Napier's Bones Simulation vs Abacus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Napier's Bones Simulation
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John Napier's contribution to mathematics was truly significant. Born in Scotland, Napier studied as a mathematician, physicist and astronomer. He is best known as the inventor of logarithms, but he also invented one of the first computing devices. The device, known as Napier's Bones, is manually operated and can be used to find the products and quotients of numbers. Napier's device was based on Arab mathematics and used the lattice method of multiplication. Each of the rods are inscribed with the multiplication tables for a specific number. By arranging the rods on the board, the product of two numbers can be found by performing addition operations. Use the Napier's Bones app to learn how one of the earliest calculating devices worked. More than 400 years ago, people used Napier's Bones to find the product of large numbers. In using this simulation you will discover a new way to multiply. Have fun!
Abacus
This educational app combines ancient calculation wisdom with modern technology. It features a beautiful interface with large beads, supports decimal points and negative numbers, and offers multilingual support for a fun and engaging learning experience.
- Beautiful interface with large beads
- Support for decimal points and negative numbers
- 21-column abacus
- Multilingual support (19 languages)
- Interactive calculation examples
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WHEN ANCIENT WISDOM MEETS MODERN TECHNOLOGY ! BEAUTIFUL INTERFACE with COMFORT & BIG BEADS ! SUPPORT DECIMAL POINT & NEGATIVE NUMBERS ! 21-COLUMN ABACUS CAN SPEAK ! โข LANGUAGES: ENGLISH JAPANESE RUSSIAN CHINESE ARABIC GERMAN FRENCH SPANISH KOREAN NORWEGIAN FINNISH CANTONESE DANISH PORTUGUESE SWEDISH INDONESIAN TURKISH DUTCH VIETNAMESE โข LET'S USE ABACUS TO CALCULATE AND HAVE FUN ! 2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2 = 20 30-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3 = 0 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+...+98+99+100 = 5050
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Abacus at every 9 months against Napier's Bones Simulation's every 25 months. Napier's Bones Simulation's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $2.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Napier's Bones Simulation costs $1.99 and Abacus $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Napier's Bones Simulation ships an update every 25 months, Abacus every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Napier's Bones Simulation | Abacus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 โ better | $2.99 |
| Positive reviews | โ | 15.4% of reviews |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | Every 9 months โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | โ | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV โ better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 โ better | 15.6 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ventura Educational Systems | ไฟ ๅง |
In-app purchases
Napier's Bones Simulation
No in-app purchases
Abacus
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Napier's Bones Simulation free?
Is Abacus free?
Do Napier's Bones Simulation or Abacus have ads?
Which is updated more often, Napier's Bones Simulation or Abacus?
Other comparisons
