Comparison

Real Soroban vs Abacus Trainer

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
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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

Abacus Trainer

Features
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Train your brain to calculate without a calculator. Abacus Trainer teaches mental arithmetic the Japanese soroban way - slide real beads first, then learn to see the abacus in your head. 160 levels across 8 grades take you from your very first bead to full Flash Anzan speed, one small step at a time. THREE WAYS TO PRACTICE - Show All: every number on screen at once. The gentle way in. - Flash Anzan: numbers flash one by one and get faster each level. Builds working memory, focus and calculation speed. - Auditory Anzan: nothing to read. Numbers are spoken aloud and you calculate purely by ear. INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL SOROBAN Slide the beads with your finger on a real 5-bead soroban. Guide markers show what each rod is worth, and a free sandbox lets you build any number you like. Answer on the abacus itself or on the keypad - whichever trains you better. A CURRICULUM THAT ACTUALLY RAMPS - Addition first, subtraction from Grade 2, decimals from Grade 7. - Number chains grow from 3 numbers up to 12; values from 1 digit to 3. - Flash speed tightens from 2.0 seconds down to 0.4 seconds per number. Every level is at least as hard as the one before it, so there are no difficulty cliffs - just steady progress. MULTIPLY AND DIVIDE ON THE BEADS Step-by-step lessons show every bead move for multiplication and division on the soroban, then short practice sets let you try each shape, from 2 digits by 1 up to 3 digits by 2. BUILD YOUR OWN DRILL Custom Mode lets you set everything: addition and subtraction, multiplication or division, number of digits, rows, question count, flash speed, negatives and decimals. Ideal for competition prep or for drilling the one thing you keep getting wrong. PROGRESS YOU CAN SEE Accuracy, answer times, questions answered, best runs and unlocked badges - per grade and over time. Watch your average answer time drop week after week. COLLECT COMPANION CATS Level up to unlock and customise your own cat companion. Cozy, calm visuals with a dark theme make long practice sessions easy on the eyes, and the whole app stays suitable for all ages. WHO IT IS FOR Kids starting soroban or abacus class. Students training for mental arithmetic and speed-math competitions. Parents looking for screen time that actually teaches something. Adults who want to keep their brain sharp and add faster than they can reach for a phone. Practice runs offline, so a train ride or a waiting room is a training session. Free to download, supported by ads. One optional purchase removes the ads for good - every level, every mode and every cat is there either way, and nothing is locked behind a payment. Available in 8 languages including English, Indonesian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, French, Italian, and Vietnamese. Download Abacus Trainer and start seeing the beads in your head.

Screenshots

Real Soroban4 screens
Abacus Trainer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Real Soroban at none against Abacus Trainer's 1. Real Soroban also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, 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. Abacus Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Real Soroban asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Real Soroban versus Abacus Trainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReal SorobanAbacus Trainer
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size0 MB31 MB
Age rating4+9+
Developersatoshi amasakiDoni Winata

In-app purchases

None

Real Soroban

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Abacus Trainer

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$4.99

Questions

Is Real Soroban free?
Real Soroban is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Abacus Trainer free?
Abacus Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Real Soroban or Abacus Trainer have ads?
Abacus Trainer shows ads; Real Soroban does not.
Which is updated more often, Real Soroban or Abacus Trainer?
Real Soroban ships an update fortnightly, and Abacus Trainer fortnightly. Most recently, Real Soroban was updated on October 3, 2026 and Abacus Trainer on October 25, 2026.

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