Comparing options

Looking for a Beast Academy alternative?

Beast Academy, from Art of Problem Solving, is a well-known elementary math program built around comic-style guides and challenging, puzzle-heavy problem solving. Plenty of kids love it. Some do not, and parents usually go looking for an alternative for one of three reasons: the puzzle style frustrates their kid, the characters and stories do not hook them, or they have finished it and need what comes next.

Mathbloom takes a different route. Instead of one fixed storyline for every child, it generates a course around your kid: their name, their interests, and their grade-level standards. A kid who loves basketball learns fractions through shooting percentages; a kid who loves baking learns ratios by scaling a recipe. The math underneath is the standard sequence.

Try a sample course free →See plans & pricing

Free to play, no sign-up · Family plan $49/mo for up to 3 kids · cancel anytime

How the two approaches differ

  • Content: Beast Academy follows its own authored curriculum and cast of characters. Mathbloom writes each course fresh around the child, so the examples, word problems, and diagrams come from what they already care about.
  • Style: Beast Academy leans into hard, multi-step puzzles by design. Mathbloom teaches each concept first in short steps, then practices it with fresh problems until your kid gets three in a row, and brings it back later for review.
  • Grade range: Beast Academy is aimed at elementary ages. Mathbloom starts at grade 4 and runs through the high-school pathway (Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Precalculus, Calculus, Statistics) and SAT/ACT prep.
  • Format: Beast Academy has printed books and an online version. Mathbloom is interactive on the web and on iPhone and iPad, with printable worksheets for every lesson.

Where Mathbloom fits well

  • Kids who shut down on abstract puzzles but light up when the math is about their own thing.
  • Kids in grades 4 and 5 who need a steadier, teach-first pace before (or instead of) contest-style problems.
  • Families finishing elementary math who want a personalized path into pre-algebra and Algebra 1.
  • Homeschool families who need records: progress reports, attendance logs, a scope and sequence, and transcripts, generated from the real work.

Where Beast Academy is the better fit

If your child is younger than about grade 4, Beast Academy is built for that range and Mathbloom is not; our courses assume a kid who reads on their own. And if your kid genuinely loves hard puzzles and math-contest style challenge, that depth is exactly what Beast Academy is designed for. Many families use both: one for challenge, one for the core course.

Try it before deciding

You can play a real Mathbloom sample course free, no sign-up: pick an age, open the course, and try the lessons and checks in the same player your kid would use. If it fits, the Family plan is $49/mo for up to 3 kids. Cancel anytime.

Questions parents ask

Is Mathbloom as challenging as Beast Academy?

It is built differently. Beast Academy is intentionally puzzle-heavy. Mathbloom follows grade-level standards, teaches before it tests, and adjusts: the next lesson opens gentler where a skill is still settling and moves faster when your kid is sailing. A kid who wants more challenge can take the next course up.

What grades does Mathbloom cover?

Grade 4 math through the high-school pathway (Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Trigonometry, Precalculus, Calculus, Statistics), plus SAT/ACT prep. Kindergarten through grade 3 is out of scope.

What should my kid use after Beast Academy?

Art of Problem Solving’s own Prealgebra is the usual next step for kids who love the puzzle style. If your kid would rather see the math in their own interests, a Mathbloom Pre-Algebra or Algebra 1 course is built around them, and an optional placement quiz checks what they already know so lesson 1 is never a repeat.

How much does it cost?

Sample courses are free to play with no sign-up. The Family plan is $49/mo for up to 3 kids, billed monthly. Cancel anytime.

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Beast Academy and Art of Problem Solving are trademarks of their owner. Mathbloom is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.