# Hands vs Elementium

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Elementium at 75% against Hands's 0%. Elementium also leads on price (Free vs $2.99) and rating (4.6 vs 1.0). Hands's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.1). On ads there is nothing between them.

Elementium is free to download; Hands costs $2.99 up front. Elementium sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Hands asks for nothing beyond the download.

Elementium holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elementium has 602 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Hands's written reviews are positive against 75% of Elementium's.

Hands ships an update every 25 months, Elementium every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hands | Elementium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hands-on-math-pentominoes/id790870896/reviews) | **[4.6 (602 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elementium/id892123825/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **602** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 29 MB | 752 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ventura Educational Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/371324172) | [Samuel Spencer](https://appshunter.io/developer/1128165856) |

## What reviewers say

### Hands

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hands-on-math-pentominoes/id790870896)

Explore geometric shapes, fractions, and problem-solving with virtual pentomino pieces. This interactive playground supports discovery-based learning and directed teaching strategies for developing mathematical understanding.

**Highlights:** Virtual pentomino playground, Geometric shape exploration, Fraction concepts, Visual problem-solving activities, Discovery and directed teaching support, Interactive manipulatives

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Elementium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elementium/id892123825)

Access comprehensive information on every element of the periodic table. Explore detailed data, visualize trends, and utilize a built-in solubility calculator. Perfect for students and professionals needing quick, accurate chemical data.

**Highlights:** Detailed element information, Interactive periodic table, Dynamic filtering and trend visualization, Solubility calculator, Element image library, Bohr model visualizations, Home screen widgets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ION, 1 month | $1.99 | per month |
| ION, 3 Months | $3.99 | per 3 months |
| ION, 6 months | $5.99 | per 6 months |
| ION, 1 year | $9.99 | per year |
| Export Data | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bohr Models | $1.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Sorting | $2.99 | one-time |
| Visual Elements | $3.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Tools | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 📚 Comprehensive element information and data
- 🎨 Beautiful, clean, and visually appealing design
- 🔗 Helpful Wikipedia and external resource links
- 📖 Excellent for educational purposes and studying

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model for premium features
- 🔐 Paywall blocking key features and element images
- 📺 Intrusive ads and purchase prompts on startup
- 🎨 Poor color contrast on metalloid background text
- 📱 Crashes on older devices (iPhone 6G iPod Touch, iPhone XS Max)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup and when tapping elements
- Crashes on older iOS devices and iPod Touch
- Molar mass not visible in iPhone landscape orientation
- Intrusive purchase prompt that's difficult to dismiss
- Rating request spam appearing too early in user experience

**Requested features**

- Element images and visual representations
- One-time purchase option instead of subscription
- Zoom out to view entire periodic table at once
- Better display of molar mass on iPhone in landscape mode
- More detailed information and content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hands free?

Hands costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Elementium free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hands or Elementium?

Elementium is rated higher. Hands averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Elementium averages 4.6 from 602 ratings.

### Do Hands or Elementium have ads?

Neither Hands nor Elementium shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hands or Elementium?

Hands ships an update every 25 months, and Elementium every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hands was updated on September 28, 2026 and Elementium on October 24, 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.*