Mathletics has been a staple of UK maths education for years, but it's not the only option — and it may not be the best fit for every child. Whether you're frustrated by the dated interface, the hidden pricing, or the lack of adaptive difficulty, there are strong alternatives worth considering.
Before switching, consider what matters most for your family:
| App | Price | Engagement | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| MathCraft | Free (beta) → £4.99/mo | RPG adventure | Stealth learning through genuine gameplay |
| DoodleMaths | £7.99/mo | Streaks, badges, stickers, and a robot-building reward system | Families who want consistent daily practice with strong habit-forming mechanics and a clean, no-nonsense interface |
| Times Tables Rock Stars | ~£0.60 (est.)/mo | Rock star avatars, coins, status levels from "Wannabe" to "Rock Hero", leaderboards | Rapid times table fluency at an unbeatable price |
| Prodigy Math | ~£4–8 (Core tier)/mo | Full fantasy RPG with wizard battles, pet collection, and world exploration | Families who want a free RPG-style maths experience and don't mind the US curriculum focus or aggressive monetisation |
| Sumdog | £5.99/mo | 39 mini-games (racing, minigolf, flower defence, football) with a "question-then-play" model | Children who enjoy variety — 39 games prevents boredom |
| Komodo Maths | £9.99/mo | Martial arts belt system with physical stickers | Families who value human teacher oversight and a deliberately screen-time-limited approach to arithmetic fluency |
MathCraft wraps the entire White Rose Maths curriculum inside a pixel-art RPG. Your child raises a companion, builds an island, and completes quests — without ever realising they’re practising maths. An adaptive engine (spaced repetition + mastery tracking) ensures every session targets the right skill at the right difficulty.
Best for: Children who resist anything that feels like homework. Parents who want full visibility (curriculum heatmap, AI tutor logs, hard time limits).
Not ideal for: Families following a non-UK curriculum, or children who need intensive 1:1 support for significant learning difficulties.
Streaks, badges, stickers, and a robot-building reward system. No narrative, no game world, no characters.
Best for: Families who want consistent daily practice with strong habit-forming mechanics and a clean, no-nonsense interface.
Not ideal for: Children who resist anything that feels like homework. DoodleMaths is a dressed-up worksheet — effective, but visibly educational.
Rock star avatars, coins, status levels from "Wannabe" to "Rock Hero", leaderboards. Cosmetic gamification around naked drill.
Best for: Rapid times table fluency at an unbeatable price. Pairs brilliantly with a broader maths app.
Not ideal for: Families wanting a complete maths practice solution, or children who find timed challenges stressful.
See the full MathCraft vs Times Tables Rock Stars comparison →
Full fantasy RPG with wizard battles, pet collection, and world exploration. Maths is context-free — questions appear as interruptions to gameplay, not part of it.
Best for: Families who want a free RPG-style maths experience and don't mind the US curriculum focus or aggressive monetisation.
Not ideal for: UK families wanting curriculum alignment, or parents concerned about manipulative freemium tactics targeting children.
39 mini-games (racing, minigolf, flower defence, football) with a "question-then-play" model. Virtual house/garden decoration with coins. Competitions.
Best for: Children who enjoy variety — 39 games prevents boredom. Families wanting maths + spelling in one subscription.
Not ideal for: Families wanting a polished experience or deep narrative engagement. Technical issues frustrate many users.
Martial arts belt system with physical stickers. Deliberately anti-gamification — minimal screen time by design.
Best for: Families who value human teacher oversight and a deliberately screen-time-limited approach to arithmetic fluency.
Not ideal for: Children who need motivation beyond drill practice, or families wanting full curriculum coverage including geometry and data.
The best alternative depends on what you're looking for. MathCraft is the best alternative for RPG-style engagement with UK curriculum alignment. DoodleMaths is the best alternative for pure adaptive practice with strong habit-forming streaks. Times Tables Rock Stars is the best alternative if you only need times table fluency.
Mathletics still has strong curriculum coverage and the addictive Live Mathletics races. However, its interface feels dated, it lacks true adaptive difficulty, and its Trustpilot rating (3.1/5) reflects ongoing issues with billing and incorrect answer marking. Newer alternatives offer better engagement and adaptive features.
Times Tables Rock Stars at £6-7.20/year is the cheapest option, but only covers times tables. MathCraft is currently free during beta. DoodleMaths costs £7.99/month. Sumdog costs £5.99/month. Mathletics itself is estimated at ~£78/year.
Absolutely. Many families use Mathletics for school-assigned work and a second app like MathCraft or DoodleMaths for additional home practice. The adaptive engines in these apps will adjust to your child's level regardless of what they're doing on Mathletics.
Step-by-step lessons, worked examples, and adaptive practice — all wrapped in an adventure game your child will love.
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