Comparison

Starfall vs Halloween Maths Lite

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

Halloween Maths Lite

Practice math skills with a fun, spooky theme. Solve addition and subtraction problems across multiple levels, earning stars for correct answers to unlock new challenges. Ideal for children aged 5 and up.

Highlights
  • Addition and subtraction practice
  • Themed levels
  • Star rewards for correct answers
  • Progressive level unlocking
  • Suitable for ages 5+
Features
Read full description

Bubble Maths with a 'spooky' twist... This app will test your maths skills, starting with simple sums through to more complex addition and subtraction. There are 25 questions per level. For every correct answer you get a star, with the aim to get all 25 correct. Complete one level to unlock further levels until you have completed them all. This app is great for children and adults alike but all of the questions are based around Key Stage 1 and 2 style questions so great for children 5+ years. Are you a maths expert and can you get all of the stars?

Screenshots

Starfall4 screens
Halloween Maths Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Halloween Maths Lite at none against Starfall's 1. Halloween Maths Lite also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 73%) and rating (4.3 vs 4.1). Starfall's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 37 months) and ratings volume (4.4K vs 19). On price, ads 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. Starfall sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Halloween Maths Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Halloween Maths Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Starfall has 4.4K ratings behind it against 19, 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 Halloween Maths Lite's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Starfall ships an update every 2 months, Halloween Maths Lite every 37 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Starfall versus Halloween Maths Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarfallHalloween Maths Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (4.4K ratings)4.3 (19 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.4K — better19
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 37 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size155 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStarfall Education FoundationDizzy Squirrel Limited

Customer experience

Starfall

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

Halloween Maths Lite

All ratings18 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral11.1%
Negative5.6%
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

Halloween Maths Lite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Starfall

Subscriptions1
  • Starfall Monthly$5.991 Month
None

Halloween Maths Lite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Starfall free?
Starfall is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Halloween Maths Lite free?
Halloween Maths Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Starfall or Halloween Maths Lite?
Halloween Maths Lite is rated higher. Starfall averages 4.1 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while Halloween Maths Lite averages 4.3 from 19 ratings.
Do Starfall or Halloween Maths Lite have ads?
Neither Starfall nor Halloween Maths Lite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Starfall or Halloween Maths Lite?
Starfall ships an update every 2 months, and Halloween Maths Lite every 37 months. Most recently, Starfall was updated on November 10, 2026 and Halloween Maths Lite on November 1, 2026.

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