Comparison

Column Subtraction vs Halifax Area School District

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

Halifax Area School District

Stay informed about school events, receive customized notifications for your student's organizations, and access weekly cafeteria menus. Get district updates and easily find staff and department contact information.

Highlights
  • Event listings with calendar integration
  • Customizable notifications by student organization
  • Weekly cafeteria menus
  • Live feed for district updates
  • Staff and department directory
Read full description

Introducing the brand new app for Halifax Area School District. NEVER MISS AN EVENT The event section shows a list of events throughout the district. Users can add an event to their calendar to share the event with friends and family with one tap. CUSTOMIZE NOTIFICATIONS Select your student's organization within the app and make sure you never miss a message. CAFETERIA MENUS Within the dining section, you'll find an easy to navigate, weekly menu, sorted by day and meal type. DISTRICT UPDATES In the Live Feed is where you'll find updates from the administration about what's going on in the district right now. Whether that's celebrating a student's success, or reminding you about an upcoming deadline. CONTACT STAFF & DEPARTMENTS Find relevant staff and department contacts under an easy-to-navigate directory.

Screenshots

Column Subtraction4 screens
Halifax Area School District4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Halifax Area School District at Free against Column Subtraction's $3.99. Halifax Area School District also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). Column Subtraction's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 2.0). On ratings volume, 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

Halifax Area School District 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 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 9 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Column Subtraction ships an update every 8 months, Halifax Area School District every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Column Subtraction versus Halifax Area School District: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterColumn SubtractionHalifax Area School District
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (6 ratings) — better2.0 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings69 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB144 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEsa HelttulaHalifax Area School District

Customer experience

Column Subtraction

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

Halifax Area School District

All ratings9 ratings
Positive22.2%
Neutral11.1%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

None

Column Subtraction

No in-app purchases

None

Halifax Area School District

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Column Subtraction free?
Column Subtraction costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Halifax Area School District free?
Halifax Area School District is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Column Subtraction or Halifax Area School District?
Column Subtraction is rated higher. Column Subtraction averages 4.3 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Halifax Area School District averages 2.0 from 9 ratings.
Do Column Subtraction or Halifax Area School District have ads?
Neither Column Subtraction nor Halifax Area School District shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Column Subtraction or Halifax Area School District?
Column Subtraction ships an update every 8 months, and Halifax Area School District every 2 months. Most recently, Column Subtraction was updated on November 1, 2026 and Halifax Area School District on November 3, 2026.

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