Comparison

A3S 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

A3S

Features
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Design Changes

About

Abacus Trainer

Features
Read full description

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

A3S4 screens
Abacus Trainer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: A3S at none against Abacus Trainer's shown. A3S also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
A3S versus Abacus Trainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterA3SAbacus Trainer
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 โ€” better15.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size30 MB30 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperDeccan Spark TechnologiesDoni Winata

In-app purchases

None

A3S

No in-app purchases

None

Abacus Trainer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is A3S free?
A3S is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Abacus Trainer free?
Abacus Trainer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do A3S or Abacus Trainer have ads?
Abacus Trainer shows ads; A3S does not.
Which is updated more often, A3S or Abacus Trainer?
A3S ships an update every 2 weeks, and Abacus Trainer every 2 weeks. Most recently, A3S was updated on October 7, 2026 and Abacus Trainer on October 13, 2026.

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