Comparison

Pickles vs Math Gate

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

Head to head
About

Pickles

This app allows parents to set screen time limits by requiring children to solve math problems. Children earn minutes for correct answers, which are then used to access selected apps. It offers various math levels and problem types for grades K-5.

Highlights
  • Screen time gating via math problems
  • Grade-level math challenges (K-5)
  • Multiple math operations (+, -, ×, ÷)
  • Diverse problem types (word problems, number bonds)
  • Parental PIN protection
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Math for screen time. Pickles locks the apps you pick (Roblox, YouTube, anything) until your kid earns minutes with math. Right answers earn minutes. Wrong ones earn nothing. Built by two parents tired of negotiating screen time. Three steps, then it just runs: - Pick the apps to lock. - Kid solves math: a round of problems at the level you set. - Minutes unlock apps. Saved-up minutes run down only while locked apps are open. When they run out, the apps lock again. A math level for every grade, K–5. From adding within 10 to times tables and multi-digit × and ÷. Real problems, not flashcards: word problems, number bonds, ten-frames, number lines, clocks, coins, fractions and more. No accounts. No ads. No tracking. Everything runs on the device: no sign-in, no cloud, no analytics, no third-party SDKs. A 4-digit PIN locks parent settings. That's the whole account system. Locking uses Apple's Screen Time tools, so even we can't see which apps you picked.

About

Math Gate

This app allows parents to control their children's screen time by requiring them to solve age-appropriate math problems before accessing selected apps. It tracks progress and offers customizable profiles for each child, making learning a prerequisite for playtime.

Highlights
  • Math problems unlock app access
  • Customizable app and category locks
  • Automatic screen time expiration
  • Detailed progress tracking
  • Age-appropriate math challenges
  • Individual child profiles
  • Parent-locked settings
Features
Read full description

Screen time, finally on your terms. Math Gate turns "five more minutes!" into real learning. Before your kids can open the apps you choose, they answer a few quick, age-perfect questions in the subject you pick: math, reading, grammar, science or art. Get them right, earn the time — and when it's up, the apps lock again automatically. Learning first, screen time second. Meet the penguin crew! Five friendly guides turn practice into play and cheer kids on through every challenge: • Cosmo — Math: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division • Juno — Reading: stories, phonics, word meaning and inference • Quill — Grammar: parts of speech, punctuation and sentences • Nova — Science: living things, the human body, Earth, space and energy • Iris — Art: color, the elements of art, tools and artists WHY PARENTS CHOOSE MATH GATE • Five subjects, one app — pick a subject for each child and switch anytime. • You decide what's locked — any apps or whole categories. The lock holds even when Math Gate is closed. • Auto-unlock on your terms — set the reward time; apps re-lock when it runs out. • Real progress, at a glance — accuracy by topic, daily streaks, most-missed questions, and reward badges. • Always age-perfect — five levels from age 5 to 13+ in every subject. • Read it to me — kids can hear reading, grammar, science and art questions read aloud. • Truly private — no ads, no trackers, no accounts, no data collection. Everything stays on your device. • Built for families — a separate profile, subject, difficulty, and time limit for each child. • Parent-locked — your settings sit safely behind Face ID. HOW IT WORKS Set it up once — create a profile, choose a subject, pick the apps to lock, and set difficulty and reward time. Kids learn to unlock — their penguin guide serves a short set of questions; correct answers earn the screen time. Time's up, learning's back — apps re-lock on their own; a quick new challenge unlocks them again. Turn everyday screen time into a daily learning habit — without the nagging. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Math Gate is free to set up. Any plan unlocks all five subjects: • Weekly — $0.99/week • Monthly — $1.99/month • Lifetime — $19.99 one-time Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions auto-renew unless turned off at least 24 hours before the period ends; your account is charged within 24 hours prior to renewal. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://mathgate.onbaseiq.com/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Pickles4 screens
Math Gate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pickles at none against Math Gate's 3. Pickles also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Math Gate sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Pickles asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Pickles against 5.0 for Math Gate. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pickles ships an update weekly, Math Gate every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Pickles versus Math Gate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPicklesMath Gate
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTomas VeselyOnBaseIQ, LLC

Customer experience

Pickles

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Math Gate

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Pickles

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Math Gate

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly$0.997 Days
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$19.99

Questions

Is Pickles free?
Pickles is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Math Gate free?
Math Gate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pickles or Math Gate?
Pickles and Math Gate are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Pickles or Math Gate have ads?
Neither Pickles nor Math Gate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pickles or Math Gate?
Pickles ships an update weekly, and Math Gate every 3 months. Most recently, Pickles was updated on October 2, 2026 and Math Gate on October 9, 2026.

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