Comparison

Main Idea vs ERSB Lite

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

Head to head
About

Main Idea

This app helps children in grades 2-5 develop reading comprehension skills by focusing on identifying the main idea of sentences. It uses a fun, game-like approach with step-by-step learning and rewards to keep kids motivated. Designed by educators, it's suitable for both typical and special needs children.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step skill building
  • Game-like environment
  • Frustration-free learning
  • Reward Center for motivation
  • Parental review and reporting
  • Over 600 examples
  • Designed by teachers and researchers
Features
Read full description

** Featured on Appolicious.com & iHeartThisApp.com ** 'Main Idea -Sentences' helps kids who have trouble with reading comprehension. Identifying the main idea is a key part of reading comprehension. 'Main Idea -Sentences' builds this comprehension skill in a fun, game-like environment. The skill is developed step-by-step until mastery. *** Happy Frog Apps is a Mom's Choice Award winner! *** ***** 5 Stars - Thank you for this app! Other software I’ve used has moved too quickly for my son. This one worked! Can’t wait for the next Main Idea app…it’s coming, right? ***** 5 Stars - This app is one the best education apps I have used with my little one. It really helps to improve his reading abilities. He is obsessed with passing the levels and it never let him disappointed. One of the few apps that worth to upgrade to premium version. 'Main Idea - Sentences' is designed for children in Grades 2-5 who can read the words, but don't understand what they read. Beginning readers in earlier grades can also benefit from the targeted skill development. 'Main Idea - Sentences' develops the skill of knowing what a sentence is about. This skill must be firmly established before a child can determine what a paragraph or page is about. Key Benefits: - Builds comprehension skills step-by-step until mastery. - Incremental learning. New levels are unlocked only when your child is ready. - Frustration-free learning. Your child will always be guided to the correct answer. - Fun and engaging Reward Center to increase motivation. - Easy parental review. Just check out the stars to see how your child is doing. - Contains over 600 examples, with content designed by professional teachers and researchers. - Advanced levels include timers to ensure fluency. Research shows fluency in the foundation skills is critical to reading comprehension. - Can be used independently (just hand it over: your child will know what to do!) or with a therapist/parent for reading intervention. - Provides extensive reporting for up to 10 students to suit the needs of parents, teachers and therapists. Our apps are designed for and tested by typical and special needs children. Testers include children with Autism and other special needs. Our apps work for them! To evaluate the app, download the free version, which has 4 free levels. Additional levels and additional players can be accessed with in-app purchase. If you prefer no in-app purchases, download the School Edition of this app. While you're thinking about reading, check out our other apps that target WH questions, inferencing and answer identification skills. Learn more about reading comprehension and research at our website www.HappyFrogApps.com. Drop us a note, we'd love to hear from you! We take customer service very seriously! If you ever have a problem or find that we've missed something, contact us at our website and we will do our best to fix the problem. We are a member of the Moms With Apps program that promotes privacy in children's apps. We collect NO private information in our apps and our apps do not allow unrestricted web access.

About

ERSB Lite

This app builds early reading skills for students progressing from foundational literacy. It uses systematic instruction and assessments to help individuals read independently, proving effective for those with intellectual disabilities and autism.

Highlights
  • Early literacy skill development
  • Systematic instruction
  • Ongoing assessments
  • Progress to 2nd-grade reading level
  • Effective for intellectual disabilities
  • Effective for autism
Read full description

Note: This is the Free version of ERSB. Level 1 with 5 lessons is Free! The rest of the levels are available through the in-app store. Early Reading Skills Builder™(ERSB) curriculum, based on a multi-year research project from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is a stepping stone for graduates of Attainment’s ELSB Curriculum. ERSB takes students who mastered these early literacy skills to a 2nd grade reading level. It incorporates systematic instruction and ongoing assessments to teach students to read independently. It’s been proven effective for students with moderate to severe intellectual disability and/or autism, including those with complex communication needs.

Screenshots

Main Idea4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Main Idea at 71% against ERSB Lite's 0%. Main Idea also leads on ratings volume (19 vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). ERSB Lite's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.8) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 3 months). 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. Main Idea sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and ERSB Lite sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ERSB Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Main Idea has 19 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Main Idea's written reviews are positive against 0% of ERSB Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Main Idea ships an update every 3 months, ERSB Lite every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Main Idea versus ERSB Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMain IdeaERSB Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (19 ratings)4.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.4% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings19 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS12.2 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB253 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJanine TooleAttainment Company

Customer experience

Main Idea

All ratings19 ratings
Positive63.2%
Neutral15.8%
Negative21.1%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral14.3%
Negative14.3%

ERSB Lite

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Main Idea

One-time3
  • Upgrade to 2 Users$1.99
  • Access All Levels$2.99
  • Up to 10 Users$2.99
5 purchases

ERSB Lite

One-time5
  • Levels 12-16$29.99
  • Levels 17-21$29.99
  • Levels 22-26$29.99
Show 2 more
  • Levels 2-6$29.99
  • Levels 7-11$29.99

Questions

Is Main Idea free?
Main Idea is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ERSB Lite free?
ERSB Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Main Idea or ERSB Lite?
ERSB Lite is rated higher. Main Idea averages 3.8 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while ERSB Lite averages 4.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Main Idea or ERSB Lite have ads?
Neither Main Idea nor ERSB Lite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Main Idea or ERSB Lite?
Main Idea ships an update every 3 months, and ERSB Lite every 2 months. Most recently, Main Idea was updated on November 2, 2026 and ERSB Lite on November 1, 2026.

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