Comparison

Soroban vs StudyBuddy

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

Head to head
About

Soroban

Master the Japanese abacus and mental math with step-by-step video lessons and interactive practice. Progress through various calculation challenges and create custom worksheets for targeted learning.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step video lessons from teachers
  • Abacus addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
  • Mental calculation and Flash Anzan practice
  • Four distinct practice dojos with levels
  • Customizable audio dictation creation
  • Printable or shareable practice worksheets
  • Times tables and number familiarity games
Features
Read full description

Learn the soroban step by step from lesson videos by soroban teachers, starting with how to move the beads, then move on to mental calculation. For beginners, Flash Anzan learners and teachers. WHAT MAKES THIS APP DIFFERENT Lesson videos from soroban teachers The Abacus lessons include videos by soroban teachers, available in English. Watch the beads move, then do Practice and a timed Test. Four dojos Climb the Dictation of Sums, Dictation of Mental Sums, Sums (column addition and subtraction) and Flash Anzan dojos one level at a time: a run of correct answers moves you up, and a run of misses moves you back one level. The Dictation of Sums dojo alone has 444 levels, and both dictation dojos begin with an AI level check. Earn ranks as you go. Create Dictation of Sums (paid plan) Set your own numbers, choose the reading language (Japanese, English or Chinese), the speed and whether to include the opening phrase ("Start with." in English), then share the audio of each problem. MAIN FEATURES Abacus Addition and subtraction, then multiplication and division, step by step, with Review lessons along the way. Mental Calculation and Flash Anzan Picture the abacus in your head and practice Flash Anzan, Mental Sums, Mental Multiplication and Mental Division. In Flash Anzan, numbers appear one after another and you add them up. Dictation of Sums Listen to numbers read aloud in English. In the unit you answer from your head; the Dictation of Sums dojo is done on your own real abacus. Receipts Calculate while flipping through a pad of receipts. Times Tables Learn with the chart and song, then check each table with "In order", "Random" and "Fill in the blank". Number Play "Spot the Number", "Trace the Number", "Friends of 10" and more help young children get familiar with numbers, with the numbers read aloud. Create Worksheets Create practice worksheets based on the exam guidelines of three Japanese exam bodies: The League of Japan Abacus Associations (Nisshuren), The League for Soroban Education of Japan (Zenshuren) and Zenkoku Shuzan Gakko Renmei (Zenshugakuren). Grades run from 15 Kyu to Dan, with abacus and mental calculation subjects plus Receipts, Roots and Applied Calculation; grades and subjects vary by exam body. Print or share them as PDF, with or without answers. You can also create practice sheets for carrying and borrowing, negative answers, times tables, quotient revision and rounding. WHO IT SUITS • Children starting the abacus, and parents considering it as an activity • Students who practice at home after abacus classes • Abacus teachers who need worksheets • Adults who want to practice mental math FREE FEATURES AND THE PAID PLAN Number Play is free. The first few items of each unit and part of each dojo are free (the 4–6 digit Flash Anzan dojos need the paid plan). You can create one worksheet of each type per day for free. The paid plan unlocks the rest, Create Dictation of Sums, and adding your school name and the number of sets to worksheets. There are no ads. FAQ Q. What age is it for? A. Number Play from about age 2, and Times Tables from about age 5. Q. Can I practice only mental calculation? A. Yes, with the Mental Calculation units and the Flash Anzan dojos. Q. Can I continue on another device? A. Sign in to use your data on another device. Q. Can my child buy something by accident? A. Purchases and external links first ask a math question meant for parents. This Parental gate is on by default and can be turned off in Settings. LANGUAGES English, Japanese (hiragana / kanji), Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Hindi, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Arabic. * These practice problems are created independently by this app, based on the exam guidelines published by each exam body. They are not actual exam papers, and the app is not affiliated with these exam bodies. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

StudyBuddy

Features
Read full description

StudyBuddy 是一款高度可定制、以对话为核心的 AI 学习助手,专为追求高效、结构化和个性化学习体验的用户打造。无论你是自学者、学生还是技术爱好者,StudyBuddy 都能帮助你围绕特定主题与 AI 进行深度互动,构建属于自己的知识体系。 结构化学习主题管理 自由创建、编辑和删除学习主题,支持丰富的预设技术主题,助你快速开启学习之旅。 AI 驱动的概念地图生成与可视化 每个新主题自动生成“概念地图”,以图表形式清晰展示知识结构,帮助你把握学习脉络。 沉浸式 AI 对话与记录 针对每个主题与 AI 持续对话,所有内容自动保存,便于随时回顾和复习。 灵活的 API 配置 支持自定义 AI 服务 API 密钥和地址,动态获取模型列表,轻松测试连接,满足不同需求。 本地数据存储,隐私无忧 所有学习数据均存储在本地设备,保障你的隐私安全,并支持离线访问。 StudyBuddy,让你的每一次学习都更有方向、更高效、更安全!

Screenshots

Soroban4 screens
StudyBuddy3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StudyBuddy at none against Soroban's 3. On price, update cadence, ads 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

Both are free to download. Soroban sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. StudyBuddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Soroban ships an update every 4 days, StudyBuddy weekly. Both last shipped on November 8, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Soroban versus StudyBuddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSorobanStudyBuddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (26 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings26 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size165 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSIC Company Limited果 孙

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Soroban

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription$5.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$56.991 Year
None

StudyBuddy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Soroban free?
Soroban is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StudyBuddy free?
StudyBuddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Soroban or StudyBuddy have ads?
Neither Soroban nor StudyBuddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Soroban or StudyBuddy?
Soroban ships an update every 4 days, and StudyBuddy weekly. Most recently, Soroban was updated on November 8, 2026 and StudyBuddy on November 8, 2026.

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