Balance Math vs Main Idea
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Balance Math
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Part of the Math Practice Tools CFS Bundle Practice Addition and Subtraction concepts. Drag number tiles to each of the balances to exlore or create a problem for a friend. Or, press the "New Problem" button to have Balance Math create a problem for you. Then, your job is to make both sides balance. You may add tiles to each balance or remove tiles. As you add or remove tiles you'll see >,<, or =. There are 10 copies of each Number Tile. You have the Option to set which balance to use for a problem, which number tiles to use, and whether or not to hide a set of number tiles after a problem is displayed.
Main Idea
This app helps children in grades 2-5 improve reading comprehension by teaching them to identify the main idea of a text. It uses a step-by-step approach with visual guides and a reward system to build this skill incrementally. Designed by educators, it's suitable for both typical and special needs children.
- Step-by-step comprehension skill building
- Incremental learning with unlocked levels
- Frustration-free guided learning
- Engaging reward center
- Parental review and reporting
- Content designed by teachers and researchers
- Timed levels for fluency development
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** Happy Frog Apps are featured on FunEducationalApps.com. TeachersWithApps.com, Appolicious.com, iHeartThisApp.com ** 'Main Idea-Short Texts' helps kids who have trouble with reading comprehension. Identifying the main idea is a key part of reading comprehension as it allows you to figure out ‘what a text is about'. 'Main Idea -Short Texts' builds this comprehension skill step-by-step until mastery. Accolades for the first app in the Main Idea series... ***** 5 Stars - Thank you for this app! Other software I’ve used has moved too quickly for my son. This one worked! ***** 5 Stars - This app is one the best education apps I have used with my little one. It really helps to improve his reading abilities. He is obsessed with passing the levels and it never let him disappointed. One of the few apps that worth to upgrade to premium version. 'Main Idea - Short Texts' is targeted to children in Grades 2-5 who can read the words, but don't understand what they read. Beginning readers in earlier grades can also benefit from the targeted skill development. The focus of 'Main Idea - Short Texts' is teaching kids how to identify the main idea of a paragraph. The skill is built incrementally using visual guides. Key Benefits: - Builds comprehension skills step-by-step until mastery. - Incremental learning. New levels are unlocked only when your child is ready. - Frustration-free learning. Your child will always be guided to the correct answer. - Fun and engaging Reward Center to increase motivation. - Easy parental review. Just check out the stars to see how your child is doing. - Content designed by professional teachers and researchers. - Advanced levels include timers to ensure fluency. Research shows fluency in the foundation skills is critical to reading comprehension. - Can be used independently (just hand it over: your child will know what to do!) or with a therapist/parent for reading intervention. - Provides extensive reporting for up to 10 students to suit the needs of parents, teachers and therapists. Our apps are designed for and tested by typical and special needs children. Testers include children with Autism and other special needs. Our apps work for them! To evaluate the app, download the free version, which has 4 free levels. Additional levels and additional players can be accessed with in-app purchase. If you prefer no in-app purchases, download the School Edition of this app. While you're thinking about reading, check out our other apps at www.HappyFrogApps.com. We take customer service very seriously! If you ever have a problem or find that we've missed something, contact us at our website and we will do our best to fix the problem. We collect NO private information in our app. None! Our apps do not allow unrestricted web access.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Balance Math at Free against Main Idea's $6.99. Balance Math also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.2). Main Idea's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Balance Math is free to download; Main Idea costs $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Balance Math ships an update every 18 months, Main Idea every 22 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Balance Math | Main Idea |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $6.99 |
| Rating | — | 2.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months — better | Every 22 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Paid |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 12.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Classroom Focused Software | Janine Toole |
In-app purchases
Balance Math
No in-app purchases
Main Idea
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Balance Math free?
Is Main Idea free?
Do Balance Math or Main Idea have ads?
Which is updated more often, Balance Math or Main Idea?
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