Pattern Shapes, by MLC vs Tynker Junior
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pattern Shapes, by MLC
This app allows students to explore geometry and fractions through interactive shape manipulation. Users can create designs, fill outlines, measure angles, and annotate their work. It's an open-ended educational tool for learning mathematical concepts.
- Explore geometry and fractions
- Create custom designs
- Measure angles with protractor
- Duplicate, resize, and recolor shapes
- Fill built-in outlines
- Annotate work with drawing tools
- Share creations via image or code
Read full descriptionHide full description
Students use Pattern Shapes to explore geometry and fractions, creating their own designs, or filling in outlines. As they work with the shapes students explore geometric relationships, think about angles, investigate symmetry, and compose and decompose larger shapes. Many of these explorations lead naturally to thinking about fractions as parts of a whole. This virtual version of pattern blocks is an open-ended educational tool, ideal for elementary classrooms and other learning environments that use iPads. Pattern blocks are a key model used in Bridges in Mathematics, second edition. Online preview available at: www.mathlearningcenter.org/bridges FEATURES • Rotate shapes in increments of 15 degrees. • Measure angles with the protractor tool. • Duplicate and change the color and size of shapes. • Fill the built-in outlines with shapes or create your own to share with others. • Choose between a triangular or square grid, or a blank background. • Hide and reveal work 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. ABOUT US This resource is brought to you by The Math Learning Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to K-12 education since 1976. Our mission is to inspire and enable individuals to discover and develop their mathematical confidence and ability. www.mathlearningcenter.org 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
Tynker Junior
This app introduces children aged 4-7 to coding concepts through engaging, word-free picture blocks. It helps them develop problem-solving, logic, and critical thinking skills through interactive coding adventures. Designed for young learners, it makes learning to code fun and accessible.
- Word-free picture block coding
- Problem-solving and logic development
- Music and art creation
- 200+ coding challenges
- Tap-based interface
- Voiceovers for guidance
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Ultimate Coding Playground for Kids Ages 4-7! Tynker Junior is the award-winning app specifically designed for young learners, including pre-readers who haven’t even started school yet. Through vibrant, word-free picture blocks, your child will learn to solve problems, compose music, and create art—all with the power of code. Why Parents and Teachers Love Tynker: * Trusted Globally: Used by 1 out of every 3 U.S. K-8 schools and 100,000+ schools worldwide. * Proven Success: Over 60 million kids in 150 countries have started their STEM journey with Tynker. * Designed for Little Hands: A tap-based interface with friendly voiceovers and no complex dragging or reading required. 5 EPIC CODING ADVENTURES With 200+ coding challenges, your child will explore: Ocean Odyssey: Master sequencing and patterns while helping Gillie the Goldfish. Robots: Learn about events and parameters as you fix a wacky robot factory. Wild Rumble: Help endangered animals using counting loops and delays. Puffball Panic: Navigate dynamic environments using conditional logic. Super Squad: Defeat villains and retrieve stolen treasure using advanced problem-solving. WHAT YOUR CHILD WILL LEARN Tynker Junior transforms screen time into a brain-building workout. Your child will master: Logic & Sequencing: Understanding cause and effect. Critical Thinking: Solving complex puzzles step-by-step. Programming Concepts: Loops, conditional logic, and debugging. 21st Century Skills: Resilience, focus, and algorithmic thinking—the same foundations used in professional languages like Swift and Python. Privacy & Terms: Privacy Policy: https://www.tynker.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.tynker.com/terms/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pattern Shapes, by MLC at none against Tynker Junior's 6. Pattern Shapes, by MLC also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 59%). Tynker Junior's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 26 months) and ratings volume (4.2K vs 17). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. Tynker Junior sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Pattern Shapes, by MLC asks for nothing beyond the download.
Tynker Junior holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tynker Junior has 4.2K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of Pattern Shapes, by MLC's written reviews are positive against 59% of Tynker Junior's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Pattern Shapes, by MLC ships an update every 26 months, Tynker Junior every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pattern Shapes, by MLC | Tynker Junior |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (17 ratings) | 4.5 (4.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews — better | 58.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 17 | 4.2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 26 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.7 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 396 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Math Learning Center | Tynker |
Customer experience
Pattern Shapes, by MLC
Tynker Junior
Bugs and requests
Pattern Shapes, by MLC
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Tynker Junior
Reported bugs
3 issues- Levels/games not progressing properly
- Login and account issues
- Compatibility problems on certain devices
Requested features
3 requests- Add more advanced coding lessons
- Improve customer support and responsiveness
- Integrate with full Tynker app for seamless experience
In-app purchases
Pattern Shapes, by MLC
No in-app purchases
Tynker Junior
- Individual Monthly$4.991 Month
- Tynker Jr. Web + Mobile Plan7 Days trial$24.991 Month
- Individual Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Tynker Jr. Web + Mobile Plan7 Days trial$59.993 Months
- Tynker Jr. Web + Mobile Plan$119.991 Year
- Tynker Jr. Web + Mobile Plan$314.99
Questions
Is Pattern Shapes, by MLC free?
Is Tynker Junior free?
Which has better reviews, Pattern Shapes, by MLC or Tynker Junior?
Do Pattern Shapes, by MLC or Tynker Junior have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pattern Shapes, by MLC or Tynker Junior?
Other comparisons















