Comparison

Real Soroban vs Kani Math

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

Head to head
About

Real Soroban

Features
Read full description

Experience the art of Japanese calculation with the most realistic soroban (abacus) simulator. Real Soroban brings a traditional 13-rod soroban to your iPhone with stunning realism: - REALISTIC PHYSICS Tilt your device and watch beads respond to gravity, just like a real soroban. The gyroscope-powered physics make every interaction feel natural and satisfying. - AUTHENTIC SOUND Every bead click is crafted to sound like real wooden beads striking the reckoning bar. - BEAUTIFUL DESIGN Warm wood tones, diamond-shaped beads, and traditional dot markers create an authentic soroban experience. - DIGITAL DISPLAY A built-in calculator display shows the current value, perfect for learning and verification. - SIMPLE & INTUITIVE Tap or slide beads to move them. No complicated menus โ€” just a beautiful, functional soroban.

About

Kani Math

Features
Read full description

Kani Math teaches mental arithmetic the way it has been taught for centuries โ€” on the abacus. Your child moves soroban beads on screen until the shape of every number is familiar, then calculates without them. WHY THE BEADS COME FIRST On a soroban, a number is not a symbol. It is a position. A child who has moved the beads a few hundred times stops reading digits and starts seeing arrangements โ€” and can then add, subtract, multiply and divide on a bead frame that exists only in their head. That is what mental arithmetic training actually is. It is not a gift a child either has or does not have. It is a mental image, and it is built by short, correctly ordered daily practice. WHAT YOUR CHILD DOES โ€ข Levels โ€” the guided path. A short lesson, then drills, then a final exam, with history kept for every skill. โ€ข Virtual Abacus, Abacus Lab and Abacus Drill โ€” free play on a real soroban, timed target matching, and problems worked out on the beads. โ€ข Mental Drill โ€” flash anzan. Numbers appear and vanish while your child holds the running total. Answer by tapping, or switch on shout mode and say it out loud while the app listens (microphone and speech recognition permission required). โ€ข Guided drills, one skill at a time โ€” bead reading, the small friends (5-complements), the big friends (10-complements), then multi-digit multiplication and division. โ€ข Times Tables โ€” study, quiz, timed and missing-factor modes, until they are automatic. โ€ข Math Sprint โ€” how many correct answers before the clock runs out. โ€ข Competition โ€” a full contest paper: pick a category from A to I, 200 questions, eight minutes, marked category by category. โ€ข Anzan Exam and Flash Exam โ€” ranked practice papers from 10 kyu to 10th dan and 40 flash levels, in order. โ€ข Versus and Boss Battle โ€” the same math, played against another player or the computer. Beating someone is a better reason to practise than a progress bar. โ€ข Leaderboards, badges, streaks, and coins to spend in the prize shop. The streak is the reason to open the app again tomorrow. THE LADDER Foundation, Basic, Elementary A and B, Intermediate A and B, Higher A and B, and the Grand Level. Nothing unlocks until the rung below it is passed, so no skill arrives before the one it depends on. Placement is by skill, never by age. A free placement check suggests where to start, and you can set the level yourself at any time โ€” a seven-year-old who has done this before and a ten-year-old who has not both begin exactly where they belong. FOR PARENTS With Premium, a parent view lives inside the app, with no second account to create: practice minutes, current streak, skill-by-skill progress and recent activity. Set a weekly goal and read the report. Homework from your child's teacher appears on the Class page โ€” no sign-up needed. With Premium, several children can share one iPad, each with their own profile and progress. The interface is available in 42 languages, including full right-to-left support for Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Kurdish. Lesson text is currently written in English. Kani Math is free to download and contains no advertising. Each day includes a set amount of free practice โ€” drills, versus matches and new level cards โ€” and it refreshes the following day. A few focused minutes most days is the whole method. Made for school-age learners, set up and supervised by a parent or teacher. KANI MATH PREMIUM Kani Math Premium is an auto-renewable subscription. โ€ข Kani Math Premium (Monthly) โ€” billed monthly โ€ข Kani Math Premium (Yearly) โ€” billed yearly Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your Apple ID account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://www.kani-math.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.kani-math.com/privacy

Screenshots

Real Soroban4 screens
Kani Math4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Real Soroban at none against Kani Math's 2. Kani Math's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Kani Math sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Real Soroban asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Real Soroban ships an update fortnightly, Kani Math every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Real Soroban versus Kani Math: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReal SorobanKani Math
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better16.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size0 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developersatoshi amasakiTaheelWeb

In-app purchases

None

Real Soroban

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Kani Math

Subscriptions2
  • Kani Math Premium โ€” Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Kani Math Premium โ€” Yearly$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Real Soroban free?
Real Soroban is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kani Math free?
Kani Math is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Real Soroban or Kani Math have ads?
Neither Real Soroban nor Kani Math shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Real Soroban or Kani Math?
Real Soroban ships an update fortnightly, and Kani Math every 4 days. Most recently, Real Soroban was updated on October 29, 2026 and Kani Math on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons