Comparison

Copper vs RPN

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

Head to head
About

Copper

View and analyze EAGLE CAD files, including PCB layouts and schematics, directly on your mobile device. Create and render photorealistic 3D models of your PCBs with customizable lighting and materials. Organize your imported files into a convenient pocket library.

Highlights
  • View EAGLE CAD files
  • Analyze PCB layouts and schematics
  • Create 3D PCB models
  • Assign 3D models to footprints
  • Real-time photorealistic rendering
  • Import files from various sources
  • Organize files in a personal library
Features
Read full description

Open any EAGLE CAD file (from version 6 and above) directly on your iPhone and investigate the PCB layout and schematics with your finger. Select parts and signals, manage parts and Bill of Materials. Copper creates 3D versions of your PCB including parts that you assign from our extensive 3D model library to your footprints. Copper then renders a photorealistic representation in real time that you can touch, rotate and move in a virtual studio. Setup lights and materials like the solder mask or the floor. Import EAGLE files from any source like the web (just download a ZIP file with EAGLE files), from Github, your Dropbox, or send PCB files directly via Airdrop, Mail or iMessage to your iPhone or iPad. Every file you import is kept in Coppers library. This way you can build up a nice library of PCBs and Schematics right in your pocket. Copper is also available for the Mac and both share the same codebase and file format.

About

RPN

This app is a photo-realistic simulation of a classic Hewlett-Packard programmable scientific calculator from the 1970s. It includes a 100-hour digital timer, clock functions, and original HP programs.

Highlights
  • Photo-realistic look-and-feel
  • Programmable with conditional branching
  • 100-hr timer and 12/24-hr clock
  • Original HP programs built-in
  • Extended features for enhanced usability
  • Sharing via email, AirDrop, and more
Features
Read full description

RPN-55 SD is the first photo-realistic simulation for the iPhone of Hewlett-Packard's low-cost alternative to the famous HP-65 programmable scientific calculator. Produced from 1975 through 1977, it was the "Merlin" member of the classic HP calculator series, priced at $395. HP claimed that it featured "(...) more pre-programmed functions than any other scientific pocket calculator in the world." A main feature of the HP-55 was a crystal-controlled 100-hr digital timer with the ability to store times while the timer was running and later recall them. On RPN-55 SD the timer may also act as a 12-hr or 24-hr clock, including date and weekday display. While the simulator works just like the original calculator – except being much faster and having twice the program memory – you can turn on extended features to make it even more enjoyable to use. RPN-55 SD comes complete with original HP programs built in. Features: • Photo-realistic look-and-feel • Vintage mode or Extended mode • Programmable (99 steps), conditional branching • Insert and delete steps with automatic address correction • Delete range of steps • Subroutines (4 levels) • 20 registers, "continuous", with unrestricted store/recall arithmetic • "Live" register view • Program listing view • Program library view • Store and retrieve any number of programs • 100-hr timer supporting 10 split times and 12/24-hr clock mode with date • Swap unit conversions with additional functions, e.g. hyperbolics • Sharing: e-mail, AirDrop, Dropbox, copy, paste, print • 112 programs pre-installed Calculator functions: • Statistics (linear regression, mean, standard deviation, correlation coefficient, x- and y-estimates) • Trigonometric functions (degrees, radians, grads) • Polar/rectangular conversions • Inverse, square root, logarithm, exponential, pi • Storage arithmetic (store and recall) • Percent, absolute, integer, fractional value, round • Factorial • Random number • Unit and hours conversions Details: cuveesoft.ch/rpn55

Screenshots

Copper4 screens
RPN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RPN at 100% against Copper's 47%. RPN also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.3) and price ($1.99 vs $4.99). Copper's advantage is iOS requirement (9.3 vs 12.0). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Copper costs $4.99 and RPN $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RPN holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Copper's written reviews are positive against 100% of RPN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Copper versus RPN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCopperRPN
Price$4.99$1.99 — better
Rating3.3 (13 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS9.3 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB17 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPhillip SchusterCuVee Software

Customer experience

Copper

All ratings13 ratings
Positive46.2%
Neutral15.4%
Negative38.5%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive47.4%
Neutral10.5%
Negative42.1%

RPN

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Copper

No in-app purchases

None

RPN

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Copper free?
Copper costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is RPN free?
RPN costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Copper or RPN?
RPN is rated higher. Copper averages 3.3 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while RPN averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Copper or RPN have ads?
Neither Copper nor RPN shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Copper or RPN?
Copper ships an update every 3 months, and RPN every 3 months. Most recently, Copper was updated on October 12, 2026 and RPN on October 20, 2026.

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