Comparison

Pearl Diver HD vs Pattern Sets

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

Head to head
About

Pearl Diver HD

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

Highlights
  • Number line mastery
  • Fractions and decimals
  • Common Core standards alignment
  • Progress tracking
  • Educational game design
  • Pearl collection gameplay
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. For information about learning effectiveness, see the Math Snacks Research Summary: http://mathsnacks.com/research.html For information about the NMSU Learning Games Lab, visit http://learninggameslab.org. 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). 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

Pattern Sets

This app helps young learners develop number sense by practicing subitizing, the ability to quickly recognize quantities without counting. It features various dot patterns, dice patterns, and 10-frames for practice, with adjustable settings for exposure time and quantity range.

Highlights
  • Subitizing practice
  • Dot patterns
  • Dice patterns
  • 10-frames
  • Adjustable time and quantity
  • Two-color patterns
Features
Read full description

Subitizing, or quickly recognizing the quantity of objects in a group without having to count, is an important number sense skill. Practice recognizing the number of dots in a variety of pattern types including from 1 to 10 dots. Dice patterns and patterns based on 10-frames are included. Patterns are made with one or two colors. Set the length of time a pattern is shown and the range of dots displayed. The iPad version also incorporates up to 20 dots and two 10 Frames Pattern Sets is one app in the NumberSense series designed at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois for K-2 grade students. In addition to the support website, see www.augustana.edu/numbersense for information about the project. Pattern Sets is one app in the NumberSense series designed at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois for K-2 grade students. In addition to the support website, see www.augustana.edu/numbersense for information about the project.

Screenshots

Pearl Diver HD4 screens
Pattern Sets4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pattern Sets at 5.0 against Pearl Diver HD's 1.5. Pattern Sets also leads on update cadence (every 7 months vs every 20 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

Pattern Sets holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pearl Diver HD ships an update every 20 months, Pattern Sets every 7 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Pearl Diver HD versus Pattern Sets: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPearl Diver HDPattern Sets
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.5 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 7 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.610.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNew Mexico State University Board of RegentsClassroom Focused Software

Customer experience

Pearl Diver HD

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%

Pattern Sets

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Pearl Diver HD

No in-app purchases

None

Pattern Sets

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pearl Diver HD free?
Pearl Diver HD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pattern Sets free?
Pattern Sets is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pearl Diver HD or Pattern Sets?
Pattern Sets is rated higher. Pearl Diver HD averages 1.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Pattern Sets averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Pearl Diver HD or Pattern Sets have ads?
Neither Pearl Diver HD nor Pattern Sets shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pearl Diver HD or Pattern Sets?
Pearl Diver HD ships an update every 20 months, and Pattern Sets every 7 months. Most recently, Pearl Diver HD was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pattern Sets on November 1, 2026.

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