Number Frames, by MLC vs Owlet
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
Owlet
This app uses a physical manipulative to teach arithmetic operations. Students model addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using colored lights on a board, with the app reflecting their work in real-time. It offers various modes for exploration, problem-solving, and creation.
- Model arithmetic operations with colored lights
- Real-time app and board synchronization
- Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division modes
- Explore, Make, Solve, Find, and Create activities
- Supports missing number problems
- Create custom arithmetic problems
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Owlet: GlowGrid is one of a series of apps that use the Owlet GlowBoard manipulative. The specific focus of GlowGrid is using the GlowBoard to understand arithmetic operations like addition and subtraction. Students turn the dials on the GlowBoard to model arithmetic operations with the colored lights. The GlowGrid app communicates in real time with the GlowBoard, so the app reflects student work with the GlowBoard. GlowGrid has five modes for five arithmetic operations: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, and Division with Remainders. Each operation has five different activities. - Explore: Students turn the dials to model arithmetic equations on the GlowBoard. The tablet shows the students the equation that they are modeling. - Make: The app challenges students to use the operation to make a target number in different ways, i.e. Make 11 in 9 different ways. - Solve: The app challenges students to solve arithmetic problems with the GlowBoard. - Find: The app challenges students to solve missing number problems with the GlowBoard. - Create: Students can create their own problem and use the GlowBoard to demonstrate the solution.
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Owlet at 5.0 against Number Frames, by MLC's 4.0. Owlet also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 13 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.4). Number Frames, by MLC's advantage is ratings volume (7 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Owlet holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Number Frames, by MLC has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Number Frames, by MLC ships an update every 13 months, Owlet every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Number Frames, by MLC | Owlet |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 88.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPad | iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.4 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 124 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Math Learning Center | BirdBrain Technologies LLC |
Customer experience
Number Frames, by MLC
Owlet
In-app purchases
Number Frames, by MLC
No in-app purchases
Owlet
No in-app purchases
Questions
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Is Owlet free?
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