Comparison

Column Subtraction vs Sentence Maker Joint Sentence

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

Head to head
About

Column Subtraction

This educational app teaches and reinforces the column subtraction method. It offers an interactive interface with customizable settings for solving random or custom problems. The app includes a puzzle feature that unlocks as users solve math problems.

Highlights
  • Column subtraction method teaching
  • Interactive and customizable interface
  • Random and custom problem solving
  • Adjustable number of digits
  • Step-by-step renaming animation
  • Picture puzzle reward system
Features
Read full description

Column Subtraction helps students learn and practice the column subtraction method step by step. The app aligns the numbers automatically so students can focus on solving each column. Renaming is animated visually, helping students understand how values are moved between columns. Renaming can be done automatically or manually, and renaming over several columns is supported. Students can solve randomly generated problems or enter their own subtraction problems. The number of digits can be adjusted, making the app useful for different skill levels. Column subtraction is also known as columnar subtraction, long subtraction, or longhand subtraction. Renaming is also known as regrouping, trading, or borrowing. Features: - Subtract 2 or 3 numbers - Each number can have 1–5 digits - Randomly generated or manually entered problems - Automatic number alignment - Manual or automatic renaming/regrouping - Supports renaming over several columns - Current operation for each column can be hidden - Operands of the current operation can be highlighted - 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: Professor Tim Pelton, assistant professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Victoria: “If your goal is to help your child to master the traditional subtraction algorithm then Column Subtraction may be the ideal App.” “With the ‘show current operation’ option turned on, they are constantly reminded of the next step, which can lead to efficient practice of the procedure. Then by turning off the current operation your child is able to practice remembering the steps on his/her own.” 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 Addition, Long Division, Long Multiplication, Lattice Multiplication, Visual Multiplication Table, Fraction Math, Partial Differences Subtraction, Partial Quotients Division, Partial Sums Addition, 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

Sentence Maker Joint Sentence

This educational app helps students learn to build words from letters and then construct sentences from those words. It offers interactive exercises for word formation and acts as a grammar checker for written work. Improve your writing for school or professional communication.

Highlights
  • Word building from letters
  • Sentence construction from words
  • Interactive letter arrangement
  • Scrambled letter exercises
  • Grammar checking functionality
  • Writing improvement tool
Features
Read full description

This program teaches students to make words from letters and then to make sentences from words. The student first sees the letters of a word in their correct order. The student then moves the letters into spaces provided to form the word. The student next sees the letters “scrambled,” i.e. in random disorder. The student then puts the letters in order in the spaces provided to form the word. After that, the student sees scrambled letters with distracters, and must choose correct letter in the correct order to make the word. It is basically an grammar dictionary that will check your work for you! And you get the convenience of being able to carry it with you all the time. Don't turn in that paper to your instructor until you've run grammar checker and fixed any little errors. Use it on your emails, so that your boss is impressed with your writing ability. Thanks By, K&P Team

Screenshots

Column Subtraction4 screens
Sentence Maker Joint Sentence4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Column Subtraction at 67% against Sentence Maker Joint Sentence's 0%. Column Subtraction also leads on rating (4.3 vs 1.5) and ratings volume (6 vs 2). Sentence Maker Joint Sentence's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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

Sentence Maker Joint Sentence is free to download; Column Subtraction costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Column Subtraction holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Column Subtraction's written reviews are positive against 0% of Sentence Maker Joint Sentence's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Column Subtraction ships an update every 8 months, Sentence Maker Joint Sentence every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Column Subtraction versus Sentence Maker Joint Sentence: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterColumn SubtractionSentence Maker Joint Sentence
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (6 ratings) — better1.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings6 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 6 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB82 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEsa HelttulaINTUS SOFTWARE SOLUTION PRIVATE LIMITED

Customer experience

Column Subtraction

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Sentence Maker Joint Sentence

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

Column Subtraction

No in-app purchases

None

Sentence Maker Joint Sentence

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Column Subtraction free?
Column Subtraction costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sentence Maker Joint Sentence free?
Sentence Maker Joint Sentence is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Column Subtraction or Sentence Maker Joint Sentence?
Column Subtraction is rated higher. Column Subtraction averages 4.3 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Sentence Maker Joint Sentence averages 1.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Column Subtraction or Sentence Maker Joint Sentence have ads?
Neither Column Subtraction nor Sentence Maker Joint Sentence shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Column Subtraction or Sentence Maker Joint Sentence?
Column Subtraction ships an update every 8 months, and Sentence Maker Joint Sentence every 6 months. Most recently, Column Subtraction was updated on October 12, 2026 and Sentence Maker Joint Sentence on October 15, 2026.

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