# BrainPOP vs Pattern Sets

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pattern Sets at none against BrainPOP's 5. Pattern Sets also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). BrainPOP's advantage is ratings volume (34K vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BrainPOP sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Pattern Sets asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pattern Sets holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BrainPOP has 34K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

BrainPOP ships an update every 2 months, Pattern Sets every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BrainPOP | Pattern Sets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainpop/id364894352/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pattern-sets/id415152649/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **34K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 92.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 25 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BrainPOP®](https://appshunter.io/developer/364894355) | [Classroom Focused Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/406741679) |

## What reviewers say

### BrainPOP

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainpop/id364894352)

This app offers award-winning animated educational videos, interactive activities, and quizzes designed by educators. It aims to transform passive screen time into active, enriched learning experiences for children in grades 3-8 across all subjects.

**Highlights:** Animated educational movies, Interactive activities, Quizzes, Content for grades 3-8, All subjects covered, Research-backed learning platform

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BrainPOP Explorer Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| BrainPOP Full Access | $15.99 | per month |
| BrainPOP Combo Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| BrainPOP Full Access Yearly | $129.99 | per year |
| BrainPOP Combo Yearly | $159.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and educational
- 🚀 Helpful for learning
- 👍 Great for kids
- 👍 Funny and entertaining
- 👍 Informative videos

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 💰 Limited free content
- 🙄 Biased or one-sided content
- 🙄 Lacks detail in some topics

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Playback problems
- Syncing issues across devices

**Requested features**

- More topics and content
- Lower subscription cost
- Better organization of content
- More character diversity
- Support for older devices


### Pattern Sets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pattern-sets/id415152649)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BrainPOP free?

BrainPOP is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pattern Sets free?

Pattern Sets is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BrainPOP or Pattern Sets?

Pattern Sets is rated higher. BrainPOP averages 4.7 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while Pattern Sets averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do BrainPOP or Pattern Sets have ads?

Neither BrainPOP nor Pattern Sets shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BrainPOP or Pattern Sets?

BrainPOP ships an update every 2 months, and Pattern Sets every 7 months. Most recently, BrainPOP was updated on October 24, 2026 and Pattern Sets on October 11, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*