# Pre vs Hands

The clearest difference is price: Pre at Free against Hands's $7.99. Pre also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (357 vs 102). Hands's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (88% vs 67%). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Pre is free to download; Hands costs $7.99 up front. Pre sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Hands asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pre holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 357 and 102 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Pre's written reviews are positive against 88% of Hands's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pre ships an update every 6 months, Hands every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pre | Hands |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $7.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (357 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pre-algebra/id459734695/reviews)** | [4.5 (102 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hands-on-equations-level-1/id505948222/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **357** | 102 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **88.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 15 MB | 572 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [YourTeacher.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/340925628) | [Hands On Equations](https://appshunter.io/developer/505948225) |

## What reviewers say

### Pre

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pre-algebra/id459734695)

Access a comprehensive Pre-Algebra curriculum with video lessons, guided practice, and assessments. Track your learning progress and reinforce knowledge with chapter reviews and a final exam. A free trial is available.

**Highlights:** Video instruction, Guided practice, Tests and quizzes, Worksheets and notes, Progress tracking, Chapter reviews, Final exam

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Get full access to Pre-Algebra | $9.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to learn from
- 👍 Short videos make learning easy
- 👍 Simple and good layout
- 👍 Outstanding app
- 👍 Helps significantly with pre-algebra

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes and needs reinstallation
- 🐛 Opening app requires charger plugged in
- 🐛 Multiple choice answers don't show up
- 🐛 Doesn't explain commutative and associative properties well
- 🐛 Describing alternative PEMDAS methods as wrong is not ideal

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes
- Opening app without charger plugged in displays blank page
- Multiple choice answers don't show up on screen
- Daughter's progress and grades disappeared
- App is blank and not working

**Requested features**

- Algebra 2 content
- Better explanation of commutative and associative properties
- Side-by-side comparison of properties
- Allow writing on the screen
- More fraction problems


### Hands

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hands-on-equations-level-1/id505948222)

This app teaches algebra to children aged 8 and up using a visual, game-like approach. It guides users through solving equations with interactive digital manipulatives and instructional videos, building confidence and understanding.

**Highlights:** Interactive digital manipulatives, Expert instructional videos, Step-by-step equation solving, Visual balance scale representation, Practice and lesson exercises, Multiple user support, Equation checking feature

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎓 Effective hands-on visual learning method for algebra concepts
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎯 Clear, well-paced progression through lessons
- 💡 Innovative balance scale approach makes abstract concepts concrete
- 🎬 Helpful instructional video tutorials included

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎬 Video playback issues (no sound or won't play)
- 🐛 App crashes on certain iOS versions
- 📺 Poor video quality in some lessons
- 🎨 UI glitch with pieces displaying below scale
- ⏱️ Limited content - lessons complete too quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Video audio not working despite system audio functioning
- Videos won't play or load
- App crashes on iOS 9 and later versions
- App crashes when entering answers
- Video lesson loops infinitely blocking progress

**Requested features**

- More advanced levels and lessons beyond current content
- Text-based teaching materials as alternative to videos
- Ability to input custom equations
- Audio sound effects for user interactions
- Scales that visually move to show equation imbalance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pre free?

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

### Is Hands free?

Hands costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pre or Hands?

Pre is rated higher. Pre averages 4.7 out of 5 from 357 ratings, while Hands averages 4.5 from 102 ratings.

### Do Pre or Hands have ads?

Neither Pre nor Hands shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pre or Hands?

Pre ships an update every 6 months, and Hands every 3 months. Most recently, Pre was updated on September 8, 2026 and Hands on September 10, 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.*