# N'Back vs Mathematical N

The clearest difference is rating: Mathematical N at 4.7 against N'Back's 4.0. Mathematical N also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (85 vs 3). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. N'Back sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Mathematical N sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mathematical N holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mathematical N has 85 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of N'Back's written reviews are positive against 81% of Mathematical N's.

N'Back ships an update every 9 months, Mathematical N every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | N'Back | Mathematical N |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nback/id591320567/reviews) | **[4.7 (85 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathematical-n-back/id1298836462/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **85** |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | **81.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 8 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yasuyoshi Ota](https://appshunter.io/developer/1500357652) | [William Mahoney](https://appshunter.io/developer/1124295006) |

## What reviewers say

### N'Back

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nback/id591320567)

Enhance sensory and working memory with this brain training application. It offers various modes to test your ability to recall sequences of numbers, progressing through different 'N' levels.

**Highlights:** Sensory memory improvement, Working memory enhancement, N'Back exercises, Flash Mode, Slow Mode, Step Mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Add Levels (3'Back-10'Back) and Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


### Mathematical N

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathematical-n-back/id1298836462)

This app offers a comprehensive mathematical n-back training experience. Users can select from various arithmetic operations or a mixed mode for increased difficulty. Track your performance with detailed charts and compete with others on leaderboards.

**Highlights:** Multiple arithmetic operations (add, subtract, multiply), Mixed operation mode for advanced challenge, Timed games to beat personal bests, Progress tracking with charts, Global leaderboards for competition

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Version | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is N'Back free?

N'Back is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Mathematical N free?

Mathematical N is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, N'Back or Mathematical N?

Mathematical N is rated higher. N'Back averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Mathematical N averages 4.7 from 85 ratings.

### Do N'Back or Mathematical N have ads?

N'Back shows ads; Mathematical N does not.

### Which is updated more often, N'Back or Mathematical N?

N'Back ships an update every 9 months, and Mathematical N every 8 months. Most recently, N'Back was updated on September 11, 2026 and Mathematical N on September 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*