Comparison

Dollars & Cents Lite vs Making Change USD

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

Head to head
About

Dollars & Cents Lite

This app teaches essential money management skills through interactive exercises. It offers progressive programs for counting coins, spending money, and making change, with options for U.S. or Canadian currency. Designed for adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities, it features realistic graphics and speech support.

Highlights
  • Counting Coins program
  • Spending Money program
  • Making Change program
  • U.S. or Canadian currency options
  • Realistic graphics
  • Speech support
  • Scanning options
Read full description

*Note: this free version has restricted money set and features. You can unlock with through in app purchase. Attainment Company has produced several functional math programs over the years. As technology continues to change and advance, so do Attainment’s collection of math resources. We now offer an introductory iPad app that teaches a variety of money skills: Dollars and Cents Free. Dollars and Cents Free features three progressive programs with options to use either U.S. or Canadian currency: Counting Coins, Spending Money, and Making Change. All of the programs feature clear, realistic graphics and an easy-to-navigate interface. Plus, this money talks! Personalize each program: select activities, determine which coins and bills are presented, choose U.S. or Canadian currency, and set scanning options. Counting Coins has four activities: Naming, Matching, Sorting, and Vending Machine. In Spending Money, students shop for items and pay for them with computer cash, using the exact amount or the next-dollar approach. In Making Change, the most advanced program, students function as store clerks, entering purchases and giving back change. Dollars and Cents is a great way to integrate functional activities into your math curriculum. Ideal for adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities, including autism. Standout Features: · Realistic graphics · Age-neutral content · Speech supports · Easy-to-use interface · Unified management system · Select coins and bills for each user · Choose between U.S. and Canadian currency · Access Dollars and Cents with single or two-switch scanning

About

Making Change USD

Read full description

This program teaches the student about changing (converting) larger denominations of currency into smaller ones, such as breaking a dollar bill into four quarters or ten dimes or any other collections of coins that add up to the dollar. The screen has a top box showing the coin or bill for which change is needed. To the right of the top box is a counter giving the value of the currency in the top box. Under the top box are more boxes in the middle of the screen with spaces for the coins or bills that the student is using to make change for the money in the top box. To the right of the middle boxes is a counter giving the value of the change in the middle boxes. At the bottom is another set of boxes with a coin or bill in each box. The student clicks on these coins or bills to make change for the coin or bill in the top box. Change Made The student clicks this button when he/she thinks the correct change has been placed in the boxes in the middle. Settings Mode Test Select this option to measure the student’s progress. The “Report” button under “Test” mode is enabled. Report This displays results of the “Test”. The report Holds Only 20 Records. Grade On/Off: If it is on, app will monitor correct and wrong responses by the student Correct Answer: When a student response to a question with correct answer Wrong Answer: When a student response to a question with wrong answer Number of Total Attempt: Number of times a student tried to answer questions in the app. Bar Chart: Represents the student's performance graphically. View Records: If there are old test results, they will be shown on this screen. The current test result is always on top. Print: This will print the grade or data on the screen. Clear Data: This button erase all the data that was stored and free up the memory that data was occupying. Display the Value of the Coins or Bills is on This is the default setting. The value of the coin or bill (such as "10¢" under a dime) appears under the coin or bill. Display the Value of the Coins or Bills is off The value of the coin or bill (such as "10¢" under a dime) will not appear under the coin or bill. Command Text This option is selected by default. When this is checked, text appears at the bottom of the screen instructing the student to (for instance) “Here is five dollars. Please make change with 4 one-dollar bills and the rest in quarters.” If not checked, the command text does not appear. Congratulatory Animation This is selected by default. When the student makes the correct change and clicks on the "Change Made" button, there will be a congratulatory animation. Click anywhere on the screen or press the space bar to stop the congratulatory animation. When not checked, the animation will not appear. Selection Here the teacher/therapist can select the coins and/or bills that the student can use to make change. By default "Select All" is checked. Select All This selects all coins and bills.

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Making Change USD at 11 against Dollars & Cents Lite's 13.0. On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Dollars & Cents Lite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Making Change USD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dollars & Cents Lite ships an update every 9 months, Making Change USD every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Dollars & Cents Lite versus Making Change USD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDollars & Cents LiteMaking Change USD
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 months — betterEvery 17 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS13.011 — better
Further details — not scored
Size302 MB75 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAttainment CompanyBlooming Kids Software LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Dollars & Cents Lite

One-time1
  • Full Version$39.99
1 purchases

Making Change USD

One-time1
  • Making Change USD$3.99

Questions

Is Dollars & Cents Lite free?
Dollars & Cents Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Making Change USD free?
Making Change USD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dollars & Cents Lite or Making Change USD have ads?
Neither Dollars & Cents Lite nor Making Change USD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dollars & Cents Lite or Making Change USD?
Dollars & Cents Lite ships an update every 9 months, and Making Change USD every 17 months. Most recently, Dollars & Cents Lite was updated on November 1, 2026 and Making Change USD on November 4, 2026.

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