Beast Academy vs Math for Love
The sharpest difference is format: Beast Academy is Textbook, Math for Love is Hands-on. Seven more separate them, which makes these close to opposite choices.
At a glance
Beast Academy
Grades 1-5
Owners report it suits
Advanced/giftedMath for Love
Grades K-5
Owners report it suits
Hands-on learnersReluctant learnersWhere they differ
| Attribute | Beast Academy | Math for Love |
|---|---|---|
Rigor
?How demanding the material is versus grade level. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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Prep load
?How much the parent prepares before a lesson. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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Screen time
?How much daily work is on a device. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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Independence
?How much the child can do alone. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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Time commitment
?How long a daily lesson takes the child. Where a program lands on the 1 to 5 scale:
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| Approach | Mastery | Spiral |
| Format | Textbook | Hands-on |
| Used as | Spine | Spine or supplement |
| Best for Tags show where owners consistently report a good fit. They are not exclusions. | Advanced/gifted | Hands-on learnersReluctant learners |
| Method | Problem-solving/Socratic | Problem-solving/SocraticManipulative-driven |
| Grades | 1-5 | K-5 |
Solid tags are unique to that program. Muted tags are carried by both.
Where they match
- Parent involvementboth leading
- Faith contentboth None
How each one plays by grade
Beast Academy
Grades 1-5
Level 1 combines the guide and practice into one book. Owners and the publisher both flag the shapes chapter in 3A as a wall worth skipping and returning to. After Level 5 students move to AoPS Prealgebra, usually around ages 11 to 13.
Math for Love
Grades K-5
The grade-level curriculum spans K-5 (supplemental PDFs reach grade 8), and the games range from preschool (Tiny Polka Dot) to upper elementary and up (Prime Climb).
Cost
| Cost item | Beast Academy | Math for Love |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$99/yr online, ~$135/level print | Games $15-30; curriculum $179/grade |
| Consumable | Partial | No |
| Per child / year | ~$99 online, ~$135 print | ~$15-60 as enrichment, ~$179/grade as a spine |
What parents report
Beast Academy
Consistently praised
- Problems that force real thinking
- Comics kids reread for fun
- Builds visible perseverance
- Guide books reuse across siblings
- Clean handoff into AoPS Prealgebra
Reported as challenges
- Overwhelms kids working at grade level
- Reading load sits above the math level
- Standard algorithms never get taught
- Less independent than parents expect
Math for Love
Consistently praised
- Games like Prime Climb and Tiny Polka Dot make math fun
- Rich tasks and number talks build deep thinking
- Lessons differentiate for strugglers and racers
- Tons of free lessons and puzzles on the site
- Kids stop dreading math
Reported as challenges
- The curriculum PDFs are pricey at $179 a grade
- It reads as classroom-first, so homeschoolers adapt it
- Light on procedural drill
- Full lessons can run close to an hour
Who Beast Academy fits
Made for mathematically strong kids who read well and enjoy being stuck on a puzzle for fifteen minutes, often the ones headed toward competition math later. Kids working at grade level, kids with math anxiety, and kids who need the steps demonstrated first tend to bounce off it hard.
Read the full Beast Academy entry Check price Art of Problem SolvingWho Math for Love fits
Playful, conceptual math for families happy to lean on games and rich tasks. Parents who want a scripted, self-contained daily spine with built-in practice should treat it as enrichment and pair it with a core program.
Read the full Math for Love entry Check price Math for LoveSome links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes how a curriculum is described or scored.
Still deciding?
Beast Academy compared with
Math for Love compared with
Descriptions aggregate what homeschool parents consistently report across public community sources together with each publisher's own materials. Prices and editions change over time. Both entries last reviewed July 2026.