SymphonyMath vs Keyboarding Without Tears
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SymphonyMath
This app provides a conceptual approach to learning mathematics, helping students understand fundamentals rather than relying on memorization. It supports students at their own pace, building a strong foundation for advanced subjects and fostering confidence.
- Conceptual understanding of math
- Self-paced learning
- Built-in student assessments
- Identifies at-risk students
- Tracks student growth
- Supports diverse learning styles
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*** Full use of this app requires an active account for Symphony Math®. If you do not have account information, please contact your school for more information. *** A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO A DIFFICULT PROBLEM Many students struggle with math because they rely on arbitrary memorization techniques to answer specific questions. With this approach, students do not gain a substantive understanding of fundamentals and simply cannot adjust to more sophisticated problem solving. With Symphony Math®, these problems are resolved. Symphony Math® helps students understand mathematics at a conceptual level. Instead of being overwhelmed by numbers, students move at their own speed and learn how math works. Through every stage of Symphony Math®, students gain a strong foundation in underlying principles and become better equipped to take on basic and advanced subjects. Going far beyond rote math drills and practice tests, this special teaching solution illuminates the core of learning and produces confident, more capable students. BUILT IN ASSESSMENT Students take a Fall, Winter, and Spring assessment that quickly identifies at-risk students and helps track growth. A ROBUST INTERVENTION THAT SUPPORTS STUDENTS WHO NEED HELP IN MATH The best practices in developmental psychology and cognitive science are the cornerstones of Symphony Math®. Our uniquely designed delivery methods ensure that students – regardless of learning styles or knowledge levels – fully grasp fundamental mathematical ideas, even for difficult-to-explain and abstract concepts. The result is a solid foundation for acquiring higher math skills, as well as a positive learning experience.
Keyboarding Without Tears
This app provides touch-typing practice for K-5 students using a game-based curriculum. Licensed users can log in to access assigned activities and develop essential computer skills. An educator account is required for access.
- Game-based touch-typing activities
- Pre-keyboarding lessons
- Developmentally appropriate lessons
- Online progress monitoring
- Digital citizenship training
- Cross-curricular connections
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Access the Keyboarding Without Tears K-5 student curriculum. This app is available for licensed students of Keyboarding Without Tears web-based program and serve as a companion app for touch-typing practice on mobile devices. Students can login and access their Keyboarding Without Tears activities assigned to them by their educator. An existing educator account in +Live Insights educator dashboard is required to access the app. The Keyboarding Without Tears K-5 curriculum features: • Effective, game-based activities • Pre-keyboarding and touch-typing lessons • Developmentally appropriate lessons by grade • Easy online progress monitoring • Digital citizenship and general computer readiness activities • Strong English Language & Arts and other Cross-Curricular connections
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: SymphonyMath at 48% against Keyboarding Without Tears's 4%. SymphonyMath also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (505 vs 6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SymphonyMath holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SymphonyMath has 505 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of SymphonyMath's written reviews are positive against 4% of Keyboarding Without Tears's.
SymphonyMath ships an update monthly, Keyboarding Without Tears every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | SymphonyMath | Keyboarding Without Tears |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (505 ratings) — better | 3.7 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 48.0% of reviews — better | 4.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 505 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 83 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Symphony Learning | Handwriting Without Tears & Get Set for School |
Customer experience
SymphonyMath
Keyboarding Without Tears
User reviews
SymphonyMath
From 505 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Helps with math skills
- 👍 Enjoyable for schoolwork
- 👍 Good for foundational math
- 👍 Syncs with schools
- 👍 Provides teacher data
Room to improve
- 👎 Confusing 'state' concept
- 👎 Appears to be grade 1 work
- 👎 Not fun for some users
- 👎 Bugs and errors
- 👎 Difficult to understand
Keyboarding Without Tears
From 6 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Age-appropriate exercises (for some)
- 👍 Motivating for students (for some)
- 👍 Works well on computer (for some)
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐛 Freezing screens
- 🐛 Keyboard not recognized
- 🐛 Inconsistent progress tracking
- 🐛 Confusing login process
Bugs and requests
SymphonyMath
Reported bugs
6 issues- App says correct answer is wrong
- No sound
- Crashes when palm touches screen
- Loses progress for session
- Launches with sound muted
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Requires going to settings to unmute
Requested features
6 requests- Make it funnier
- Incorporate Subway Surfers with math facts
- Add timed math challenges (1 min or 30 sec)
- Remember students for home use
- Allow users to work whenever they want
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Improve user interface for home users
Keyboarding Without Tears
Reported bugs
10 issues- App crashes frequently
- App freezes during use
- External keyboards are not recognized
- Progress is deleted without warning
- Puzzle pieces do not work correctly
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Screen does not rotate
- No sound after sign-in
- Login issues (PIN required, invalid email)
- Inconsistent skipping of review content
- Grammar errors in the app
Requested features
11 requests- Make the app more fun and engaging
- Fix the keyboard recognition issue
- Improve app performance and stability
- Allow skipping of review content
- Ensure puzzle pieces work correctly
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Fix screen rotation issues
- Add sound to tutorials and lessons
- Clarify PIN/license requirements
- Make the app available to the general public
- Improve grammar and spelling
- Use the default iOS keyboard
In-app purchases
SymphonyMath
No in-app purchases
Keyboarding Without Tears
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SymphonyMath free?
Is Keyboarding Without Tears free?
Which has better reviews, SymphonyMath or Keyboarding Without Tears?
Do SymphonyMath or Keyboarding Without Tears have ads?
Which is updated more often, SymphonyMath or Keyboarding Without Tears?
Other comparisons
