Comparison

Freckle by Renaissance vs Math Shelf

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

Head to head
About

Freckle by Renaissance

This app provides personalized math, ELA, science, and social studies lessons for students. It adapts to each student's learning level, offering engaging content and real-world applications. Teachers benefit from a dashboard to track student progress and identify learning gaps.

Highlights
  • Personalized math lessons
  • ELA and science content
  • Social studies lessons
  • Adaptive learning engine
  • Diagnostic pre-tests
  • Teacher progress dashboard
  • Collaborative learning features
Features
Read full description

Freckle™ by Renaissance®: reach every student at their level. With Freckle, your students automatically work on the Math, ELA, Science and Social Studies lessons that are perfect for them. That way, they are always engaged and challenged, never facing material that is too difficult or easy for them. Freckle has: - Over 49,000 math questions aligned to Common Core and state standards, covering all of K-9 - Over 16,000 ELA questions aligned to Common Core and state standards, covering all of K-8 - Over 800 non-fiction articles that are written at 3 different levels, covering all of K-12 - A diagnostic pre-test so every student starts at the right level - An adaptive engine that automatically gives every student the perfect lesson - Collaborative features that encourage students to help each other - Motivating features to make sure students are engaged - Real-world questions that allow students to practice their math knowledge in exciting real-world settings - A powerful dashboard so teachers and administrators know exactly how students are performing across standards and skills. ==FEATURED BY== - The Wall Street Journal - CNN - EdWeek - EdSurge ==WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING== I would recommend the Freckle app because it is one which is user friendly, and it taps into the different modalities of learning, and it also aids a teacher in differentiation. It is so structured, to point them to assistance, independent of the teacher. And that is what we want to promote: student to student interaction using peer body talk, turn and talk, sharing, and all those things. ~ Dwight Barnes, 4th grade math teacher The dashboard is amazing. Insights are exactly the quick pieces of information a teacher would want at first glance. The grouping tab is really clean looking and is exactly what teachers and administrators want to see on a daily basis. Teachers could literally print that out and use it in their lesson plans when talking about flexible grouping. It does a great job of presenting the information in a simple way. ~ Josh Shaw, Tech Director The teacher dashboard is in a very clear format. I like that I can see in one place how each student in the class is progressing. The green/yellow/red color code is a great visual as well as the specific number within the box. It's helpful that I can hover over each concept and see the explanation of that standard. Overall great product! ~ Jennifer Auten, 2nd grade teacher Freckle - I love the videos! Instead of showing them just a paragraph write up, it's just like a teacher sitting there with them and going over it. I think Freckle is a great app for classes and for schools that have a time-sensitive schedule and it gives them instant feedback and data that can be used in class the next day. ~ Jabari Bush, 5th grade math teacher One of my students got a double digit + double digit problem and he had never done that before. He asked me and I quickly showed him. Next thing I knew he was asking me how to regroup and was doing 2 digit + 2 digit with regrouping, which was extremely impressive to me at this point. I did take a look at the dashboard. It is fantastic. I showed one of my administrators who is also our Math IST and she is beyond impressed. I've been telling a lot of people about it and will continue to do so! Thanks again for making what is now the most vital part of my math class. ~ Jane Alukonis, 1st grade math teacher Freckle is a good solution for our students and our teachers, especially working in an RTI model, teaching CCSS and addressing learning needs within a differentiated instructional model. ~ Emily Klug, 5th grade math ==QUESTIONS? TALK TO US== support@freckle.com @learnfreckle

About

Math Shelf

This app provides an experimentally proven program to enhance early mathematics achievement for preschool and kindergarten students. It offers on-level instruction through adaptive learning and placement tests, aligning with Common Core Standards.

Highlights
  • Experimentally proven to increase math achievement
  • Common Core Aligned content
  • Adaptive learning and placement tests
  • Cloud-based syncing for school and home
  • Free 7-day trial
  • Supports iPhone, iPad, and iPod
Read full description

Math Shelf is experimentally proven to increase preschool and Kindergarten students' mathematics achievement. **** Winner Re-Imagine Education Best Learning App **** From over 3,000 entries Math Shelf won the Silver Medal for best learning app. **** Common Core Aligned ***** Math Shelf's content exceeds the expectations in the Kindergarten Common Core Standards. **** On Level Instruction for Every Student **** Placement tests and adaptive learning provide on level learning for every student in your class. **** Cloud Based ***** Play Math Shelf on any iPad or iPhone. Students can play for free at home and data will sync to their school account. **** Experimentally Proven **** Read our 3 peer-reviewed published studies at www.mathshelf.com/research. ****Valhalla Foundation Funded**** Program Related Investment and grant recipient from the Valhalla Foundation to improve early math education. **** Heising-Simons Foundation Funded **** Grant recipient Heising-Simons Foundation to improve early mathematics education. **** Free Trial **** Try Math Shelf with your students for 7 days. **** Technology Requirements **** iPhone 6 and above. Plays on iOS 12.0 and above. You may purchase an auto-renewing subscription through an In-App Purchase. You can access all games and administrative features. Auto-renewable subscription -1 month ($4.99) period, for 2 students access. -1 year ($41.99) period, for 2 students access. Your subscription will be charged to your Apple account at confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew (at the duration selected) unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Current subscription may not be cancelled during the active subscription period; however, you can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renewal by visiting your Apple Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://mathshelf.com/privacy Terms Of Use: https://mathshelf.com/terms

Screenshots

Math Shelf2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Math Shelf at 4.7 against Freckle by Renaissance's 3.3. Math Shelf also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 40%) and device support (3 vs 1). Freckle by Renaissance's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ratings volume (522 vs 15). On price, update cadence, 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

Both are free to download. Math Shelf sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Freckle by Renaissance asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Math Shelf holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Freckle by Renaissance has 522 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Freckle by Renaissance's written reviews are positive against 80% of Math Shelf's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Freckle by Renaissance ships an update every 3 months, Math Shelf every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Freckle by Renaissance versus Math Shelf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFreckle by RenaissanceMath Shelf
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (522 ratings)4.7 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews39.8% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings522 — better15
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB380 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFreckle Education, Inc.John Schacter

Customer experience

Freckle by Renaissance

All ratings511 ratings
Positive55.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative38.7%
Written reviews88 reviews
Positive39.8%
Neutral8.0%
Negative52.3%

Math Shelf

All ratings13 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

Bugs and requests

Freckle by Renaissance

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Incorrect answers marked wrong
  • Freezing and crashing issues
  • Keyboard and screen layout problems
  • Inconsistent coin/progress tracking

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more levels and content for each topic
  • Allow placement tests for adaptive learning
  • Improve save/login functionality to prevent data loss
  • Optimize for mobile devices
  • Hire human narrators for stories

Math Shelf

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Freckle by Renaissance

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Math Shelf

Subscriptions2
  • 1 Month Access7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • 1 Year Access7 Days trial$41.991 Year
One-time8
  • 1 Students Monthly Subscription$1.99
  • 1 Student Monthly Subscription$2.99
  • 2 Students Monthly Subscription$3.99
Show 5 more
  • 3 Students Monthly Subscription$5.99
  • 2 Students Monthly Subscription$5.99
  • 3 Students Monthly Subscription$8.99
  • 3 Students Subscription$9.99
  • 4 Students Monthly Subscription$11.99

Questions

Is Freckle by Renaissance free?
Freckle by Renaissance is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Math Shelf free?
Math Shelf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Freckle by Renaissance or Math Shelf?
Math Shelf is rated higher. Freckle by Renaissance averages 3.3 out of 5 from 522 ratings, while Math Shelf averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.
Do Freckle by Renaissance or Math Shelf have ads?
Neither Freckle by Renaissance nor Math Shelf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Freckle by Renaissance or Math Shelf?
Freckle by Renaissance ships an update every 3 months, and Math Shelf every 4 months. Most recently, Freckle by Renaissance was updated on November 1, 2026 and Math Shelf on November 1, 2026.

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