Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

BrainPOP vs IXL

BrainPOP 4.7★ · Free + IAP 75
Winner BrainPOP
IXL 4.3★ · Free + IAP 55

BrainPOP is the better choice for engaging educational content, while IXL struggles with user satisfaction.

Full reviews: BrainPOP · IXL

BrainPOP offers a fun and engaging learning experience, especially for younger users, despite some complaints about costs and limited free content. IXL, while educational, faces significant criticism regarding its scoring system and user interface, leading to frustration among students.

Head to head

features edge: BrainPOPR2R8R45R75
BrainPOP Users appreciate BrainPOP's engaging videos and quizzes, which make learning enjoyable R2R8R45.
IXL IXL users find the app limited to math and English, with many wishing for more subjects R75.
ease of use edge: BrainPOPR6R12R22R61
BrainPOP BrainPOP users report issues with account setup and errors R6R22, but generally find the app easy to navigate R12.
IXL IXL users frequently mention frustrations with the scoring system that discourages them R61.
reliability tieR19R22R100R118
BrainPOP BrainPOP has users reporting connection errors and crashes R19R22, which detracts from the experience.
IXL IXL users report bugs and issues that hinder their learning experience R100R118.
price/value edge: BrainPOPR10R40R37R93
BrainPOP BrainPOP's pricing is criticized, with many users wishing for more free content R10R40, but some feel it offers good value for educational content R37.
IXL IXL is often deemed too expensive for the limited subjects it covers R93R112, leading to dissatisfaction among users.
support tieR17R42R100R118
BrainPOP BrainPOP users express a desire for better support regarding technical issues R17R42.
IXL IXL users also report needing better support and have expressed dissatisfaction with the app's performance R100R118.
Pick BrainPOP if

you want an engaging and fun learning experience for children, especially in science and social studies.

Pick IXL if

you are primarily focused on math and English practice and don't mind a more rigid scoring system.

Evidence note: Both apps have their issues, but BrainPOP's overall user satisfaction is higher, despite some complaints about pricing and technical issues.

Frequently asked

What is the cost of BrainPOP and IXL?
BrainPOP offers a free version with limited content and a paid subscription costing around $350 per year for full access, while IXL also has a free tier but is primarily a paid service costing about $100 per year.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] BrainPOP 5/5 · US Appppppp=/gooiood: It’s a great app especially for a 9 year old like me! So good I neeed a fake name……
  2. [R8] BrainPOP 5/5 · US Brain pop is awesome: I love brain pop it is so fun for me
  3. [R45] BrainPOP 5/5 · US BrainPOP: BrainPOP is a good app because it helps me to learn and quiz myself on topics such as mathematics, science, and social studies in a fun way. Also if I’m slagging in school when I get home I can go watch a movie on the topic I’m stuck on.
  4. [R75] IXL 3/5 · GB It only has maths and English: I had a history test but I thought this might help cuz it’s a learning app but when I tried it doesn’t have it and it’s soo expensive like guests don’t get much to learn and it says it has Spanish resources but try searching it up and they say they can’t find what we’re looking for so it u want math and English only download it but other than that don’t . :(
  5. [R6] BrainPOP 3/5 · US Error: There is a connection error and it won’t let me play any videos
  6. [R12] BrainPOP 3/5 · US Read: I love this app so much because it makes learning fun but your also only limited to the free movies which makes it not as fun and limited to what you can learn which makes it hard to find a good video.
  7. [R22] BrainPOP 1/5 · US DIDNT WORK DO NOT BUY: We were using the free trial, I was so excited to add this to our homeschool curriculum once the free trial was up, so we did all the steps. And then once we got an account we were getting error messages from all the videos, then I checked the Wi-Fi, full bars, restarted the app, and eventually restarted my IPad, and guess what? Still not working. If they want you to pay 350
  8. [R61] IXL 1/5 · US Unfair score review: It gave me +1 when I got one correct and -10 when I got one wrong!!!🤬😡❌❌
  9. [R19] BrainPOP 1/5 · US Crashed: After SO long, BrainPOP crashed suddenly!
  10. [R100] IXL 1/5 · US To many issues: IXL is not a fun app at all. I genuinely don’t understand why it has such a high rating. My school makes us do IXL and all of us hate it. There is so many issues and bugs on this app that have not been fixed. An example of a big issue would be when I tried to download this app to make sure I didn’t lose my math and ELA skills over the summer and I realized I couldn’t use my keyboar
  11. [R118] IXL 1/5 · US Needs fixing: There is so much mistakes, me and my dad found lots of them, and you lose so much progress when you miss one question. it would be more fun if you did not lose that much progress.
  12. [R10] BrainPOP 1/5 · US It was free for me but then I had to pay I don’t think you should use this: It used to be free but then I had to pay so much money
  13. [R40] BrainPOP 1/5 · US Price: I always loved brain pop, but I really think that it should be for free so kids can have a free way of learning, especially helping parents that are less fortunate.
  14. [R37] BrainPOP 5/5 · US depends: personally I like it very much,silly funny and educational but you need to pay I think it’s worth it
  15. [R93] IXL 3/5 · GB It’s a good app in some areas, but… 😕: First of all, let’s start with the PRICE. Not much people can really spend their money 💸 on an app that costs £100 (more or less) per month! But aside that, it’s an okay app that has many learning concepts and features, even fun maths games too! It has English and Maths, and also breaks down all topics into year groups, eg. Year 1 - Year 13! But a main downsi
  16. [R17] BrainPOP 4/5 · US Discovered a new bug: I can’t hear anything. I checked my sound and it is on. Please fix it.
  17. [R42] BrainPOP 2/5 · US Subscription process not straightforward: Good luck trying to get a working copy on a child’s tablet, iOS purchases don’t port to family subscriptions, and website-based subscriptions apparently must be confirmed by the provider during business hours. Nice product but terrible business management.
  18. [R112] IXL 1/5 · US IXL: Not worth the price.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store