Comparison

iBrainstorm vs Number Frames, by MLC

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

Head to head
About

iBrainstorm

This app allows users to capture and organize creative ideas on a digital canvas. Easily add notes, drawings, and arrange them visually. Share your brainstormed content seamlessly across devices.

Highlights
  • Multi-device collaboration
  • Add and drag-and-drop notes
  • Assign colors to notes
  • Digital drawing board
  • Zoom functionality
  • Capture and share ideas
Features
Read full description

Capturing and sharing your inner most creative genius has never been easier. Introducing the first multi-device collaboration tool from Universal Mind. From iPad to iPad with just a flick of the finger, iBrainstorm has set the bar and has redefined the very nature of collaboration. Add a note, then drag and drop it anywhere on the iPad's screen to create any desired order or pattern. Assign colors to give additional meaning or priority. Provide clarity to your students or classmates through simple organization. The iPad canvas also serves as a drawing board. Draw, erase or zoom in for tighter control. Everything is then captured for later. Show relationships between ideas or just capture your best stickman - it's easy. Think it. Share it. Love it!

About

Number Frames, by MLC

This app provides virtual number frames to help elementary students visualize and manipulate numbers up to one hundred. It supports counting, comparing, and computing, aiding the transition from one-by-one counting to more efficient strategies. Custom frames can be created for advanced visualization of factors and fractions.

Highlights
  • Standard and custom number frames
  • Variety of counters and colors
  • 5s grid for grouping emphasis
  • Resizable covers for problem modeling
  • Drawing and annotation tools
  • Math text and writing tools
  • Shareable work via image or code
Features
Read full description

Number Frames help students structure numbers to five, ten, twenty, and one hundred. Students use the frames to count, represent, compare, and compute with numbers in a particular range. The frames allow students see quantities as equal groups of other quantities and in relation to benchmark quantities. This helps primary students move away from one-by-one counting toward more efficient ways of counting and computing. As students advance, custom frames can be constructed to help visualize factors, products, fractional parts and more. These virtual versions of number frames are open-ended educational tools, ideal for elementary classrooms and other learning environments that use iPads. Number frames are a key model used in Bridges in Mathematics, second edition. Online preview available at: www.mathlearningcenter.org/bridges FEATURES: • Use standard 5-, 10-, 20-, and 100-frames, or create custom frames up to 12 x 12. • Choose from a variety of counters and colors. Drag single counters — or stacks of 5 and 10 — into frames or on to the workspace. • Apply a 5s grid to frames to emphasize every 5th line and reinforce grouping by five. • Hide and reveal counters with resizable covers to create your own problems and model strategies. • Use the drawing tools to annotate work and show understanding. • Add equations, expressions, and descriptions with the math text and writing tools. • Share your work by saving an image or providing a share code to others. MORE APPS For more Number Line resources and other apps, visit: www.mathlearningcenter.org/apps LEARN MORE To learn about Bridges in Mathematics, an elementary curriculum that employs visual models like number line, visit: www.mathlearningcenter.org/bridges/overview ABOUT US This resource is brought to you by The Math Learning Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to K-12 education since 1976. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This app was crafted by Clarity Innovations. We help improve teaching and learning by creating solutions that match promising technologies with the needs of education. Visit us: www.clarity-innovations.com

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Number Frames, by MLC at 89% against iBrainstorm's 46%. Number Frames, by MLC also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.7). iBrainstorm's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (25 vs 7). 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

Number Frames, by MLC holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of iBrainstorm's written reviews are positive against 89% of Number Frames, by MLC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iBrainstorm ships an update every 4 months, Number Frames, by MLC every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on August 16, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
iBrainstorm versus Number Frames, by MLC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriBrainstormNumber Frames, by MLC
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (25 ratings)4.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.6% of reviews88.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings25 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 13 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS7.1 — better15.4
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperErik LoehfelmThe Math Learning Center

Customer experience

iBrainstorm

All ratings25 ratings
Positive64.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative28.0%
Written reviews149 reviews
Positive45.6%
Neutral25.5%
Negative28.9%

Number Frames, by MLC

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

Bugs and requests

iBrainstorm

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Sticky notes sometimes disappear after reopening the app
  • Drawing tools can be laggy or unresponsive
  • Difficulty connecting devices for collaboration

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add undo/redo functionality
  • Allow resizing and formatting of sticky notes
  • Implement multi-page or infinite workspace
  • Enable collaboration between multiple devices
  • Add support for inserting images and documents
Show 1 more
  • Improve eraser and drawing tools

Number Frames, by MLC

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

iBrainstorm

No in-app purchases

None

Number Frames, by MLC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iBrainstorm free?
iBrainstorm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Number Frames, by MLC free?
Number Frames, by MLC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iBrainstorm or Number Frames, by MLC?
Number Frames, by MLC is rated higher. iBrainstorm averages 3.7 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Number Frames, by MLC averages 4.0 from 7 ratings.
Do iBrainstorm or Number Frames, by MLC have ads?
Neither iBrainstorm nor Number Frames, by MLC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iBrainstorm or Number Frames, by MLC?
iBrainstorm ships an update every 4 months, and Number Frames, by MLC every 13 months. Most recently, iBrainstorm was updated on August 16, 2026 and Number Frames, by MLC on September 16, 2026.

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