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.
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.
- 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
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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.
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.
- Event listings with calendar integration
- Customizable notifications by student organization
- Weekly cafeteria menus
- Live feed for district updates
- Staff and department directory
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Column Subtraction | Halifax Area School District |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (6 ratings) — better | 2.0 (9 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 9 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 144 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Esa Helttula | Halifax Area School District |
Customer experience
Column Subtraction
Halifax Area School District
In-app purchases
Column Subtraction
No in-app purchases
Halifax Area School District
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Column Subtraction free?
Is Halifax Area School District free?
Which has better reviews, Column Subtraction or Halifax Area School District?
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