Simple Soroban (Abacus) vs Abacus Trainer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Simple Soroban (Abacus)
Learn and practice Japanese abacus calculations with interactive tutorials and multiple modes. Customize your abacus experience and improve mental math skills with this completely free educational tool.
- Interactive tutorials for arithmetic
- Freeform, Relax, Challenge, and Anzan modes
- Configurable 7 or 9-column soroban
- Multiple color themes
- No ads or in-app purchases
- Mental calculation training
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Simple Soroban is a complete Japanese abacus in your pocket. Whether you are discovering the soroban for the first time or training for serious mental calculation, everything is included and everything is free. It's multi-touch and configurable, so it feels like a real soroban. LEARN Step-by-step interactive tutorials teach you addition, subtraction, multiplication and division from scratch. No prior knowledge needed: you will learn how to read the beads, manipulate numbers, use complements, and carry across columns at your own pace. PRACTICE Freeform mode: a realistic soroban, for homework, checkout sums or just playing with numbers Relax mode: solve calculations at your own pace and earn badges as you progress Challenge mode: race the clock and push your calculation speed to the next level Anzan mode: hides the beads so you manipulate the soroban in your mind, a technique used by mental calculation champions in Japan MAKE IT YOURS Choose between a 7-column or 9-column soroban Multiple color themes Plenty of settings to adapt the abacus to how you practice FREE, REALLY No ads. No in-app purchases. No accounts. No data collection. Simple Soroban is completely free, with nothing to unlock and nothing tracking you. Already trusted by millions of learners on Android, now available on iPhone. Whether you are a student learning arithmetic, a teacher looking for a classroom tool, or an adult keeping your mind sharp, Simple Soroban gives you the full path from your first bead flick to calculating entirely in your head.
Abacus Trainer
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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.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simple Soroban (Abacus) at none against Abacus Trainer's 1. Simple Soroban (Abacus) also leads on ads (none vs shown). Abacus Trainer's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.3). On price and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Abacus Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Simple Soroban (Abacus) asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Simple Soroban (Abacus) | Abacus Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | — | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.3 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Bruno Takahashi Carvalhas de Oliveira | Doni Winata |
In-app purchases
Simple Soroban (Abacus)
No in-app purchases
Abacus Trainer
- Remove Ads$4.99
Questions
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