Pattern Sets vs Number Rack, by MLC
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Subitizing practice
- Dot patterns
- Dice patterns
- 10-frames
- Adjustable time and quantity
- Two-color patterns
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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.
Number Rack, by MLC
This virtual manipulative tool helps children develop number sense through interactive bead groupings. It supports exploration of addition and subtraction strategies with customizable rows and colors. Ideal for elementary classrooms, it includes annotation and sharing features.
- 1-10 rows of 10 beads
- Resizable bead covers for subtraction
- Color-coded bead rows
- Annotation and drawing tools
- Math text and writing tools
- Shareable work via image or code
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Number Rack facilitates the natural development of children’s number sense. The movable, colored beads encourage learners to think in groups of fives and tens, helping them to explore and discover a variety of addition and subtraction strategies. This virtual version of the manipulative is an open-ended educational tool, ideal for elementary classrooms and other learning environments. FEATURES • Display 1 to 10 rows of beads, 10 beads per row. • Hide beads with resizable covers, which allows teachers or learners to model subtraction or difference problems. • Reverse the colors of rows 6 to 10 to distinguish (or not) groupings of 25 beads. • Use the drawing tools to annotate work and show understanding. • Add equations, expressions, and descriptions with the math text and writing tools. • Share work by saving an image or providing a share code to others. Great for creating the initial setup of an activity, then sharing it with students so they can explore it further.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Pattern Sets at 5.0 against Number Rack, by MLC's 3.2. Pattern Sets also leads on update cadence (every 7 months vs every 25 months) and device support (3 vs 1). Number Rack, by MLC's advantage is ratings volume (9 vs 1). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Pattern Sets holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Number Rack, by MLC has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Pattern Sets ships an update every 7 months, Number Rack, by MLC every 25 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pattern Sets | Number Rack, by MLC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 3.2 (9 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 9 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months — better | Every 25 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 14.7 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Classroom Focused Software | The Math Learning Center |
Customer experience
Pattern Sets
Number Rack, by MLC
In-app purchases
Pattern Sets
No in-app purchases
Number Rack, by MLC
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Pattern Sets free?
Is Number Rack, by MLC free?
Which has better reviews, Pattern Sets or Number Rack, by MLC?
Do Pattern Sets or Number Rack, by MLC have ads?
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