Which times tables app should you choose in 2026?
Eleven apps compared on what matters to UK parents: what is really free, adverts, what each one does with your child's data, and how it prepares for the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check.
By Gabriel Lebrati. Updated
The short answer
For most UK families, the first question is whether your school already pays for Times Tables Rock Stars or Maths Shed: if it does, start there, they are built around the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check. If you are choosing on your own, MathHero unlocks all tables up to 12 for £4.99 and targets the facts your child gets wrong. Kahoot! Multiplication has the most variety of games.
We publish MULTICHA, one of the apps below. We wrote its weaknesses in the table like everyone else's, and the main one matters here: it stops at 11 × 11.
The comparison table
Data from the UK App Store, checked on 25 October 2026. The privacy column is what each developer declares to Apple under App Privacy; the ratings column is the number of UK ratings and the average.
| App | Free | Privacy label | UK ratings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Times Tables Rock Stars | Free to download; needs a paid subscription | Linked and not linked to you | 138,915 / 4.6 |
| Maths Shed | No in-app purchases listed | Linked and not linked to you | 4,581 / 4.4 |
| Times Tables Games for Kids (MathHero) | Early levels | Linked to you | 3,103 / 4.6 |
| DoodleTables | Limited | Linked and not linked to you | 1,270 / 4.3 |
| Kahoot! Multiplication | 5 challenges a day | Linked and not linked to you | 414 / 4.7 |
| Times Tables: Cool Maths Games (Genioworks) | Partial | Data used to track you | 1,805 / 4.5 |
| Multifly | Partial | Not linked to you | 276 / 4.6 |
| Cool Times Tables Flash Cards | Yes, with ads | Data used to track you | 344 / 4.5 |
| Mental Math Cards | Yes | Not linked to you | 5,925 / 4.5 |
| IXL | Limited | Linked and not linked to you | 18,378 / 4.5 |
| MULTICHA | Tables 1 to 5 | Anonymous usage stats (listing still says Data Not Collected) | 1 / 5.0 |
What the Multiplication Tables Check asks for
Every Year 4 pupil in England sits the MTC in June: 25 questions on the tables up to 12 × 12, with 6 seconds per question. Speed is the point, which is why the best apps for it focus on the few facts a child still has to work out, and why an app that skips the 12 times table leaves a gap.
The eleven apps, one by one
Times Tables Rock Stars
What it does: Carefully sequenced daily practice used by many UK schools.
Weak point: The app needs a paid Times Tables Rock Stars subscription, sold to schools, families and tutors.
Maths Shed
What it does: Number bonds, times tables, related facts and a Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check simulator.
Weak point: The listing does not explain how families get access.
Times Tables Games for Kids (MathHero)
What it does: Tables 0 to 12 in a story; interval repetition and an adaptive algorithm that targets hard facts.
Weak point: Ten purchase options up to £59.99 make the price hard to read; £4.99 unlocks all tables.
DoodleTables
What it does: 10 minutes a day, MTC questions, works offline, parent dashboard.
Weak point: Monthly subscriptions from £5.99.
Kahoot! Multiplication
What it does: Over 20 mini games, adaptive progression, no third party ads.
Weak point: £5.99 a month, £34.99 a year or £19.99 once.
Times Tables: Cool Maths Games (Genioworks)
What it does: Tables up to 30, plus the other three operations; quizzes with error correction.
Weak point: Declares tracking data; aimed at adults as much as children.
Multifly
What it does: A story game teaching 7 multiplication strategies.
Weak point: £9.99 full version; last updated June 2024.
Cool Times Tables Flash Cards
What it does: Classic flash cards.
Weak point: A 'Remove Ads' purchase (£1.99) means the free version shows adverts.
Mental Math Cards
What it does: General mental arithmetic tips and drills for all ages.
Weak point: Not built for children or for times tables specifically.
IXL
What it does: Full maths and English curriculum.
Weak point: Subscriptions from £14.99; times tables are a small part.
MULTICHA
What it does: Tracks each of the 121 facts from 1 × 1 to 11 × 11; missed facts come back at growing intervals.
Weak point: Stops at 11 × 11, so it does not cover the 12 times table tested in the MTC. £17.99 a year. iPhone and iPad only, and almost no UK reviews yet.
How we built this list
Everything comes from the UK App Store listings and Apple's public lookup interface on 25 October 2026. We did not test learning outcomes on children: the 'what it does' notes repeat what each developer describes. Developers who spot a mistake can write to our support page; we fix it within a week, including when the fix is against us.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best times tables app for the Year 4 MTC?
If your school subscribes, Times Tables Rock Stars or Maths Shed, both built around the MTC. On your own, MathHero's Times Tables Games unlocks all tables to 12 × 12 for £4.99 and targets the facts a child gets wrong.
Is there a free times tables app without adverts?
Kahoot! Multiplication gives 5 free challenges a day with no third party ads. MULTICHA's tables 1 to 5 are free with no adverts. Cool Times Tables Flash Cards is free but shows adverts unless you pay £1.99.
Which times tables apps track my child?
On the UK App Store, Times Tables: Cool Maths Games (Genioworks) and Cool Times Tables Flash Cards declare 'Data Used to Track You'.