Soroban vs Kani Math
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Soroban
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Master mental math with Soroban: a powerful abacus learning app designed for students, beginners, and advanced learners who want to improve calculation speed, accuracy, and focus. Soroban (Japanese abacus) is a proven method for developing strong arithmetic skills and mental calculation (anzan). Whether you are just starting out or aiming to train high-speed mental math, this app provides a structured and engaging way to learn. WHO THIS APP IS FOR: โข Students learning arithmetic and building strong math foundations โข Parents looking for effective brain training and focus development tools โข Beginners starting with abacus (soroban) for the first time โข Advanced learners training anzan (mental math speed and accuracy) โข Anyone interested in brain training, calculation speed, and cognitive skills KEY FEATURES: โข Step-by-step lessons: Learn soroban from basic bead movement to advanced arithmetic โข Flash Anzan (mental math): Train your brain to calculate without a physical abacus โข Speed drills: Improve calculation speed and accuracy with timed exercises โข Daily challenges: Build consistency with short, repeatable practice sessions โข Workbook practice: Structured exercises for deeper understanding โข Free play mode: Use a fully interactive digital abacus anytime โข AI-powered insights: On-device intelligence for adaptive learning and homework scanning โข Progress tracking: Monitor accuracy, performance, and improvement over time WHY SOROBAN: โข Develops mental math (anzan) and arithmetic fluency โข Improves concentration, memory, and problem-solving skills โข Combines traditional Japanese learning with modern iOS design โข Designed specifically for iPhone and iPad for a smooth and immersive experience Soroban supports English, French, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese. Start your journey into faster thinking and stronger math skills today.
Kani Math
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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 โข Levels โ the guided path. A short lesson, then drills, then a final exam, with history kept for every skill. โข Virtual Abacus, Abacus Lab and Abacus Drill โ free play on a real soroban, timed target matching, and problems worked out on the beads. โข 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). โข 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. โข Times Tables โ study, quiz, timed and missing-factor modes, until they are automatic. โข Math Sprint โ how many correct answers before the clock runs out. โข Competition โ a full contest paper: pick a category from A to I, 200 questions, eight minutes, marked category by category. โข Anzan Exam and Flash Exam โ ranked practice papers from 10 kyu to 10th dan and 40 flash levels, in order. โข 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. โข 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. โข Kani Math Premium (Monthly) โ billed monthly โข 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
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Soroban at none against Kani Math's 2. Kani Math's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. Kani Math sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Soroban asks for nothing beyond the download.
Soroban ships an update every 2 weeks, Kani Math every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.
| Parameter | Soroban | Kani Math |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 3 days โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No โ better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 16.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Shweta Kumari | TaheelWeb |
In-app purchases
Soroban
No in-app purchases
Kani Math
- Kani Math Premium โ Monthly$5.991 Month
- Kani Math Premium โ Yearly$49.991 Year









