Hands vs Math
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hands
Explore place value, addition, and subtraction with regrouping through interactive simulations. This app models the decimal place value system using virtual "Bean Sticks" for hands-on learning and concept development.
- Place value exploration
- Addition and subtraction with regrouping
- Decimal place value system modeling
- Interactive virtual manipulatives
- Concept development through interaction
- Number naming and expanded notation
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Hands-On Math: Bean Sticks is an interactive learning environment where students explore and discover place value, and addition and subtraction with regrouping. Bean Sticks are used to model the decimal place value system. Math manipulatives such as Bean Sticks allow students to experience and develop math concepts through interaction and discovery. Concept development is the foundation of mathematical understanding. Hands-On Math: Bean Sticks simulates the use of a popular math manipulative used to teach place value and addition and subtraction with regrouping. Bean Sticks are one of the best ways to help students place value. Using this app students place Bean Sticks on an interactive Playground to represent numbers. Bean Sticks can be regrouped or exchanged by dragging a virtual manipulative from one column to the next. Using Hands-On Math: Bean Sticks students can develop the following important mathematical concepts: * Place value concepts * Regrouping in the ones, tens and hundreds places * Basic operations: addition and subtraction * Naming numbers * Expanded notation * Reading and writing numbers If you are interested in teaching place value you may also be interested in our app titled Hands-On Math: Base Ten Blocks. It is similar to this app but uses Base Ten Blocks to model the decimal place value system.
Math
This app provides a virtual collection of math manipulatives, mirroring the physical tools used with a specific math curriculum. It helps illustrate a wide range of mathematical concepts from basic numbers to algebraic expressions.
- Virtual math manipulatives
- Illustrates numbers and operations
- Teaches fractions and decimals
- Covers integers and algebraic expressions
- Supports Math-U-See curriculum
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Math-U-See® Manipulatives is a virtual version of the physical manipulatives designed to be used with the Math-U-See® curriculum. They are used to illustrate a full range of mathematical concepts, including numbers, operations, fractions, decimals, integers, and algebraic expressions (levels Primer through Algebra 1).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Math at 3.1 against Hands's 2.0. Math also leads on ratings volume (28 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). Hands's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $9.99). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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
Hands costs $2.99 and Math $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Math holds the better App Store score, 3.1 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Math has 28 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Hands ships an update every 35 months, Math every 26 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | Hands | Math |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 2.0 (1 ratings) | 3.1 (28 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 38.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 28 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | Every 26 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ventura Educational Systems | Demme Learning |
Customer experience
Hands
Math
In-app purchases
Hands
No in-app purchases
Math
No in-app purchases









