# Monster Numbers vs SmartFriends

The clearest difference is price: SmartFriends at Free against Monster Numbers's $2.99. SmartFriends also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). Monster Numbers's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

SmartFriends is free to download; Monster Numbers costs $2.99 up front. SmartFriends sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Monster Numbers asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Monster Numbers against 4.6 for SmartFriends. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 88 and 139 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Monster Numbers's written reviews are positive against 83% of SmartFriends's.

Monster Numbers ships an update every 5 months, SmartFriends every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Monster Numbers | SmartFriends |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (88 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monster-numbers-mental-math/id771387168/reviews) | **[4.6 (139 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartfriends-brain-training/id1608490212/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 88 | **139** |
| Positive reviews | **92.3% of reviews** | 83.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 173 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Didactoons Games SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457185685) | [SmartFriends B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1036798547) |

## What reviewers say

### Monster Numbers

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monster-numbers-mental-math/id771387168)

This engaging math game helps children aged 4-14 improve their arithmetic skills. It adapts to each child's age and learning level, offering a mix of fun activities and skill-testing challenges. Designed by teachers, it aims to make learning math enjoyable and support school routines.

**Highlights:** Adaptive difficulty by age, Mix of fun and skill-testing levels, Designed by teachers, Supports school routines, Improves math skills

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### SmartFriends

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartfriends-brain-training/id1608490212)

Engage in daily brain training challenges with friends to boost cognitive skills. Compete in IQ tests covering logic, spatial reasoning, and number sequences. Track progress and climb leaderboards in a fun, competitive environment.

**Highlights:** Daily IQ challenges, Logic puzzles, Spatial reasoning tests, Number sequence problems, Leaderboard competition, Score sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Special Offer! | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $4.49 | per month |
| Free Trial \| Premium Monthly | $4.49 | per month |
| Premium Special Offer! | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Free Trial \| Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| 3 x genius challenges | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10 x genius challenges | $2.49 | one-time |
| Tip 1 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🧠 Daily brain workout
- 💡 Challenging puzzles
- 🤔 Makes you think outside the box
- 👍 Fun and enjoyable
- 🚀 Quick brain check

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive advertisements
- 📉 Puzzles sometimes lack logic
- 🖼️ Unclear graphics/faint colors
- 🤔 Puzzles can be too difficult
- 🔄 Repetitive questions

**Reported bugs**

- App not loading puzzles
- Diagrams not accessible with screen readers
- Glitchy when enlarging challenge images
- Issues with lifetime access purchases
- Landscape mode for larger images when app is portrait only

**Requested features**

- Fix advertisements interrupting gameplay
- Improve puzzle logic and presentation
- Enhance graphics clarity (e.g., yellow on white)
- Make puzzles more varied and adult-oriented
- Improve accessibility for visually impaired users (diagram descriptions)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Monster Numbers free?

Monster Numbers costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SmartFriends free?

SmartFriends is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Monster Numbers or SmartFriends?

SmartFriends is rated higher. Monster Numbers averages 4.4 out of 5 from 88 ratings, while SmartFriends averages 4.6 from 139 ratings.

### Do Monster Numbers or SmartFriends have ads?

SmartFriends shows ads; Monster Numbers does not.

### Which is updated more often, Monster Numbers or SmartFriends?

Monster Numbers ships an update every 5 months, and SmartFriends every 2 weeks. Most recently, Monster Numbers was updated on November 7, 2026 and SmartFriends on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*