Comparison

Kani Math vs Zell

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

Head to head
About

Kani Math

Features
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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 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

About

Zell

Features
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Zell is a comprehensive Islamic app designed to help you deepen your faith and stay connected to your spiritual journey every day. Whether you want to read the Holy Quran, discover new books, or track your daily prayers, Zell provides a seamless and enriching experience right at your fingertips. Core Features: - Rich Islamic Library: Access a completely free, growing collection of books, insightful articles, and curated videos carefully managed by the Zell team. - Quran & Dua Reader: Engage with the Holy Quran and daily supplications through a beautifully designed, user-friendly reading interface. - Accurate Prayer Times: Stay consistent with your daily worship using our reliable prayer time tracker. - Smart Reading Tools: Personalize your study by saving your reading progress, highlighting meaningful text, taking personal notes, and bookmarking your favorite pages. - Curated Q&A: Expand your knowledge with a dedicated Question and Answer section, thoughtfully managed by our team. - Optional Cross-Device Sync: Jump right in! You do not need an account to enjoy Zell. However, if you choose to create a free account, you can seamlessly sync your custom shelves, bookmarks, and notes across all your devices.

Screenshots

Kani Math4 screens
Zell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Zell at none against Kani Math's 2. Kani Math's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). 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. Zell asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kani Math ships an update every 4 days, Zell every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Kani Math versus Zell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKani MathZell
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 days โ€” betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS16.015.6 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size16 MB80 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTaheelWebNL sh.p.k.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Kani Math

Subscriptions2
  • Kani Math Premium โ€” Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Kani Math Premium โ€” Yearly$49.991 Year
None

Zell

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kani Math free?
Kani Math is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Zell free?
Zell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Kani Math or Zell have ads?
Neither Kani Math nor Zell shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kani Math or Zell?
Kani Math ships an update every 4 days, and Zell every 2 months. Most recently, Kani Math was updated on October 24, 2026 and Zell on October 24, 2026.

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