Comparison

ProblemSum vs Singapore Math Drills

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ProblemSum

This app provides an unlimited supply of Singapore-style math word problems, with step-by-step solutions. It's designed for children aged 10-13 seeking a challenge and covers a wide range of advanced math topics. The app offers a digital scratchpad for working out problems without a calculator.

Highlights
  • Unlimited word problems
  • Step-by-step solutions
  • Digital scratchpad
  • No calculator required
  • Singapore math methodology
  • Covers fractions, ratios, algebra, and more
Features
Read full description

Unlimited Singapore-style math word problems, every one worked step by step. Written for the exam that ends elementary school in Singapore — and for any child of 10 to 13 who wants a real challenge. Fractions, ratios, percentages, algebra, averages, rates, area and volume, and more. Not geometry from a figure, charts or patterns drawn as shapes — those are read off a picture, and this app writes word problems. No account. No subscription. No internet connection. Pay once and it's yours. NOT A WORKBOOK THAT RUNS OUT Most practice apps ship a fixed set of questions: work through them twice and your child is remembering answers instead of solving problems. ProblemSum has no such list. Every question is written the moment you ask for it, with its own names and numbers, and the solution follows those numbers — so there is no last page to reach. ROOM TO WORK IT OUT A scratch pad sits next to the question on iPad and Mac, and on an iPhone turned sideways; held upright, it slides up from below. Draw the model with a finger or Apple Pencil, or type the math. It never calculates: the first paper of Singapore's exam allows no calculator. WORKED THE WAY SINGAPORE TEACHES Tap Check Answer and the full solution opens, one tap from your own work. Most solutions start by naming the strategy Singapore students learn for that kind of problem — draw a model, before and after, work backward, make a supposition, guess and check — then show every line, with a check at the end. Most questions also show a second way to solve it; the rest point out the trap the question sets. WHY SINGAPORE In TIMSS, the international math study, Singapore's 4th graders came first in 2015, 2019 and 2023. In the OECD's PISA, taken by 15-year-olds, it has finished first or second in math in every round since 2009. Its methods — above all the bar model — are now used in classrooms and homeschools across the US. WHO IT'S FOR The questions are set at the level of that exam, Singapore's PSLE. That suits strong 5th graders and most 6th and 7th graders, and it works alongside any curriculum, at school or in a homeschool. Money is in dollars and cents, and every measure is metric. BAR MODELS, DRAWN PROPERLY Bars are drawn to scale with their units marked, the part that changes shaded, and brackets showing what's left. The rest is laid out the way it would be on paper: fractions stacked, ratios and money in their proper forms, and units carried through every line. WHAT IT COVERS, AND WHAT IT DOESN'T Ratios run deepest, then area and volume, fractions, whole numbers and percentages, then algebra, averages and rates, then decimals and measurement — with money, ages, time, discounts and sales tax running through them. What it doesn't do: geometry from a figure, charts and graphs, or patterns drawn as shapes. Those are read off a diagram rather than a paragraph, so a word-problem generator can't write them. The Info tab lists both sides of that line. ANSWER IT THE WAY YOU THINK OF IT $4.50 or 4.50. Three-quarters as 3/4 or 0.75. A time as 1:45 p.m., 1.45 p.m. or 1345. 120 cm³ or just 120. A right answer is never marked wrong for its punctuation. COME BACK TO WHAT YOU'VE DONE Recent questions stay on the device with your answers, marked right or wrong, your work and the full solution, and you can step through them one by one. ONE APP, EVERY LEARNER A profile for each child, each keeping its own score, so siblings can share an iPad without sharing a total. IPHONE, IPAD AND MAC One purchase covers all three. The screen rearranges itself as it changes shape — an iPhone turned sideways, an iPhone Duo opened — and nothing written is lost. With a keyboard, Command-N gives the next question and Command-Return checks your answer. WORKS ANYWHERE, TELLS NO ONE ProblemSum makes no network connections at all. No analytics, no ads, no data collection — everything is generated on the device and stays there. Spotted a mistake? Tell us at hello@problemsum.com.

About

Singapore Math Drills

Features
Read full description

Singapore Math Drills: Grades 1–10 Practice Built on the Singapore Method Singapore consistently ranks among the top performers in international math assessments like TIMSS and PISA, using a syllabus built on understanding a problem before solving it — not memorizing steps. This app brings that method to Grades 1–10 (ages 6 through 16): structured, adaptive, stress-free practice that builds number sense and problem-solving skill. WHY SINGAPORE MATH DRILLS? • Singapore MOE-aligned practice spans Grades 1–10, with selected G3 topics in Secondary 2–4. G3 Mathematics — Additional Mathematics is not covered yet. • Bar Models, Explained Simply — a simple picture that turns a tricky word problem into a diagram, so a child sees the relationship between numbers instead of guessing an operation. Singapore Math's signature tool, built into every relevant drill and the app's own scratch pad. • Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract Teaching — every new skill starts with real objects, then a picture, then the abstract number sentence, so the "why" sticks. • Adaptive Learning — difficulty tunes itself to your child's recent sessions, and daily suggestions point straight at what needs work. • Calm Gamification — no stressful timers, high-pressure games, or dark patterns. We reward accuracy and honest progress, measured only against a child's own past results. FOR STUDENTS • Daily Drills & a Daily Five — short sessions of mental math, practice problems, and word problems, with five hand-picked drills waiting each day. • Three Practice Modes — Focus (untimed mastery), Sprint (rapid recall), and Worksheet (a full test-style set graded at the end). • Progressive Hints & Worked Solutions — every question opens up step by step, with a full worked solution to read afterwards. • Skill Map — a visual mastery breakdown across every topic, down to the exact subtopic. • Prerequisite-Aware Support — when a child gets stuck, the app folds in the missing foundation skill instead of repeating the same question type. • Build-a-Drill — pick the topics and question types and build a custom practice set. • Optional Placement Check — an adaptive quiz that suggests a starting level, available on request, never forced. • A Companion That Grows With Them — species and stage earned through consistent practice, with encouraging, never-nagging dialogue. • A Growing Collection & Daily Quests — streak and quest drops build a collection over the school year, with a daily "Up Next" queue keeping momentum. • Stars, Streaks & Levels — calm progression that rewards showing up and getting things right, never speed. FOR PARENTS • Weekly Digest — one clear weekly summary of what your child mastered and where they need focus. • Progress Reports — a verdict in plain words, not a wall of numbers, with full attempt history available to review. • Focus Areas — struggling topics surface automatically, with the foundational skill to tackle first. • Family Accounts — one parent account manages each child's independent, self-referential progress — no comparisons between siblings or classmates. Ad-free. No tracking. Nothing asked of a child but honest practice. SUBSCRIPTIONS Free to start, with optional subscriptions unlocking the full curriculum and deeper parent reporting. See Pricing in the app for current plans. Start your child's journey toward real mathematical understanding — the Singapore way. Family and Student subscriptions are auto-renewable. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID Account Settings. Pricing is shown in the App Store and may vary by region and currency. Terms of Use: https://singaporemathdrills.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://singaporemathdrills.com/privacy

Screenshots

ProblemSum4 screens
Singapore Math Drills4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Singapore Math Drills at Free against ProblemSum's $6.99. Singapore Math Drills also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). ProblemSum's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Singapore Math Drills is free to download; ProblemSum costs $6.99 up front. Singapore Math Drills sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per 3 months. ProblemSum asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ProblemSum ships an update every 3 weeks, Singapore Math Drills every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ProblemSum versus Singapore Math Drills: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProblemSumSingapore Math Drills
Price$6.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB21 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperAeterna SolutionsCharles Arthur Caballero Agaton

In-app purchases

None

ProblemSum

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Singapore Math Drills

Subscriptions10
  • Student Plus Quarterly$19.993 Months
  • Family Pro Quarterly$29.993 Months
  • Student Basic Yearly$34.991 Year
Show 7 more
  • Student Max Quarterly$34.993 Months
  • Family Basic Yearly$49.991 Year
  • Family Max Quarterly$49.993 Months
  • Student Plus Yearly$69.991 Year
  • Family Pro Yearly$99.991 Year
  • Student Max Yearly$99.991 Year
  • Family Max Yearly$149.991 Year

Questions

Is ProblemSum free?
ProblemSum costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Singapore Math Drills free?
Singapore Math Drills is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ProblemSum or Singapore Math Drills have ads?
Neither ProblemSum nor Singapore Math Drills shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ProblemSum or Singapore Math Drills?
ProblemSum ships an update every 3 weeks, and Singapore Math Drills every 4 days. Most recently, ProblemSum was updated on November 3, 2026 and Singapore Math Drills on October 31, 2026.

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