# BrainPOP vs MathTango

The clearest difference is monetization model: BrainPOP at free with in-app purchases against MathTango's subscription. BrainPOP also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 76%) and ratings volume (34K vs 3.9K). MathTango's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BrainPOP sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and MathTango sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for BrainPOP against 4.6 for MathTango. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BrainPOP has 34K ratings behind it against 3.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of BrainPOP's written reviews are positive against 76% of MathTango's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | BrainPOP | MathTango |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainpop/id364894352/reviews)** | [4.6 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathtango-math-games-for-kids/id6475483877/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **34K** | 3.9K |
| Positive reviews | **92.7% of reviews** | 76.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 25 MB | 884 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BrainPOP®](https://appshunter.io/developer/364894355) | [Piknik](https://appshunter.io/developer/640702079) |

## 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


### MathTango

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathtango-math-games-for-kids/id6475483877)

This app offers hundreds of engaging math games for children aged 5-10+, covering addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Kids progress through playful challenges, collect rewards, and build confidence in math skills. It features a customized curriculum and adaptive learning.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of math games for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, Customized, age-appropriate lesson plan wizard, Adaptive learning based on Common Core curriculum, Playful worlds and missions for engagement, Multiple user profiles for family use, Offline play without WiFi

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MathTango Plan | $7.99 | per month |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $11.99 | per month |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $11.99 | per month |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $11.99 | per month |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $79.99 | per year |
| Piknik Unlimited Plan | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💙 Love it
- 🤍 Fun and enjoyable
- 👍 Great learning game
- 🎨 Lovely graphics
- 🧠 Helps with math skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔄 Reactive missions
- 💸 High in-game prices
- 🔒 Lost access to previous version
- 🚫 Subscription issues

**Reported bugs**

- Progress and purchases not carrying over to new version
- Inability to log in to paid account on new device
- Accidental purchases cannot be refunded

**Requested features**

- Update the game to be more like the original MathTango
- Change the name to MathTango and the icon to Isacc
- Add more features and updates to continue playing puzzles
- Remove the daily puzzle limit


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BrainPOP free?

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

### Is MathTango free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BrainPOP or MathTango?

BrainPOP is rated higher. BrainPOP averages 4.7 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while MathTango averages 4.6 from 3.9K ratings.

### Do BrainPOP or MathTango have ads?

Neither BrainPOP nor MathTango shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BrainPOP or MathTango?

BrainPOP ships an update every 2 months, and MathTango every 2 months. Most recently, BrainPOP was updated on September 24, 2026 and MathTango on September 24, 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.*