# Abacus Lesson vs Abacus Simulator

The clearest difference is ads: Abacus Simulator at none against Abacus Lesson's shown. Abacus Lesson's advantage is review sentiment (93% vs 72%) and ratings volume (836 vs 41). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Abacus Lesson sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Abacus Simulator sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Abacus Lesson holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Abacus Lesson has 836 ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Abacus Lesson's written reviews are positive against 72% of Abacus Simulator's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Abacus Lesson | Abacus Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (836 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abacus-lesson-add-and-sub/id1526785916/reviews)** | [4.7 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abacus-simulator/id1558355099/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **836** | 41 |
| Positive reviews | **93.1% of reviews** | 72.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 138 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hirokazu Komatsu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1523833531) | [Nicholas Ang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1558355101) |

## What reviewers say

### Abacus Lesson

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abacus-lesson-add-and-sub/id1526785916)

Learn addition and subtraction using a virtual abacus, also known as a Soroban. This app helps you develop mental calculation skills, enabling you to perform calculations without physical tools.

**Highlights:** Learn addition, Learn subtraction, Virtual abacus (Soroban), Develop mental calculation skills, Perform calculations without physical tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Donation Lv1 for hiding Ad | $1.99 | one-time |
| Donation Lv2 for hiding Ad | $3.99 | one-time |
| Donation Lv3 for hiding Ad | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Beginner-friendly and easy to use
- 🚀 Quick to learn basic concepts
- 📚 Clear and simple explanations
- 🎯 Effective teaching methodology
- 💰 Free with no ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🌐 Poor English translation quality
- 📖 Lessons sometimes hard to read
- ❌ Cannot skip levels
- ⚡ Difficulty progression too steep
- 🐛 App closes accidentally on iPhone when swiping

**Reported bugs**

- Accidental app closure on iPhone during bead swiping
- Error in lesson 3 addition summary
- Sloppy English translation causing confusion
- Lessons difficult to read visually

**Requested features**

- Add Chinese Abacus (Suanpan) option
- Landscape view support
- Level skip functionality
- Better English translation/editing
- Clearer problem presentation with equation format


### Abacus Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abacus-simulator/id1558355099)

Enhance your mental math abilities with interactive abacus exercises. This app offers guided lessons and daily drills to improve calculation speed, focus, and accuracy. Customize your abacus for a fun and engaging learning experience.

**Highlights:** Interactive abacus exercises, Guided step-by-step lessons, Daily skill-sharpening exercises, Focus, speed, and accuracy improvement, Customizable abacus

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cloud Beads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coconut Beads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lemon Beads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Mushroom Beads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Penguin Beads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Flower Beads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Orange Beads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Snail Beads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Snowman Beads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Watermelon Beads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Abacus Lesson free?

Abacus Lesson is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Abacus Simulator free?

Abacus Simulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Abacus Lesson or Abacus Simulator?

Abacus Lesson is rated higher. Abacus Lesson averages 4.9 out of 5 from 836 ratings, while Abacus Simulator averages 4.7 from 41 ratings.

### Do Abacus Lesson or Abacus Simulator have ads?

Abacus Lesson shows ads; Abacus Simulator does not.

### Which is updated more often, Abacus Lesson or Abacus Simulator?

Abacus Lesson ships an update every 3 weeks, and Abacus Simulator every 3 weeks. Most recently, Abacus Lesson was updated on October 29, 2026 and Abacus Simulator on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*