Comparison

Pearl Diver HD vs 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 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

Math Word Problems

This app guides children through math word problems step-by-step, starting with basic addition and subtraction. It focuses on comprehension and skill development through incremental levels and a reward system. Designed for children in grades 2-5, it can be used independently or with adult guidance.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step word problem comprehension
  • Incremental skill development
  • Frustration-free guided learning
  • Reward Center for motivation
  • Parental review and reporting
  • Designed by teachers and researchers
Features
Read full description

** Happy Frog Apps is a Mom’s Choice Award Winner! Also featured on FunEducationalApps.com. TeachersWithApps.com, and more! ** Unique on the app store, this app helps kids understand HOW to do math word problems step-by-step. We start with the absolute basics, and by the end your child will know how to interpret and complete one-step math word problems using addition and subtraction. *** 5 stars! Thank you for showing my daughter HOW to do word problems. This has really improved her attitude to math. *** 5 stars! So good! I love how you focus on math comprehension. This will be great for my Grade 3 strugglers. Math Word Problems is targeted to children in Grades 2-5 who struggle with understanding math word problems and how to do them. Each level in Math Word Problems targets a specific step in working through a math word problem. Once proficient, these skills are combined as your child works through complete problems. Skill development steps are incremental and focus on attaining success. A must-have for kids struggling with math word problems. Key Benefits: - Builds word problem comprehension skills step-by-step until mastery. - Incremental learning. New levels are unlocked only when your child is ready. - Frustration-free learning. Your child will always be guided to the correct answer. - Fun and engaging Reward Center to increase motivation. - Easy parental review. Just check out the stars to see how your child is doing. - Content designed by professional teachers and researchers. - Advanced levels include timers to ensure fluency. Research shows fluency in the foundation skills is critical to reading and math comprehension. - Can be used independently (just hand it over: your child will know what to do!) or with a therapist/parent for intervention. - Provides extensive reporting for up to 10 players to suit the needs of parents, teachers and therapists. Our apps are designed for and tested by typical and special needs children. Testers include children with Autism and other special needs. Our apps work for them! To evaluate the app, download the free version, which has 4 free levels. Additional levels and additional players can be accessed with in-app purchases. If you prefer no in-app purchases, download the School Edition of this app, which includes all levels and up to 10 players. If your child struggles with understanding math word problems, they may also have difficulty with reading comprehension. Check out our other apps to strengthen your child’s reading skills: www.HappyFrogApps.com. We take customer service very seriously! If you ever have a problem or find that we've missed something, contact us at our website and we will do our best to fix the problem. We collect NO private information in our app. None! Our apps do not allow unrestricted web access.

Screenshots

Pearl Diver HD4 screens
Math Word Problems4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Math Word Problems at 2.1 against Pearl Diver HD's 1.5. Math Word Problems also leads on ratings volume (9 vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.2 vs 17.6). Pearl Diver HD's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (71% vs 42%). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Math Word Problems sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Pearl Diver HD asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Math Word Problems holds the better App Store score, 2.1 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 9 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Pearl Diver HD's written reviews are positive against 42% of Math Word Problems's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pearl Diver HD ships an update every 20 months, Math Word Problems every 16 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Pearl Diver HD versus Math Word Problems: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPearl Diver HDMath Word Problems
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.5 (2 ratings)2.1 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.4% of reviews — better41.7% of reviews
Number of ratings29 — better
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 16 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.612.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNew Mexico State University Board of RegentsJanine Toole

Customer experience

Pearl Diver HD

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

Math Word Problems

All ratings9 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive41.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative58.3%

In-app purchases

None

Pearl Diver HD

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Math Word Problems

One-time3
  • Increase to 2 users$1.99
  • Purchase all levels$2.99
  • Up to 10 players$2.99

Questions

Is Pearl Diver HD free?
Pearl Diver HD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Math Word Problems free?
Math Word Problems is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pearl Diver HD or Math Word Problems?
Math Word Problems is rated higher. Pearl Diver HD averages 1.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Math Word Problems averages 2.1 from 9 ratings.
Do Pearl Diver HD or Math Word Problems have ads?
Neither Pearl Diver HD nor Math Word Problems shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pearl Diver HD or Math Word Problems?
Pearl Diver HD ships an update every 20 months, and Math Word Problems every 16 months. Most recently, Pearl Diver HD was updated on November 1, 2026 and Math Word Problems on November 1, 2026.

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