Comparison

Kodable Basics vs HMH Brain Arcade

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Kodable Basics

This app teaches children aged 4-10 foundational computer science concepts through engaging, game-based activities. It helps kids develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by guiding them through mazes and allowing them to create their own games. The curriculum is designed to transition from basic logic to writing real code.

Highlights
  • Game-based learning approach
  • Develops critical thinking
  • Teaches coding concepts
  • Builds foundational computer science skills
  • Creative activities
  • Seasonal events
Features
Read full description

The coding curriculum used in over 50% of U.S. elementary schools, now at home! Kids go from solving their first maze at age 4 to writing real JavaScript by 5th grade, through games they actually ask to play. LOVED BY KIDS, TRUSTED BY SCHOOLS Rated 4.7 stars by 21,000+ families. Over 25 million downloads. Built with elementary teachers for more than a decade, and aligned to Common Core and CSTA standards, the same curriculum kids use in class. WHAT KIDS LEARN Ages 4-6 (no reading required): sequencing, patterns, and problem-solving through maze puzzles. This is the logic underneath all programming. Ages 7-10: conditions, loops, functions, and variables, leading to real typed JavaScript Every level builds critical thinking they'll use far beyond the screen MORE THAN LESSONS Kids design their own characters, build and share their own games, and jump into seasonal events. Creativity keeps them coming back long after the lesson ends. USING KODABLE AT SCHOOL? Sign in with your school account and your child's progress comes home with them. Some class content carries over free; Kodable Pro unlocks the full library at home. BUILT FOR FAMILIES No ads. Ever. Works offline for road trips, flights, and waiting rooms Designed to meet the strict privacy standards schools require TEACHERS: A complete K-5 STEM curriculum with 80+ scripted lesson plans and Google Classroom, Clever, and roster integrations is available at kodable.com. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION – Payment will be charged to iTunes Account – Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period – Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal – Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase – Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.

About

HMH Brain Arcade

Practice math skills through engaging games that reinforce arithmetic reasoning, number fluency, and problem-solving. Unlock new challenges and levels as you progress, building proficiency in fractions, decimals, and more.

Highlights
  • Engaging math games
  • Arithmetic reasoning practice
  • Number fluency building
  • Progress tracking and rewards
  • Fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios
  • Companion to MATH 180 curriculum
Features
Read full description

Come play in the Brain Arcade! A fun and engaging place to build upon and practice what you’ve learned in MATH 180, while playing appropriately challenging games. Brain Arcade games strengthen arithmetic reasoning, build fluency, support standards, and reward progress! Can you master them all? ENGAGING GAMES: • Sushi Monster World Tour: Feed monsters with sushi rolls by making sums and products. Use speed and accuracy to place sushi pieces near the monster to make the target number. Plan the equations to ensure the monster enjoys the meal. • You’re Toast: Butter pieces of toast by ordering many representations of numbers. Quickly compare numbers and build a chain of numbered toast – from smallest to largest – using butters and jams to make Toast happy. • Circles: Connect pairs of numbers that add or multiply to each target. Swap the circles around to connect the addends and multiplicands that make the target number. There are 5 number pairing to find in each round. Try to get them all! • Decked Out: Make your character dance by matching equivalent representation of numbers. Sort different representations of numbers – from equations to number lines – and match three-in-a-row to help your character get ready for the party. • Gnat Zapper: Zap bugs by estimating sums and differences. Bugs are only around briefly, so be quick about zapping the bug that satisfies the target number condition in this fast-paced game. • Fair Share: Cut the shape or whole into parts. Then use the parts to form the target fractions or decimals. Score points for matching the representation of the fraction or decimal. LEARN WHILE YOU PLAY: The Brain Arcade includes extended fact knowledge to support strategic reasoning and computational flexibility in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It builds proficiency in ordering numbers, estimation, and identifying number representations. As players progress in the arcade, new challenges for math facts and arithmetic reasoning are introduced with fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios. PROGRESS IS REWARDED: Earn stars and personal high scores to challenge yourself and unlock new levels. MATH 180 COMPATIBLE: This app serves as a companion app to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s MATH 180 Intensive Intervention curriculum for Grades 5+. It promotes math fluency in the classroom and in remote-learning environments. MATH 180 content cannot be purchased via this app. This is an application for educational institutions to access the MATH 180 Brain Arcade content that they have purchased and licensed from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. PARENTAL DISCLOSURE: This app does not collect any personally identifiable information. This app contains: • No Links to websites. • No social media sharing. • No location tracking functions

Screenshots

Kodable Basics4 screens
HMH Brain Arcade4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Kodable Basics at 55% against HMH Brain Arcade's 0%. Kodable Basics also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months). HMH Brain Arcade's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Kodable Basics sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. HMH Brain Arcade asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kodable Basics ships an update every 3 weeks, HMH Brain Arcade every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Kodable Basics versus HMH Brain Arcade: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKodable BasicsHMH Brain Arcade
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (22K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews54.5% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size422 MB233 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSurfScore, IncHoughton Mifflin Harcourt

Customer experience

Kodable Basics

All ratings21,468 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews411 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral5.4%
Negative40.1%

HMH Brain Arcade

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Kodable Basics

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to access app after subscription cancellation
  • Persistent crashes at certain levels or stages
  • Syncing and progress issues across devices
  • Unresponsive controls and UI elements

Requested features

4 requests
  • More free content and levels
  • Improved stability and performance
  • Customization options for parents/teachers
  • Better customer support and communication

HMH Brain Arcade

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Kodable Basics

Subscriptions2
  • Kodable Monthly Plan7 Days trial$24.991 Month
  • Kodable Yearly Plan7 Days trial$119.991 Year
One-time5
  • 3-day Parent TrialFree
  • Fuzzes to Support Computer Science$4.99
  • Pre-Trial Parent Plan$19.99
Show 2 more
  • Parent Plan$29.99
  • Kodable Lifetime Plan$199.99
None

HMH Brain Arcade

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kodable Basics free?
Kodable Basics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HMH Brain Arcade free?
HMH Brain Arcade is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Kodable Basics or HMH Brain Arcade have ads?
Neither Kodable Basics nor HMH Brain Arcade shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kodable Basics or HMH Brain Arcade?
Kodable Basics ships an update every 3 weeks, and HMH Brain Arcade every 5 months. Most recently, Kodable Basics was updated on October 24, 2026 and HMH Brain Arcade on October 21, 2026.

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