Comparison

Math Zen vs Calculus

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

Head to head
About

Math Zen

This app provides adaptive math practice for standardized exams and university-level courses. It generates unique problems, tracks mastery, and offers offline access for focused learning. Review mistakes and visualize concepts to build long-term retention.

Highlights
  • Algorithmically generated problems
  • Adaptive mastery-based progression
  • Mistake journal for review
  • Visual problem explanations
  • Offline access
  • Exam-specific problem sets
Features
Read full description

Math Zen is a math practice app built for real exam performance, not a calculator that does your homework for you. Work through algorithmically generated problems that cover the topics and skills tested on real exams. The adaptive mastery-based progression system tracks your accuracy and adjusts difficulty automatically: struggle with a concept, and it comes back for review; master it, and you advance. Practice offline, anytime, with zero distractions. AP PRECALCULUS, AP CALCULUS, SAT AND ACT MATH PREP Math Zen has dedicated exam paths for the tests US students actually take: • AP Precalculus: polynomial, rational, exponential, log and trig functions, plus rates of change from tables and graphs. • AP Calculus AB: particle motion, optimization, related rates, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, accumulation functions, and free-response questions with linked parts. • AP Calculus BC: everything in AB plus series, parametric equations, and polar coordinates. • SAT Math: 40 SAT-style templates across Algebra, Advanced Math, Problem-Solving and Data Analysis, and Geometry and Trigonometry, with word problems, data and charts. • ACT Math: algebra, functions, geometry, trigonometry and statistics, from radical equations to circles, two-way tables and charts. Exam prep problems follow each test's format: multi-part questions where each part builds on the last, Kyōtsū Test digit boxes, Suneung short answers, and five-option ENEM questions. Also included: IB Math AA, Hong Kong DSE (Compulsory, M1, M2), A-Level Maths, Taiwan GSAT and AST Math A, Gaokao, Suneung, Kyōtsū Test, Abitur, Baccalauréat, Selectividad, EXANI-II, ENEM, FUVEST, VWO Wiskunde, Högskoleprovet, and Polish Matura paths. 24 TOPICS, 870+ PROBLEM TEMPLATES Six sections covering math from arithmetic through university-level content: Algebra: Arithmetic, Algebra, Complex Numbers, Logarithms Precalculus: Functions, Graph Analysis, Hyperbolic Functions, Sequences & Series Calculus: Limits, Derivatives, Integrals, Differential Equations, Partial Derivatives, Parametric Equations, Polar Coordinates, Multiple Integrals, Laplace Transforms Geometry & Trigonometry: Geometry, Trigonometry Linear Algebra: Vectors, Matrices, Abstract Algebra Discrete Math: Probability, Statistics 238 subtopics. 870+ algorithmically generated templates. Every session is different. KEY FEATURES Mastery-Based Progression: A five-level bucket system tracks your accuracy within each subtopic and advances you from easy to hard as you demonstrate understanding. Theory Built In: Every subtopic carries the rules its own problems need, with worked examples. Tap Show the rule the moment an answer comes out wrong, or open it from the header mid-problem. Mistake Journal: Every wrong answer is captured automatically. Come back later and retry that exact problem type with fresh numbers, until the concept clicks. Visual Problems: Interactive graphs, geometric diagrams, and animated transformations. Offline First: The whole app works without internet. Practice on a plane or subway; progress syncs when you reconnect. Dark Mode: Follows your system setting, or pin it to light or dark. No Ads, Ever: Clean, focused, distraction-free. No ads, no coins, no lives. 12 Languages: English, Russian, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Dutch, Polish. PERFECT FOR • Students preparing for AP Calculus AB/BC, SAT Math, ACT Math, or IB Math • High school students in Algebra 2, Precalculus, or Calculus • University students in Calculus I/II, Linear Algebra, or Differential Equations • Self-learners who want structured math practice at their own pace SUBSCRIPTION Math Zen is free to start with access to core topics. Premium unlocks the full topic library, all exam prep paths, and detailed analytics. Privacy Policy: https://math-zen.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://math-zen.com/terms Support: contacts@trifoiltrailblazer.com

About

Calculus

This app makes calculus intuitive with interactive animations, step-by-step worked examples, and instantly graded practice problems. It covers a full first-year calculus course, including differential equations and multivariable calculus, with features like mistake tracking and spaced review.

Highlights
  • Interactive concept animations
  • Worked examples with hints
  • Instantly graded practice problems
  • Mistake tracking and mastery
  • Spaced review system
  • Math-history stories
  • Study Desk with micro-experiments
Features
Read full description

Calculus you can see is calculus you can learn. Calculus: Learn & Practice turns a full first-year calculus course into one clear path: build intuition with an interactive animation, follow a worked example step by step, then prove to yourself you've got it with instantly graded practice. WHAT'S INSIDE • 108 interactive concept animations — play, scrub and watch the key change happen instead of imagining it • 327 worked examples with complete solutions, visual hints and the mistakes students usually make • 1,215 practice problems graded the moment you submit, each with a full solution • Math-history stories with the original problems: Zeno's paradoxes, Archimedes' π, Fermat and Descartes' fight over tangents • Mistake tracking and mastery per concept, so you know exactly what to review • Spaced review that brings a topic back right before you'd forget it • Study Desk: a 2-minute micro-experiment every day, a Lab Notebook for your own conjectures, and a library of 219 counterexamples • A searchable library of 12 chapters, filterable by topic, tag and difficulty TOPICS COVERED • Limits and continuity • Derivatives and differentials • Applications of derivatives — optimization, related rates, MVT, curve sketching, L'Hôpital's rule, Taylor polynomials • Integrals — FTC, substitution, integration by parts, partial fractions, improper integrals • Applications of integration — area, volume, arc length, work • Differential equations • Infinite series — convergence tests, power series, Taylor and Fourier series • Multivariable differential calculus — partial derivatives, gradient, tangent planes, Lagrange multipliers • Vectors and 3D analytic geometry • Multiple integrals — double and triple integrals, cylindrical and spherical coordinates • Line and surface integrals — Green's, divergence and Stokes' theorems Great for Calculus I, II and III, AP Calculus AB/BC review, and exam prep. TRY IT FIRST Chapter 1 is completely free — animations, examples and practice all work, no time limit and no account. To unlock every chapter, choose Calculus Pro: a monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscription (the yearly plan may include a free trial for eligible users), or a one-time lifetime purchase. No ads. Works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. Prices are shown in the app before you buy. Your progress stays on your device. Purchases are handled securely by Apple and can be restored anytime. Every lesson, example and problem is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi and Chinese. Privacy: https://vaca.vip/advancedmathematics/en/privacy Support: https://vaca.vip/advancedmathematics/en/support Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Math Zen4 screens
Calculus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Calculus at 5.0 against Math Zen's 4.8. Math Zen's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. Math Zen sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Calculus sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Calculus holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Math Zen has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Math Zen ships an update every 2 days, Calculus every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Math Zen versus Calculus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMath ZenCalculus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (6 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings6 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB109 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIvan Terekhin光浩 李

Customer experience

Math Zen

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Calculus

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Math Zen

Subscriptions3
  • Math Zen Premium — Weekly$3.997 Days
  • Math Zen Premium — Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Math Zen Premium — Annual3 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time3
  • Math Zen Premium: Lifetime$24.99
  • Math Zen Premium: Lifetime$29.99
  • Math Zen Premium — Lifetime$39.99
4 purchases

Calculus

Subscriptions2
  • Calculus Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Calculus Pro Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time2
  • Unlock All Chapters$9.99
  • Calculus Pro Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Math Zen free?
Math Zen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Calculus free?
Calculus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Math Zen or Calculus?
Calculus is rated higher. Math Zen averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Calculus averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Math Zen or Calculus have ads?
Neither Math Zen nor Calculus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Math Zen or Calculus?
Math Zen ships an update every 2 days, and Calculus every 3 days. Most recently, Math Zen was updated on October 26, 2026 and Calculus on October 25, 2026.

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