Comparison

Number Line, by MLC vs Read Live

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

Head to head
About

Number Line, by MLC

This app allows students to visualize number sequences and demonstrate mathematical strategies. It supports various number types and offers tools for annotation, problem-solving, and sharing work. Ideal for elementary classrooms and iPad learning environments.

Highlights
  • Visualize number sequences
  • Demonstrate counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing
  • Use whole numbers, fractions, decimals, or negative numbers
  • Add custom tick marks and labels
  • Hide and reveal numbers and jumps
  • Annotation and drawing tools
  • Save and share work
Features
Read full description

Number Line helps students visualize number sequences and demonstrate strategies for counting, comparing, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. Choose number lines labelled with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, or negative numbers. Or use a blank number line, with or without tick marks. Describe intervals between points on the line using forward or backward jumps above and below the line. Jumps can be labelled with their values or left blank. Add custom tick marks to the number line to show equivalence or compare number values. Show strategies with drawing and annotation tools. Hide elements of the sequence shown on the number line, which challenges students to use what they know about number relationships and computation to identify those missing elements. This virtual number line is an open-ended educational tool, ideal for elementary classrooms and other learning environments that use iPads. For more Number Line resources and other apps, visit: www.mathlearningcenter.org/apps FEATURES • Mark the number line with multiples of whole numbers, fractions, or decimals. In addition, set the starting value of the line, including using negative values. • Add and manipulate forward and backward jumps, above or below the line. • Label jump bars, manually or automatically, to show intervals or hide labels altogether. • Add custom tick marks and values to blank number lines. • Hide and reveal numbers on the number line. • Hide and reveal jumps, numbers, and other elements with resizable covers to create your own problems and model strategies. • Use the drawing tools to annotate work and show understanding. • Add equations, expressions, and descriptions with the math text and writing tools. • Share your work by saving an image or providing a share code to others. MORE APPS For more Number Line resources and other apps, visit: www.mathlearningcenter.org/apps LEARN MORE To learn about Bridges in Mathematics, an elementary curriculum that employs visual models like number line, visit: www.mathlearningcenter.org/bridges/overview ABOUT US This resource is brought to you by The Math Learning Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to K-12 education since 1976. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This app was crafted by Clarity Innovations. We help improve teaching and learning by creating solutions that match promising technologies with the needs of education. Visit us: www.clarity-innovations.com

About

Read Live

This app provides a structured, audio-supported system to improve reading fluency, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension for learners of all ages. It offers access to four distinct curriculum options, including support for Spanish readers, and tracks student progress across devices. A Read Live account is required to use the program.

Highlights
  • Four curriculum options
  • Audio-supported system
  • Develops reading fluency
  • Improves comprehension
  • Tracks student progress
  • Spanish reading support
Read full description

Read Live delivers measurable results for struggling and developing readers of all ages. With this app, your students can access their Read Live student stories and exercises in an experience designed to take advantage of the iPad’s capabilities. Improve fluency and phonics skills while supporting vocabulary and comprehension development with Read Naturally Live. Build mastery and automaticity in phonics and decoding with systematic phonics instruction with Word Warm-ups Live. Enable structured, engaging, and independent reading practice with One Minute Reader Live. Help native Spanish speakers or others to learn to read Spanish text fluently with Read Naturally Live–Español. Visit our website to learn more about Read Live: readnaturally.com/go-read-live *** A Read Live account and internet connection are required to use this app. Don’t have an account yet? Don't worry: you can create a free account and start using the program within 1 business day! Read Live was designed by teachers for use in schools. Here's what some teachers are saying: “A great program. Kids enjoy using it. They see their progress in fluency and comprehension skills.” – Special Education Teacher, VT “Love, Love, Love this program to help build our students' fluency. All of the stories are engaging for the students. The technology is easy for both students and teachers to use.” – First-Grade Teacher, WI “This program has dramatically increased the fluency, comprehension and writing abilities of my ELL students. Their MAP scores have risen as much as 15 points in a trimester. It provides great individualization.” – ELL/ESL Teacher, IL KEY FEATURES • Full access to all four curriculum options: Read Naturally Live, Word Warm-ups Live, One Minute Reader Live, and Read Naturally Live–Español. • Structured, audio-supported system keeps students motivated and holds them accountable for their own success. • Develops reading fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, and phonics. • Excellent for Response to Intervention (RTI) or Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). • Student progress syncs across computer and iPad. • Free iPad app for Read Live account holders. ________________________________________ Need support? We’re here to help. Email us at support@readnaturally.com *** IMPORTANT!! You must have a Read Live account to use this app.

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Read Live at 5.0 against Number Line, by MLC's 4.4. Read Live also leads on update cadence (every 4 months vs every 13 months) and iOS requirement (14.3 vs 16.1). Number Line, by MLC's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 29%) and ratings volume (15 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Read Live holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Number Line, by MLC has 15 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Number Line, by MLC's written reviews are positive against 29% of Read Live's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Number Line, by MLC ships an update every 13 months, Read Live every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Number Line, by MLC versus Read Live: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNumber Line, by MLCRead Live
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (15 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better28.6% of reviews
Number of ratings15 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS16.114.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Math Learning CenterRead Naturally, Inc.

Customer experience

Number Line, by MLC

All ratings15 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.3%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%

Read Live

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative71.4%

In-app purchases

None

Number Line, by MLC

No in-app purchases

None

Read Live

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Number Line, by MLC free?
Number Line, by MLC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Read Live free?
Read Live is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Number Line, by MLC or Read Live?
Read Live is rated higher. Number Line, by MLC averages 4.4 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Read Live averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Number Line, by MLC or Read Live have ads?
Neither Number Line, by MLC nor Read Live shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Number Line, by MLC or Read Live?
Number Line, by MLC ships an update every 13 months, and Read Live every 4 months. Most recently, Number Line, by MLC was updated on November 6, 2026 and Read Live on November 1, 2026.

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