# College Algebra vs Mathemagics

The clearest difference is price: College Algebra at Free against Mathemagics's $2.99. College Algebra also leads on ratings volume (600 vs 79). Mathemagics's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

College Algebra is free to download; Mathemagics costs $2.99 up front. College Algebra sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Mathemagics asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for College Algebra against 4.7 for Mathemagics. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: College Algebra has 600 ratings behind it against 79, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of College Algebra's written reviews are positive against 86% of Mathemagics's.

College Algebra ships an update every 7 months, Mathemagics every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | College Algebra | Mathemagics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (600 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/college-algebra/id459735202/reviews)** | [4.7 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathemagics-algebra-practice/id500955086/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **600** | 79 |
| Positive reviews | 81.7% of reviews | **85.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 15 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [YourTeacher.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/340925628) | [Blue Lightning Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/306586850) |

## What reviewers say

### College Algebra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/college-algebra/id459735202)

Master college algebra with a comprehensive curriculum and personalized math instruction. Access video lessons, practice problems, tests, and progress tracking to build a strong understanding of the subject.

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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| College Algebra | $9.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👨‍🏫 Clear, well-structured video explanations
- 📚 Comprehensive algebra curriculum coverage
- ✅ Abundant practice problems with solutions
- 🎯 Step-by-step problem walkthroughs
- 💪 Effective for learners of all ages and backgrounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paywall after limited free lessons ($9.99/month)
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app freezing
- 🐛 App stops working intermittently
- ⚠️ Misleading 'free' model with required subscription
- 🔔 Intrusive payment prompts during use

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and stops working
- Constant loading issues requiring restart
- Payment popup appears even after purchase
- Restore purchase function resets user progress
- Keyboard blocks rating popup during answer entry

**Requested features**

- PreCalculus and Calculus course content
- Trigonometry course
- Different solution notation formats (set notation, interval notation)
- More complex college algebra problem types
- Embedded links for additional help


### Mathemagics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathemagics-algebra-practice/id500955086)

Master algebra with rare, lightning-fast calculation techniques. Learn through animated lessons and practice with endless, randomly generated problems. Prepare for standardized tests and improve mental math skills.

**Highlights:** Learn rare algebra techniques, Animated step-by-step lessons, Practice with random questions, Gain achievements, Improve calculation speed, Test preparation for SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🧠 Effective mental math tricks and shortcuts
- 📚 Clear, easy-to-follow step-by-step lessons
- ⚡ Helps improve calculation speed significantly
- 🎓 Great for test prep (GMAT, SAT, MCAT)
- 🎮 Fun and engaging learning experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔤 Font too small and hard to read
- 🎨 Poor color contrast (light grey on grid paper)
- 🐛 Crashes on older devices (iPhone 4S)
- ⚠️ Limited content - only about 10 tricks
- 📖 Not suitable for complete beginners

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on iPhone 4S after update
- Lesson steps disappear after updates
- Lessons fail to load or load incompletely
- Incorrect answers in practice problems (10% and 1% calculations)
- Wrong answer choices for basic calculations

**Requested features**

- Explanations of why tricks work mathematically
- More advanced equation types and variations
- Scrap paper or writing area for practice problems
- Ability to input custom numbers for real-life practice
- iCloud sync across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is College Algebra free?

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

### Is Mathemagics free?

Mathemagics costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, College Algebra or Mathemagics?

College Algebra is rated higher. College Algebra averages 4.8 out of 5 from 600 ratings, while Mathemagics averages 4.7 from 79 ratings.

### Do College Algebra or Mathemagics have ads?

Neither College Algebra nor Mathemagics shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, College Algebra or Mathemagics?

College Algebra ships an update every 7 months, and Mathemagics every 5 months. Most recently, College Algebra was updated on October 24, 2026 and Mathemagics on October 23, 2026.

---

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