Missing Numbers vs Phonics Hero
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Missing Numbers
This app helps young students develop problem-solving skills through engaging addition and subtraction activities. It encourages mathematical talk and metacognition by guiding students through various counting and strategy-based problem-solving methods.
- Problem-solving skills development
- Addition and subtraction focus
- Counting and partitioning strategies
- Scaffolding with visible/hidden objects
- Four distinct activity types
- Encourages mathematical talk
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Missing Numbers introduces problem solving skills to young students. Problem solving can and should be introduced at this early stage, so that young students can begin to demonstrate mathematical 'talk', through discussion of different ways to solve problems and metacognition. Missing Numbers focuses on problems involving addition and subtraction. Initially students solve problems through counting all the objects visible or through partitioning or segregation and counting all the objects given. Missing Numbers encourages students to use more sophisticated strategies such as counting backward and counting on. Missing Numbers scaffolds students through the use of seen and unseen (hidden) objects, allowing students to 'check' their answer by 'peeking' at the hidden objects and the ability to move objects to allow ease of counting. Missing Numbers is broken into four different types of activities: = How Many = How many altogether e.g. 5+6=? = Show Me = Move the objects to show partitioning in subtraction e.g. 5-2=? = Addition = There are 6 altogether. How many are (hiding) in my hand? e.g. ?+3=6 = Subtraction = There are 4 altogether. How many are in the box? 4-?=1.
Phonics Hero
This app uses fun, science-backed phonics games to help children aged 4-7 learn to read and spell. It offers a superhero-themed adventure with over 850 unique games, progressing from letter sounds to full sentences. Parents and educators can track progress through a website.
- Fun-filled phonics games
- Science-backed learning approach
- Superhero mission adventure
- Step-by-step reading progression
- Personalized placement test
- Over 850 unique games
- Progress reports
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→ FUN-FILLED PHONICS GAMES: Keep kids engaged while they learn. → SCIENCE-BACKED LEARNING: Powered by the science of how kids learn to read and spell with phonics. → SUPERHERO MISSION: Turn reading and spelling into a superhero adventure! For kids aged 4–7, or as a catch-up for older children; start your free 7-day trial today! HOW KIDS LEARN WITH PHONICS HERO: PHONICS GAMES KIDS LOVE: Your child joins our superhero, Zak, on his mission to rescue his friends from Dr. Lazybones. Our lively, kid-friendly phonics games keep kids excited to learn. Along the way, they'll feed tigers, dress up pooches, catch monsters, make mud pies and more! STEP-BY-STEP LEARN TO READ APPROACH: Our expertly designed games teach kids each of the essential phonics skills. From learning letter sounds to blending (reading) and segmenting (spelling) words, tackling tricky sight words and eventually reading full sentences. EVIDENCE-BASED LEARNING: Phonics Hero's games are rooted in the Science of Reading, drawing on research from the US, UK and Australia. Our systematic, synthetic phonics games teach kids to read and spell, quickly and stress-free. WHAT YOU GET WITH PHONICS HERO: • Personalized Placement Test Matches your child's phonics and reading level with our games. • 850+ Unique Games Strikes the perfect balance between fun kids games and effective phonics learning. • 3 Years of Phonics Content Our games go from learning the abc to confident reading and spelling. • Choose an Accent Games are in an American, Australian or English accent. • Progress Reports Track your child's progress through our website. WHO LOVES PHONICS HERO: Governments: • "Fun, educational, and engaging design" - England's Dept. for Education. • "Data safety and educational quality" - NSW, Aust. Dept. of Education. Parents: • 97.5% report improved reading skills in their kids. • 88% see better spelling skills. • Consistently praised with "Games my kids love, love, love!" • Trusted in over 40,000 homes worldwide. Teachers: • Our games are used in over 12,000 schools across the globe. Unlock your child's full reading and spelling potential with Phonics Hero. Start your free 7-day trial now! More info: • Enjoy full access to Phonics Hero with a free 7-day trial. • After 7 days, your Apple ID will be charged automatically via the App Store. • Your subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the trial or current period. • Cancel anytime in your Settings: Apple ID → Subscriptions. Terms of use: https://phonicshero.com/terms-of-use/ Privacy policy: https://phonicshero.com/privacy-policy/ We're always here to help: info@phonicshero.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Phonics Hero at Free against Missing Numbers's $1.99. Phonics Hero also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.5) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 38 months). Missing Numbers's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 65%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads and device support 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
Phonics Hero is free to download; Missing Numbers costs $1.99 up front. Phonics Hero sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $6.00 per month. Missing Numbers asks for nothing beyond the download.
Phonics Hero holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 9 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Missing Numbers's written reviews are positive against 65% of Phonics Hero's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Missing Numbers ships an update every 38 months, Phonics Hero every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Missing Numbers | Phonics Hero |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.5 (2 ratings) | 4.6 (9 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 64.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 9 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 70 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Aleesha Kondys | Phonics Hero Limited |
Customer experience
Missing Numbers
Phonics Hero
In-app purchases
Missing Numbers
No in-app purchases
Phonics Hero
- Phonics Hero7 Days trial$6.001 Month
Questions
Is Missing Numbers free?
Is Phonics Hero free?
Which has better reviews, Missing Numbers or Phonics Hero?
Do Missing Numbers or Phonics Hero have ads?
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