Kodable Basics vs DreamBox Math
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Game-based learning approach
- Develops critical thinking
- Teaches coding concepts
- Builds foundational computer science skills
- Creative activities
- Seasonal events
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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.
DreamBox Math
This digital math program offers interactive, game-like lessons for PreK-8 students. Its adaptive technology personalizes learning, while parent and educator dashboards provide insights into progress and proficiency. Available in English and Spanish, it supports conceptual understanding and critical thinking.
- Adaptive learning technology
- Interactive game-like lessons
- Personalized learning paths
- Conceptual understanding development
- Parent and educator dashboards
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) lessons
- Aligned to state standards
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DreamBox Learning Award-winning PreK-8 digital math program developed by educators with proven effectiveness. Awarded Best Math Learning Solution in 2019 by the EdTech Breakthrough Awards and scoring the highest privacy rating by Common Sense Media, DreamBox is meaningful screen-time that kids love! What You Need to Know About DreamBox: • Independent studies from Harvard and SRI found that kids who use DreamBox 60 minutes per week improved their math scores by 60% more than kids who don’t use DreamBox. • Interactive lessons with a game-like experience keep kids engaged – serious learning that’s seriously fun! • Adaptive technology meets each learner right where they are and adjusts based on how kids are solving problems for a truly personalized learning experience that’s age and grade agnostic. • Rigorous curriculum and rich learning pathways develop conceptual understanding, critical thinking, mental math skills, and procedural fluency. • Students learn independently with built-in help and in-the-moment scaffolding for “just in time” support tailored to their unique needs. • All student lessons are available either in English or Spanish and have closed captioning. • Parent and Educator Dashboards provide insight into each child’s growth and proficiency to help identify learning needs and celebrate learning milestones. • Using math proficiency insights, parents and educators can assign specific concepts or skills based on areas where additional support is needed. • Reporting aligned to all state standards. • Available for either school or home accounts. For school accounts, a school login is required. Contact your school for set-up instructions. By downloading the DreamBox Math app, students will have access to its full preK-8 curriculum. “DreamBox is such a fun platform for learning math for my kids. We have been using it for three years, sometimes as a primary resource and sometimes as a supplement to another program. Even when choosing another program, we keep the DreamBox subscription as a "go to" when the kids are feeling less motivated for book work.” — Fonda, Parent “DreamBox is awesome! My kiddo loves it and looks forward to playing on it. I love that they are learning so much, and that they think it's a game!” — Jules, Parent “DreamBox helps students understand the background information; making them stronger mathematically, conceptually, and helping them fully understand the material. That’s what I like. They’re walking away with a deeper understanding of math.” — Amber, Teacher “DreamBox allows our teachers to really provide in-the-moment differentiation to reach each student where they are.” — Leia, Principal
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Kodable Basics at 4.7 against DreamBox Math's 3.0. Kodable Basics also leads on review sentiment (55% vs 23%) and ratings volume (21K vs 673). DreamBox Math's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7). On price and ads 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
Both are free to download. Kodable Basics sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. DreamBox Math asks for nothing beyond the download.
Kodable Basics holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kodable Basics has 21K ratings behind it against 673, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Kodable Basics's written reviews are positive against 23% of DreamBox Math's.
Kodable Basics ships an update every 3 weeks, DreamBox Math every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Kodable Basics | DreamBox Math |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (21K ratings) — better | 3.0 (673 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews — better | 22.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 21K — better | 673 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 422 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | SurfScore, Inc | DreamBox Learning, Inc. |
Customer experience
Kodable Basics
DreamBox Math
User reviews
Kodable Basics
From 21K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Fun and educational coding game
- 👍 Helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- 🚀 Engaging for kids of various ages
- 🎨 Ability to create custom characters and games
Room to improve
- 💰 Subscription-based model with high costs
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Misleading trial period and automatic subscription
- 📉 Declining quality and value over time
DreamBox Math
From 673 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤗 Fun and engaging
- 💡 Adaptive to user's level
- 👍 Helps improve math skills
Room to improve
- 🤖 Annoying AI assistant
- 🤯 Lessons too difficult or confusing
- 🕰️ Lessons take too long to complete
- 🙄 Lack of clear explanations
- 🤬 Incorrect answers marked as wrong
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
DreamBox Math
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes and freezes
- Glitches with lesson progress tracking
- Compatibility issues on certain devices
Requested features
4 requests- Allow skipping of explanations
- Provide more detailed feedback on mistakes
- Offer different difficulty levels for lessons
- Improve game mechanics and mini-games
In-app purchases
Kodable Basics
- Kodable Monthly Plan7 Days trial$24.991 Month
- Kodable Yearly Plan7 Days trial$119.991 Year
- 3-day Parent TrialFree
- Fuzzes to Support Computer Science$4.99
- Pre-Trial Parent Plan$19.99
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- Parent Plan$29.99
- Kodable Lifetime Plan$199.99
DreamBox Math
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Kodable Basics free?
Is DreamBox Math free?
Which has better reviews, Kodable Basics or DreamBox Math?
Do Kodable Basics or DreamBox Math have ads?
Which is updated more often, Kodable Basics or DreamBox Math?
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