Comparison

MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer vs Mental Abacus

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

Head to head
About

MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer

Sharpen your mental math skills by solving equations where you must select two numbers to match a given result and operator. Earn points for speed, but beware of mistakes that reset your progress. Challenge a friend to a duel of arithmetic prowess.

Highlights
  • Equation solving with number selection
  • Speed-based scoring
  • Mistake penalty
  • High difficulty mode
  • Two-player competitive mode
Features
Read full description

Train your mental arithmetic ability with MindCalc! This is NOT your standard "what is 7 * 13?" type of game but here the result is already known and an arithmetic operator is given. Now you need to pick two numbers out of 9 to make this equation happen. The faster you solve your equation, the more points you gain. But if you make a mistake you need to start all over - so be careful! For an extra kick choose the highest difficulty where your score will be reset to zero in case you run out of time. You can also compete against another person to see who has stronger mental arithmetic skills!

About

Mental Abacus

Master abacus mental arithmetic with illustrated tutorials and a step-by-step demonstrator. Practice calculations on a virtual abacus and learn the two-hands fingering method to enhance right brain functions. Ideal for self-learning addition and subtraction.

Highlights
  • Illustrated tutorials
  • Step-by-step demonstrator
  • Virtual abacus practice
  • Two hands fingering method
  • Addition and subtraction
  • Rapid calculation exercises
Features
Read full description

Mental Abacus is a self-learning package for fundamentals to mixed addition and subtraction. With the facility of fully illustrated tutorials and powerful step demonstrator, you can master the skills of abacus mental arithmetic effortlessly. Mental Abacus is mainly divided into two sections, namely Tutorial and Abaculator. ABACUS TUTORIAL Interfaces are organized in a simple and easy way for novice to follow. Concepts, theories and techniques are explained not only by uncomplicated words, but also with massive illustrations. Numerous examples with demonstration further strengthen the study effectiveness. ABACULATOR A great tool that demonstrates the steps for BOTH hands abacus mental arithmetic. Just enter a number or an equation, Abaculator will show you every step with detailed description and explanation. You can pause and continue whenever you need, or even switch to show set of steps for other number or equation in the middle of the demonstration. And More...VIRTUAL ABACUS Built-in virtual abacus enables you to follow the lessons and practice the Two Hands Fingering Method on the abacus at the same time. You can try to solve the examples on the virtual abacus by yourself and check with the demonstration steps provided on the page as well. FEATURES SUMMARY: - Two hands fingering method fosters right brain functions - Abaculator drives beads and explains every step - Basics to multi-digit numbers addition and subtraction - Rapid calculations are included to enhance speed and fun - Virtual Abacus allows you to practise along everywhere - Assists in achieving the ultimate aim of abacus training, transforming visualized beads move on imaginary abacus and getting rid of the substantial abacus

Screenshots

MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer4 screens
Mental Abacus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer at Free against Mental Abacus's $8.99. MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%). Mental Abacus's advantage is rating (3.9 vs 2.0) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.4). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer is free to download; Mental Abacus costs $8.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mental Abacus holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer's written reviews are positive against 67% of Mental Abacus's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer ships an update every 21 months, Mental Abacus every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on August 27, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer versus Mental Abacus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMindCalc Arithmetic TrainerMental Abacus
PriceFree — better$8.99
Rating2.0 (12 ratings)3.9 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 21 monthsEvery 12 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.48.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPeter SchornHamster Force Multimedia Limited

Customer experience

MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer

All ratings12 ratings
Positive8.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative58.3%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Mental Abacus

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer

No in-app purchases

None

Mental Abacus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer free?
MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mental Abacus free?
Mental Abacus costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer or Mental Abacus?
Mental Abacus is rated higher. MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer averages 2.0 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Mental Abacus averages 3.9 from 7 ratings.
Do MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer or Mental Abacus have ads?
Neither MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer nor Mental Abacus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer or Mental Abacus?
MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer ships an update every 21 months, and Mental Abacus every 12 months. Most recently, MindCalc Arithmetic Trainer was updated on August 27, 2026 and Mental Abacus on June 5, 2026.

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