Dear Aunt Sally vs Learning
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dear Aunt Sally
This app teaches the order of operations (PEMDAS) using interactive modes. It helps students and programmers understand mathematical expression solving step-by-step, with a quiz feature for practice.
- Step-by-step expression analysis
- Shunt Yard algorithm explanation
- SOLVE mode for freehand entry
- QUIZ mode with random expression generation
- Stack/Queue dynamics visualization
- Customizable quiz parameters
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PEMDAS is an acronym that is taught in school classrooms across the nation. It helps students remember the priority, or Order of Operations, used to solve expressions involving strings of numbers and operators. It stands for: P(arenthesis) E(xponent) M(ultiplication) D(ivision) A(ddition) S(ubtraction) A familiar mnemonic widely used in place of PEMDAS is: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. Thus the name of this application... Kind of an inside joke for the mathematical types. Computers, including smart phone calculators, desktops, etc. have built in functionality to properly interpret such expressions so we don't have to. But have you ever wondered what algorithms the CPU executes to get the right answer every time? This app demonstrates one such algorithm called the Shunt Yard, developed a few years back by Professor Edsger W. Dijkstra. We’re going to take a closer look under the hood at Order of Operations algorithms. It will interest programmers and school students alike; for programmers, the use of queues and stacks will reinforce previous computer science learning; for students, it allows them to write an expression, then analyze it using Order of Operations rules, step by step. The Quiz mode generates random expressions of user selected lengths and magnitudes and checks the student's answer. Incorrect answers can be examined using the same step by step process. In the SOLVE mode, algebraic expressions are entered free hand using an internal keyboard which limits entries to the five common mathematical operators (+ - / * ^) as well as one level of parenthesis. There is a maximum term limit of ten variables, but no limit to their magnitude in this mode. In the QUIZ mode, between two and ten variables can be selected, their maximum value and which operators that are eligible. The program then randomly generates an algebraic expression using these parameters. Both modes make available an analysis page which is used to step through the solution. Stack/Queue dynamics are displayed.
Learning
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Failing to invest in your child’s education now could cost them their future success. Brought to you by FreeKidsContent.com, Learning Addition is an interactive app that helps your child master the skill of combining two or more numbers to find their total. It’s designed to make learning addition fun and easy. Practice Exercises: Help your child master addition with fun, simple exercises that build math confidence effortlessly. Interactive Quizzes: Make learning addition thrilling by challenging your child to solve fun problems, reinforcing their skills and boosting confidence. Progress Tracking: Monitor your child’s growth in addition skills, giving you insight into their engagement with each activity. Give your child the boost they deserve. Help them grow every step of the way.
Screenshots
Verdict
Dear Aunt Sally and Learning are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 6, 2026.
| Parameter | Dear Aunt Sally | Learning |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 136 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Neil Rohan | Tom Wanyama |
In-app purchases
Dear Aunt Sally
No in-app purchases
Learning
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Dear Aunt Sally free?
Is Learning free?
Do Dear Aunt Sally or Learning have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dear Aunt Sally or Learning?
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