# Hands vs Math Skills Builder Lite

The clearest difference is price: Math Skills Builder Lite at Free against Hands's $2.99. Hands's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 6 months vs every 19 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Math Skills Builder Lite is free to download; Hands costs $2.99 up front. Math Skills Builder Lite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hands asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Hands against 5.0 for Math Skills Builder Lite. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Hands ships an update every 6 months, Math Skills Builder Lite every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hands | Math Skills Builder Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hands-on-math-base-ten-blocks/id477991440/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/math-skills-builder-lite/id1277897625/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 months** | Every 19 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 7 MB | 191 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.2 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ventura Educational Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/371324172) | [Attainment Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/403989333) |

## What reviewers say

### Hands

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hands-on-math-base-ten-blocks/id477991440)

This app provides a virtual playground for students to explore place value, addition, and subtraction with regrouping using interactive base ten blocks. It supports learning whole numbers and decimals through hands-on discovery.

**Highlights:** Virtual base ten blocks, Place value exploration, Addition and subtraction with regrouping, Whole number concepts, Decimal concepts, Interactive learning

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Math Skills Builder Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/math-skills-builder-lite/id1277897625)

This app helps students apply early numeracy skills to solve real-world math problems. It uses math stories and concrete strategies to teach when to add or subtract. Research indicates the program is highly effective for developing problem-solving abilities.

**Highlights:** Real-world math problem scenarios, Early numeracy skill application, Concrete addition/subtraction strategies, Multiple learning modes, Research-backed effectiveness

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hands free?

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

### Is Math Skills Builder Lite free?

Math Skills Builder Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Hands or Math Skills Builder Lite?

Hands and Math Skills Builder Lite are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Hands or Math Skills Builder Lite have ads?

Neither Hands nor Math Skills Builder Lite shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hands or Math Skills Builder Lite?

Hands ships an update every 6 months, and Math Skills Builder Lite every 19 months. Most recently, Hands was updated on October 3, 2026 and Math Skills Builder Lite on October 5, 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.*