Comparison

Mental Abacus Expert vs Soroban Training

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

Head to head
About

Mental Abacus Expert

Enhance your mental arithmetic abilities with this app that utilizes abacus-based exercises. Improve concentration and working memory through four distinct training modules designed to build mental calculation skills.

Highlights
  • Four abacus-based arithmetic exercises
  • Develops concentration and working memory
  • Practice mental abacus technique
  • Modern (4+1) or classic (5+2) abacus types
  • Text and video instructions
  • Built-in speech engine
  • Beginner and expert modes
Features
Read full description

Working with the Mental abacus app will help you develop your mental arithmetic skills using the abacus. The four different types of exercises also trains your concentration and working memory. Exercise 1 - Quick interpretation of abacus figures. This exercise will practice your ability to imagine and keep the images clear in your mind. It is a skill that is essential if you want to develop mental arithmetic with the so-called mental abacus technique. Exercise 2 - Quick perception of numbers. The aim of this exercise is to develop your ability to quickly percept numbers in numerical form, remember the numbers, and then transfer them to abacus form. Exercise 3 - View / listen to numbers and count on an Abacus. In this exercise, you practice addition, subtraction or mixed arithmetic. This activity provides opportunities for you to develop mental abacus technique- that is the ability to order your mind’s eye to imagine an abacus, and then make the calculations on this inner, virtual abacus. Exercise 4 - Listen and/or view numbers and count on a Mental Abacus. This exercise practice your ability to imagine an abacus and make calculations on it. By practicing all four steps of the Mental Abacus app at each training session, you will notice that it gets easier and easier to mentally retain and imagine the beads movements for your inner eye. It is possible to train a fast and accurate mental arithmetic skill this way. Features - Four exercises that practice your arithmetic skills and develops mental abacus technique. - Choose between modern (4+1) or classic (5+2) abacus type. - Text- and video instructions. - The app has built in speech engine. - Choose between beginner mode and expert mode on the two last exercises.

About

Soroban Training

Practice abacus calculations directly on your touchscreen device. Generate custom problems to hone your skills with both digital and physical abacuses. Ideal for learners of all levels to improve mental math abilities.

Highlights
  • Touchscreen abacus simulation
  • Custom problem generation
  • Practice with physical abacus
  • Mental math skill development
  • Educational tool
Features
Read full description

This app enables you to play an abacus on the touch screen. You can also just create problems, so you can practice the abacus using your actual abacus.

Screenshots

Mental Abacus Expert4 screens
Soroban Training4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Soroban Training at 4.7 against Mental Abacus Expert's 4.1. Soroban Training also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 50%) and ratings volume (182 vs 7). Mental Abacus Expert's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Soroban Training sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mental Abacus Expert asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Soroban Training holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Soroban Training has 182 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Mental Abacus Expert's written reviews are positive against 80% of Soroban Training's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mental Abacus Expert ships an update every 3 weeks, Soroban Training every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Mental Abacus Expert versus Soroban Training: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMental Abacus ExpertSoroban Training
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (7 ratings)4.7 (182 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews80.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7182 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS7.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLindbla Las och Skrivutveckling ABJumpei Adachi

Customer experience

Mental Abacus Expert

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral33.3%
Negative16.7%

Soroban Training

All ratings181 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral2.8%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral4.3%
Negative15.2%

In-app purchases

None

Mental Abacus Expert

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Soroban Training

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is Mental Abacus Expert free?
Mental Abacus Expert is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Soroban Training free?
Soroban Training is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mental Abacus Expert or Soroban Training?
Soroban Training is rated higher. Mental Abacus Expert averages 4.1 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Soroban Training averages 4.7 from 182 ratings.
Do Mental Abacus Expert or Soroban Training have ads?
Soroban Training shows ads; Mental Abacus Expert does not.
Which is updated more often, Mental Abacus Expert or Soroban Training?
Mental Abacus Expert ships an update every 3 weeks, and Soroban Training every 2 weeks. Most recently, Mental Abacus Expert was updated on November 1, 2026 and Soroban Training on November 11, 2026.

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