Abacus Lesson vs Soroban
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Abacus Lesson
Learn the simple and fast method of division using an abacus. This app focuses on developing mental calculation skills by leveraging the abacus technique. It's recommended to master addition, subtraction, and multiplication with an abacus first.
- Learn abacus division techniques
- Develop mental calculation skills
- Focus on Soroban method
- Step-by-step division instruction
- Builds on addition, subtraction, multiplication
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An abacus is named "Soroban" in Japan. Do you know what an abacus is? The abacus is very simple calculator used in China, Japan, Korea and so on. Some people may say "Isn't it an unnecessary tool if you have a calculator such as a smartphone?". Answer would be "No". The biggest difference between electric calculators and the abacus is whether you need to hold it in your hand when calculating. Because of its simplicity, you will be able to easily use the abacus in your mind. In the app, we will explain simple and fast method of the division using the abacus. To learn division, it is essential to be able to add, sub, and multiplication with an abacus. If you are new to them, we recommend that you learn addition subtraction multiplication with the app in my app list first. This app will give you the skill of calculation of division.
Soroban
Learn the Japanese abacus (soroban) with short video lessons and interactive practice on a virtual abacus. Suitable for children as young as 3, this app helps build strong math skills in addition, subtraction, and multiplication, complementing classroom learning or serving as a fun home activity.
- Short, easy-to-follow video lessons
- Virtual soroban practice
- Addition, subtraction, and times tables
- Timed tests
- Flash Anzan mental math challenges
- Times tables with music
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Learn the soroban step by step from lesson videos by soroban teachers, starting with how to move the beads, then move on to mental calculation. For beginners, Flash Anzan learners and teachers. WHAT MAKES THIS APP DIFFERENT Lesson videos from soroban teachers The Abacus lessons include videos by soroban teachers, available in English. Watch the beads move, then do Practice and a timed Test. Four dojos Climb the Dictation of Sums, Dictation of Mental Sums, Sums (column addition and subtraction) and Flash Anzan dojos one level at a time: a run of correct answers moves you up, and a run of misses moves you back one level. The Dictation of Sums dojo alone has 444 levels, and both dictation dojos begin with an AI level check. Earn ranks as you go. Create Dictation of Sums (Monthly Subscription) Set your own numbers, choose the reading language (Japanese, English or Chinese), the speed and whether to include the opening phrase ("Start with." in English), then share the audio of each problem. MAIN FEATURES Abacus Addition and subtraction, then multiplication and division, step by step, with Review lessons along the way. Mental Calculation and Flash Anzan Picture the abacus in your head and practice Flash Anzan, Mental Sums, Mental Multiplication and Mental Division. In Flash Anzan, numbers appear one after another and you add them up. Dictation of Sums Listen to numbers read aloud in English. In the unit you answer from your head; the Dictation of Sums dojo is done on your own real abacus. Receipts Calculate while flipping through a pad of receipts. Times Tables Learn with the chart and song, then check each table with "In order", "Random" and "Fill in the blank". Number Play "Spot the Number", "Trace the Number", "Friends of 10" and more help young children get familiar with numbers, with the numbers read aloud. Create Worksheets Create practice worksheets based on the exam guidelines of three Japanese exam bodies: The League of Japan Abacus Associations (Nisshuren), The League for Soroban Education of Japan (Zenshuren) and Zenkoku Shuzan Gakko Renmei (Zenshugakuren). Grades run from 15 Kyu to Dan, with abacus and mental calculation subjects plus Receipts, Roots and Applied Calculation; grades and subjects vary by exam body. Print or share them as PDF, with or without answers. You can also create practice sheets for carrying and borrowing, negative answers, times tables, quotient revision and rounding. WHO IT SUITS • Children starting the abacus, and parents considering it as an activity • Students who practice at home after abacus classes • Abacus teachers who need worksheets • Adults who want to practice mental math FREE FEATURES AND THE MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION Number Play is free. The first few items of each unit and part of each dojo are free (the 4–6 digit Flash Anzan dojos need the subscription). You can create one worksheet of each type per day for free. The Monthly Subscription unlocks the rest, Create Dictation of Sums, and adding your school name and the number of sets to worksheets. There are no ads. FAQ Q. What age is it for? A. Number Play from about age 2, and Times Tables from about age 5. Q. Can I practice only mental calculation? A. Yes, with the Mental Calculation units and the Flash Anzan dojos. Q. Can I continue on another device? A. Sign in to use your data on another device. Q. Can my child buy something by accident? A. Purchases and external links first ask a math question meant for parents. This Parental gate is on by default and can be turned off in Settings. LANGUAGES English, Japanese (hiragana / kanji), Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Hindi, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Arabic. * These practice problems are created independently by this app, based on the exam guidelines published by each exam body. They are not actual exam papers, and the app is not affiliated with these exam bodies. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
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Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Abacus Lesson at 5.0 against Soroban's 4.5. Abacus Lesson also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Soroban's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Abacus Lesson sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Soroban sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Abacus Lesson holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 21 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Abacus Lesson ships an update monthly, Soroban every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Abacus Lesson | Soroban |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (8 ratings) — better | 4.5 (21 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 | 21 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 132 MB | 125 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hirokazu Komatsu | SIC Company Limited |
Customer experience
Abacus Lesson
Soroban
In-app purchases
Abacus Lesson
- Donation Lv1 for hiding Ad$1.99
- Donation Lv2 for hiding Ad$3.99
- Donation Lv3 for hiding Ad$8.99
Soroban
- Monthly Subscription$5.991 Month









