Comparison

Derivative Master by ChatStick vs Physics Playground App

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

Head to head
About

Derivative Master by ChatStick

Features
Read full description

Derivative Master is the all-in-one calculus companion for high school and college students learning differentiation. From your first power rule to chain rule mastery, every derivative is solved step by step — with the exact rule highlighted at each move. Whether you're prepping for AP Calculus, Calc 1, or a final exam, Derivative Master replaces hours of confusion with clear, color-coded explanations, hands-on practice, and gamified progress tracking. WHY STUDENTS LOVE DERIVATIVE MASTER • Step-by-step symbolic solver — type any function and see every derivation step with the rule applied • 11 differentiation rules library — Power, Chain, Product, Quotient, Sum, Constant, Trig, Exponential, Logarithm, and more, each with worked examples and common mistakes • Daily Challenge — a new problem every day to build a streak • Practice mode — Easy, Medium, and Hard problems with hints, instant feedback, and rule identification • Concept articles — short, focused lessons on limits, tangent lines, optimization, notation, and the meaning of a derivative • Achievements & streaks — 12 badges to earn as you level up • Smart calculator — full math keypad with sin, cos, tan, ln, e^x, π, and powers • Save and revisit — keep history of solved problems for quick review PREMIUM FEATURES Unlock the full experience: • Interactive Graph Plotter — see f(x) and f'(x) side by side on the same axes • Full Quiz Mode — timed multiple-choice exams with explanations • Unlimited Favorites — star derivatives for instant recall • Unlimited History — never lose a worked problem • Ad-free experience DESIGNED FOR LEARNING Derivative Master isn't just a calculator — it's a tutor. Each step explains WHICH rule was applied and WHY, so you build real understanding instead of memorizing answers. The color-coded interface, clean math typography, and gentle gamification make studying calculus genuinely enjoyable. PERFECT FOR • AP Calculus AB & BC students • College Calculus 1 students • Engineering, physics, and economics majors brushing up on derivatives • High school students starting differential calculus • Anyone who wants to truly understand derivatives, not just compute them WHAT'S INSIDE — Step-by-step derivative solver with symbolic engine — 11-rule reference library with formulas and examples — Daily Challenge problem (changes every day) — Tiered practice problems (Easy / Medium / Hard) — 6 concept articles on calculus fundamentals — Interactive function & derivative graph plotter — Full quiz mode with scoring and explanations — 12 achievements & streak tracking — Custom calculator with trig, log, exponential, and constants — History and favorites for quick review Download Derivative Master today and turn calculus from confusing into conquered.

About

Physics Playground App

Explore the universe of physics and math through interactive simulations and real-time equation adjustments. Learn concepts from basic counting to advanced theories with hands-on playgrounds and mini-games that earn you badges. Designed for all levels of understanding, from children to PhDs.

Highlights
  • Interactive physics and math playgrounds
  • Real-time equation adjustments
  • Adjustable difficulty slider (Child to PhD)
  • Mini-games with badge rewards
  • Concept map for interconnected ideas
  • Offline-first functionality
  • No ads or accounts required
Features
Read full description

Physics & Math, made playable. Touch a slider and watch the equation rewrite itself. Tilt a ramp and feel the friction. Aim a cannon, dial in a Lorentz factor, swing a double pendulum into chaos. Every idea has a hands-on playground that responds in real time. One app. The entire universe of physics and math - from counting blocks to category theory, from throwing a ball to the Theory of Everything. WHAT'S INSIDE • 55+ topics across Physics and Math, organized by tier - Classical, Modern, Frontier, plus Math Foundations, Intermediate, and Frontier. • A live difficulty slider that rewrites every explanation in real time for Child, Teen, Undergrad, or PhD. • Interactive playgrounds for every topic. Sliders, simulations, force diagrams, and SpriteKit physics that actually behave like physics. • Mini-games that earn you badges - predict chaos, balance crates, dial in gamma, win at quantum measurement, escape a black hole. • A concept map that shows how every idea connects to every other - drag, zoom, tap a node and dive in. • A constellation of earned badges that grows as you master the subjects. PHYSICS, FROM "WHAT IF" TO "WHY" Newton's Laws. Projectile motion. Energy & momentum. Orbits. Waves. Pendulum chaos. Thermodynamics. Fluids. Optics. Electromagnetism. Special Relativity. Spacetime. Photoelectric effect. Double-slit. Heisenberg uncertainty. Quantum tunneling. Stern-Gerlach spin. Atomic orbitals. The Standard Model. Statistical mechanics. Condensed matter. Lasers. Black holes. The Big Bang. String theory. Loop quantum gravity. Entanglement. Quantum computing. And the prize at the end - a Theory of Everything badge for mastering them all. MATH THAT BUILDS Counting → addition → subtraction → multiplication → division → fractions → decimals → percents and ratios → the number line. Then algebra, geometry, trigonometry, functions, exponents and logs, sequences, probability, and statistics. Then limits, derivatives, integrals, linear algebra, differential equations, complex analysis, topology, and category theory. HOW IT WORKS Pick a topic. Read a leveled explanation that matches your background. Scroll to the live equation strip and watch the variables update as you drag. Play with the simulator. Take on the challenge, earn the badge. Tap a related topic to follow the thread - every page links to its prerequisites and to the ideas it unlocks. BUILT FOR FOCUS • Beautiful, calm visuals on a deep-space backdrop. • Smooth 60fps animations, gentle haptics, and confetti for the wins. • No ads. No accounts. No tracking. • Designed for iPhone and iPad with full split-view support. • Offline-first - everything is on device. WHO IT'S FOR Curious kids who want to know what makes things go. Students who'd rather feel an equation than memorize it. Self-learners coming back to math years later. Grad students looking for the cleanest one-page mental model of a topic. Teachers and parents who want a single shareable demo for any concept that comes up. If you've ever wondered why airplanes turn the way they do, why time slows down at high speeds, why a pendulum can be predictable AND chaotic, or what a quantum bit actually is - this is the app. One scroll. One slider. One badge at a time. The universe, unlocked.

Screenshots

Derivative Master by ChatStick4 screens
Physics Playground App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Physics Playground App at none against Derivative Master by ChatStick's 1. Physics Playground App also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (18 vs 26.2). On price 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. Derivative Master by ChatStick sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Physics Playground App asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Derivative Master by ChatStick versus Physics Playground App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDerivative Master by ChatStickPhysics Playground App
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Weekly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.218 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChatStick Company LimitedAJA Digital LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Derivative Master by ChatStick

One-time1
  • Unlock All Features$2.99
None

Physics Playground App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Derivative Master by ChatStick free?
Derivative Master by ChatStick is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Physics Playground App free?
Physics Playground App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Derivative Master by ChatStick or Physics Playground App have ads?
Derivative Master by ChatStick shows ads; Physics Playground App does not.

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