Comparison

Dear Aunt Sally vs Learning

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Learning

Features
Read full description

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

Dear Aunt Sally4 screens
Learning4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 6, 2026.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Dear Aunt Sally versus Learning: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDear Aunt SallyLearning
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB136 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNeil RohanTom Wanyama

In-app purchases

None

Dear Aunt Sally

No in-app purchases

None

Learning

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dear Aunt Sally free?
Dear Aunt Sally is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Learning free?
Learning is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Dear Aunt Sally or Learning have ads?
Neither Dear Aunt Sally nor Learning shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dear Aunt Sally or Learning?
Dear Aunt Sally ships an update every 2 months, and Learning every 2 months. Most recently, Dear Aunt Sally was updated on October 6, 2026 and Learning on October 6, 2026.

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