Last reviewed October 2026
The verdict
Numbots focuses on number bonds and addition for ages 4–7 and needs a school subscription. MathStar is free, covers the same KS1 number work, then continues into times tables, the MTC and the rest of primary maths up to Year 6.
Side-by-side
| MathStar | Numbots | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | School subscription only |
| Ages | 4–11 | 4–7 (KS1) |
| Focus | All primary maths | Number bonds & addition |
| Times tables | Yes | No |
| MTC format | Yes | N/A |
| Ads | None | None |
Which one your child needs
Numbots and MathStar cover different things. Numbots is a KS1 addition and number-bonds app for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. MathStar covers the full primary journey from Reception to Year 6, including times tables and MTC prep.
Pick both if your school runs Numbots and you want MTC-ready times-tables practice at home. They pair well — Numbots for the earliest number sense, MathStar for the timed recall that comes later.
What Numbots does well
Numbots focuses on number bonds within 10 and 20, addition, and subtraction — the Key Stage 1 foundations. It uses a robot-building theme with clear progression. It's well-designed and, like TT Rockstars, is ad-free and has no chat.
What MathStar adds
MathStar covers the KS1 number-bonds objectives that Numbots handles, then keeps going: times tables (Year 2 upwards), MTC preparation (Year 4), fractions and decimals (Year 5), ratio and algebra (Year 6). One app, one habit, seven year groups.
The one-Reception-and-one-Year-4 household
A common pattern: younger sibling in Reception, older sibling in Year 4 preparing for the MTC. If the school runs Numbots the younger child logs in there. The Year 4 child needs MTC-format practice — Numbots doesn't do that. MathStar covers both children on one free download.
Where Numbots wins
For a KS1-only household whose school already subscribes to Numbots, the shared-with-teacher habit is worth using. MathStar is complementary rather than a replacement in that case.