# SAYA vs Shenmo Abacus

The clearest difference is update cadence: Shenmo Abacus at fortnightly against SAYA's every 5 weeks. Shenmo Abacus also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

SAYA ships an update every 5 weeks, Shenmo Abacus fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SAYA | Shenmo Abacus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/saya-the-learning-app/id1612592914/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 61.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 345 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Phyo Aung Kyaw](https://appshunter.io/developer/1463208113) | [beijing shenmo culture company](https://appshunter.io/developer/1377583312) |

## What reviewers say

### SAYA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/saya-the-learning-app/id1612592914)

This app offers a fun and simple way to learn English and Japanese with video lessons, practice exercises, and interactive features. Improve your speaking skills with live classes and master new languages through bite-sized content and flashcards.

**Highlights:** Video lessons for all levels, Bite-sized videos, Micro reading lessons, Flashcards, Level tests, Character writing practice, Live and conversational classes

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6 Months | $12.00 | one-time |
| 1 Year | $18.00 | one-time |
| 3 Months | $21.00 | one-time |
| 1 Years and 6 Months | $25.00 | one-time |
| 2 Years | $30.00 | one-time |
| 6 Months | $30.00 | one-time |
| 1 Year | $34.00 | one-time |
| 1 Year | $48.00 | one-time |
| 2 Years | $51.00 | one-time |
| 2 Years | $79.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Listening experience
- 👍 Beautiful UI
- 👍 Nice app
- 👍 Valuable app
- 👍 Fun and great supplement to English class

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Units video not working
- 🐛 Cannot load video lessons
- 🐛 Level test not working
- 🐛 App not working on Mac
- 🚫 No free trial

**Reported bugs**

- Units video not working
- Cannot load video lessons
- Level test not working
- App not working on Mac

**Requested features**

- Add US phone number option
- Improve level test functionality


### Shenmo Abacus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shenmo-abacus/id6738268822)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly card (1 month) | $0.99 | one-time |
| VIP half year card (6 months) | $5.99 | one-time |
| VIP Annual Card(12 months) | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SAYA free?

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

### Is Shenmo Abacus free?

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

### Do SAYA or Shenmo Abacus have ads?

Neither SAYA nor Shenmo Abacus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SAYA or Shenmo Abacus?

SAYA ships an update every 5 weeks, and Shenmo Abacus fortnightly. Most recently, SAYA was updated on November 3, 2026 and Shenmo Abacus on November 8, 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.*