Comparison

Column Addition vs Math Loops Add & Subtract

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

Head to head
About

Column Addition

This educational app teaches and reinforces the column addition method with an interactive interface. Users can solve custom or random problems with adjustable number sizes and receive visual feedback on their progress. It includes optional jigsaw puzzles as a reward for solving problems.

Highlights
  • Interactive column addition learning
  • Customizable number of digits
  • Random and custom problem generation
  • Visual feedback and animations
  • Optional jigsaw puzzles
  • Adjustable interface colors and animations
Features
Read full description

Column Addition helps students learn and practice the column addition method step by step. The app aligns the numbers automatically so students can focus on solving each column. Carrying is handled visually with animations, helping students understand how digits move from one column to the next. Students can solve randomly generated problems or enter their own addition problems. The number of digits can be adjusted, making the app useful for different skill levels. Column addition is also known as columnar addition, long addition, or longhand addition. Features: - Add 2 or 3 numbers - Each number can have 1–5 digits - Randomly generated or manually entered problems - Automatic number alignment - Visual animated carrying - Current operation for each column can be hidden - Operands of the current operation can be highlighted - Customizable interface colors - Adjustable animation speed - Different interfaces for iPhone and iPad - 25 six-piece animal jigsaw puzzles - Puzzle feature can be turned on or off Reviews and Endorsements: Fun Educational Apps: “iDevBooks educational math apps make math enjoyable and entertaining. One of my sons was struggling with math and I must say the use of iDevBooks math apps has really helped him.” Professor Tim Pelton reviewed the sister app Column Subtraction: “Because no wrong entries are allowed the app provides a passive form of positive reinforcement and your child will likely improve in both confidence and competence with respect to the procedure.” Teacher endorsement: “The Math apps by Esa Helttula allow students to practice and reinforce the specific computation strategies taught in class, with as much or as little scaffolding as necessary. They also provide individualized feedback to each student, with an immediacy that is not always possible through pencil and paper practice.” — Rita Zeni, Ecole Sandy Hill Elementary, Abbotsford, BC, Canada Other iDevBooks Math Apps: Other iDevBooks math apps include Column Subtraction, Long Multiplication, Long Division, Lattice Multiplication, Visual Multiplication Table, Fraction Math, Partial Differences Subtraction, Partial Quotients Division, Partial Sums Addition, Decimal Rounding, and more. Feedback: New ideas to make this app better are welcome. Please visit idevbooks.com to give feedback. Privacy: This app has no ads, no in-app purchases, and does not transmit user data during operation. The app also does not contain links to other apps or to the web.

About

Math Loops Add & Subtract

Practice addition and subtraction with interactive exercises. Write numbers by hand on screen, and the app will identify and correct your mistakes. Unlock animal images as you progress through different difficulty levels.

Highlights
  • Handwrite numbers on screen
  • Automatic error detection and correction
  • Multiple difficulty levels
  • Unlockable animal images
  • Practice with or without carrying/borrowing
Features
Read full description

To practice addition and subtraction in column. Write the numbers by hand! 1200 pages full of exercises. Handwrite the numbers, one by one, as if it were a real sheet of paper. Even better: you can use the entire screen to write each number! Math Loops will identify and verify your numbers as you write them by hand. It will highlight your mistakes while you solve the exercise. It will show and correct up to two errors in each addition or subtraction. One more mistake ... and you have to start over;) Three levels of increasing difficulty and more than 80 pages with exercises. With / without carry. It allows different methods of carrying / borrowing. Each resolved page uncovers a tab of the impressive image of an animal. Enjoy and learn!

Screenshots

Column Addition4 screens
Math Loops Add & Subtract4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Column Addition at 87% against Math Loops Add & Subtract's 0%. Math Loops Add & Subtract's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 8 months) and price ($0.99 vs $3.99). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

Column Addition costs $3.99 and Math Loops Add & Subtract $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Column Addition ships an update every 8 months, Math Loops Add & Subtract every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Column Addition versus Math Loops Add & Subtract: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterColumn AdditionMath Loops Add & Subtract
Price$3.99$0.99 — better
Rating3.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews86.7% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.612.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB89 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEsa HelttulaJaime C. Carriedo

Customer experience

Column Addition

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive86.7%
Neutral13.3%
Negative0.0%

Math Loops Add & Subtract

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

Column Addition

No in-app purchases

None

Math Loops Add & Subtract

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Column Addition free?
Column Addition costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Math Loops Add & Subtract free?
Math Loops Add & Subtract costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Column Addition or Math Loops Add & Subtract have ads?
Neither Column Addition nor Math Loops Add & Subtract shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Column Addition or Math Loops Add & Subtract?
Column Addition ships an update every 8 months, and Math Loops Add & Subtract every 4 weeks. Most recently, Column Addition was updated on October 8, 2026 and Math Loops Add & Subtract on October 21, 2026.

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