Comparison

Starfall vs CalcFinals

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

Head to head
About

Starfall

This app offers engaging reading and math activities for children from preschool to 5th grade. It features games, songs, and interactive lessons designed by educators to support early literacy and numeracy skills. The platform also includes accessibility features for children with impairments.

Highlights
  • Reading phonics and fluency
  • Math concepts and operations
  • Interactive games and songs
  • Accessibility features
  • Sequential learning objectives
  • Holiday activities and sing-alongs
Features
Read full description

Starfall® fun activities, games, and songs includes reading, math, music, and more – read, learn, and play preschool to fifth grade. Includes free and subscriber content. Starfall provides an Enhanced Accessible Index for children with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments. For more information, please contact Customer Service at (+1) 303-417-6414. Join Zac the Rat® and his friends on an exciting learning journey, starting with the ABCs and 123s and advancing up to grade 5 grammar and mathematics. Starfall's playful open format intuitively guides children through sequential learning objectives for reading, math, art, music, and social subjects like kindness and caring. *Highlights* *Reading (phonics, fluency, grammar) -- ABCs, Learn to Read, I’m Reading, Talking Library, Punctuation, Parts of Speech *Math -- Numbers, Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication and Division, Geometry and Measurement, Fractions *More -- Holiday Activities, Nursery Rhymes, Sing-Alongs, Interactive Calendar *Why Starfall* *Research based, teacher tested, child approved. The Starfall® systematic approach was created by experienced educators using time-tested instructional methods. *Try it for free. All of the basics for learning how to read are available to everyone. *No advertisements. Whether a free user or subscriber, you won’t see any ads. *Pass it forward! Subscribers gain access to hundreds of additional activities and support the free sections for others to enjoy. *What people are saying about Starfall* Listed on PC Magazine’s “15 best Online Learning Services for Kids,” Think Five’s “Top 5 Most Used Apps by Elementary Teachers,” and as one Parent's Magazine's "70 Best Apps for Families." "Kids can learn about letter recognition, phonics, and reading. Skill acquisition is appropriately gradual... Starfall does an excellent job of offering clear and intriguing early literacy lessons." —Common Sense Media “I truly believe that Starfall set the foundation for my future.” —Sarah, undergraduate at Stanford University *Subscription information* If you choose to purchase a Starfall subscription, a $5.99 (USD) payment will be applied to your Apple ID account upon confirmation of purchase and monthly after that. Your subscription will automatically renew unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. This subscription is valid only for home use. It can be used on devices signed in with your Apple ID, as well as any associated Family Sharing devices. *Additional Info* This app requires an internet connection and is intended for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grades 1-5. It also supports English language development, special education, and homeschool environments. Privacy Policy: https://teach.starfall.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://teach.starfall.com/terms The Starfall website and applications are program services of Starfall Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) publicly supported nonprofit. Copyright © 2002–2024 by Starfall Education and its licensors. All rights reserved. Starfall® and Starfall.com® are registered trademarks in the U.S., the European Union, and various other countries.

About

CalcFinals

Quickly determine the score needed on a final exam to achieve a desired grade in a class. Input current grade, target grade, and final exam weight for instant results. Supports multiple classes and "what-if" scenarios.

Highlights
  • Calculate final exam score needed
  • Input current grade, goal grade, and final weight
  • Organize classes with custom names
  • Track multiple classes
  • Test "what-if" grade scenarios
  • Dark Mode support
  • No account or ads required
Read full description

CalcFinals is a simple, clean final grade calculator designed to help students quickly understand what score they need on a final exam to reach their goal in a class. Whether you are trying to keep an A, raise your grade, pass a class, or just see how much your final exam matters, CalcFinals gives you a clear answer in seconds. Enter your current class grade, your desired final grade, and the percentage weight of your final exam. CalcFinals will calculate the exact score you need on the final to reach your target grade. CalcFinals supports iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Features: • Calculate the score needed on a final exam • Enter your current grade, goal grade, and final exam weight • Customize class names to keep your classes organized • Add as many classes as you need • Save your entered information so you can come back later • Pick up where you left off during finals week • Track multiple classes while preparing for exams • Use quick goals to test common targets faster • Try different “what-if” grade scenarios • See whether your goal is realistic based on the final’s weight • Dark Mode support • Clean, simple design with no unnecessary clutter • Fast and easy to use during finals week • Helpful for middle school, high school, and college students • Supports iPhone, iPad, and Mac • No account required • No ads • No subscriptions CalcFinals is built for students who want a quick, straightforward way to plan for finals. Instead of guessing how much your final exam will affect your grade, CalcFinals helps you see the numbers clearly. Use CalcFinals to answer questions like: • What do I need on my final to get an A? • Can I still pass the class? • How much will my final exam affect my grade? • What happens if I score higher or lower than expected? • Is my target grade still possible? • What should I focus on during finals week? CalcFinals keeps the process simple: add your classes, customize their names, enter your grades, choose your goal, and calculate your result. Your information is saved, so you can return later and continue planning without starting over. Perfect for finals week, end-of-semester planning, and quick grade checks throughout the school year — with no ads, no subscriptions, and no unnecessary distractions.

Screenshots

Starfall4 screens
CalcFinals4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Starfall at Free against CalcFinals's $0.99. Starfall also leads on ratings volume (4.4K vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). CalcFinals's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads and iOS requirement 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

Starfall is free to download; CalcFinals costs $0.99 up front. Starfall sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. CalcFinals asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CalcFinals holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Starfall has 4.4K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Starfall's written reviews are positive against 100% of CalcFinals's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Starfall ships an update every 2 months, CalcFinals every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Starfall versus CalcFinals: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarfallCalcFinals
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.1 (4.4K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.4K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size155 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStarfall Education FoundationRussel Glass

Customer experience

Starfall

All ratings4,382 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral6.5%
Negative18.5%
Written reviews296 reviews
Positive72.6%
Neutral8.4%
Negative18.9%

CalcFinals

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Starfall

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Subscription issues and trouble logging in
  • Freezing and crashing on certain devices
  • Glitches in specific games and activities
  • Compatibility problems with newer OS versions
  • Incorrect pronunciation of numbers and dates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more advanced content for older kids
  • Improve accessibility for visually impaired users
  • Provide offline mode for use without internet
  • Allow customization of character and settings
  • Integrate with other educational platforms

CalcFinals

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Starfall

Subscriptions1
  • Starfall Monthly$5.991 Month
None

CalcFinals

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Starfall free?
Starfall is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CalcFinals free?
CalcFinals costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Starfall or CalcFinals?
CalcFinals is rated higher. Starfall averages 4.1 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while CalcFinals averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Starfall or CalcFinals have ads?
Neither Starfall nor CalcFinals shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Starfall or CalcFinals?
Starfall ships an update every 2 months, and CalcFinals every 6 days. Most recently, Starfall was updated on November 5, 2026 and CalcFinals on October 31, 2026.

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