Comparison

Number Frames, by MLC vs CHAT

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

Head to head
About

Number Frames, by MLC

This app provides virtual number frames to help elementary students visualize and manipulate numbers up to one hundred. It supports counting, comparing, and computing, aiding the transition from one-by-one counting to more efficient strategies. Custom frames can be created for advanced visualization of factors and fractions.

Highlights
  • Standard and custom number frames
  • Variety of counters and colors
  • 5s grid for grouping emphasis
  • Resizable covers for problem modeling
  • Drawing and annotation tools
  • Math text and writing tools
  • Shareable work via image or code
Features
Read full description

Number Frames help students structure numbers to five, ten, twenty, and one hundred. Students use the frames to count, represent, compare, and compute with numbers in a particular range. The frames allow students see quantities as equal groups of other quantities and in relation to benchmark quantities. This helps primary students move away from one-by-one counting toward more efficient ways of counting and computing. As students advance, custom frames can be constructed to help visualize factors, products, fractional parts and more. These virtual versions of number frames are open-ended educational tools, ideal for elementary classrooms and other learning environments that use iPads. Number frames are a key model used in Bridges in Mathematics, second edition. Online preview available at: www.mathlearningcenter.org/bridges FEATURES: • Use standard 5-, 10-, 20-, and 100-frames, or create custom frames up to 12 x 12. • Choose from a variety of counters and colors. Drag single counters — or stacks of 5 and 10 — into frames or on to the workspace. • Apply a 5s grid to frames to emphasize every 5th line and reinforce grouping by five. • Hide and reveal counters 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

CHAT

This interactive tool uses puppet-guided interviews to help researchers collect structured responses from young children. It's designed for early childhood research, improving data consistency and child engagement in developmental psychology and educational studies.

Highlights
  • Puppet-driven interactive interviews
  • Structured data collection
  • Enhanced child engagement
  • Improved data consistency
  • Reduced training overhead
  • Optimized for field studies
Read full description

CHAT-E is an interactive interview tool designed to facilitate early childhood research using engaging, puppet-guided interactions. Developed in collaboration with Northwestern University and Head Start programs, CHAT-E helps researchers collect structured responses from young children in a playful and standardized way. Built with research usability in mind, CHAT-E improves upon traditional interview methods by reducing training overhead, enhancing data consistency, and promoting child engagement through animated puppet hosts. The platform is optimized for field studies in developmental psychology, language acquisition, and educational interventions.

Screenshots

CHAT4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Number Frames, by MLC at 89% against CHAT's 50%. CHAT's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 13 months) and device support (3 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Number Frames, by MLC ships an update every 13 months, CHAT every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and June 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Number Frames, by MLC versus CHAT: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNumber Frames, by MLCCHAT
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (7 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings7 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Math Learning CenterSynergetx

Customer experience

Number Frames, by MLC

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

CHAT

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Number Frames, by MLC

No in-app purchases

None

CHAT

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Number Frames, by MLC free?
Number Frames, by MLC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CHAT free?
CHAT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Number Frames, by MLC or CHAT have ads?
Neither Number Frames, by MLC nor CHAT shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Number Frames, by MLC or CHAT?
Number Frames, by MLC ships an update every 13 months, and CHAT every 6 weeks. Most recently, Number Frames, by MLC was updated on September 16, 2026 and CHAT on June 25, 2026.

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