • Expand content to include more global news
  • Improve multitasking and split-screen support

In-app purchases

None

Math Snacks Video

No in-app purchases

None

Newsela Student

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Math Snacks Video free?
Math Snacks Video is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Newsela Student free?
Newsela Student is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Math Snacks Video or Newsela Student?
Newsela Student is rated higher. Math Snacks Video averages 4.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Newsela Student averages 4.7 from 29K ratings.
Do Math Snacks Video or Newsela Student have ads?
Neither Math Snacks Video nor Newsela Student shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Math Snacks Video or Newsela Student?
Math Snacks Video ships an update every 29 months, and Newsela Student every 2 months. Most recently, Math Snacks Video was updated on November 1, 2026 and Newsela Student on November 8, 2026.

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