Comparison

RPN vs Notes and Thoughts

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

Head to head
About

RPN

This app is a photo-realistic simulation of a classic Hewlett-Packard programmable business calculator. It offers advanced programming features, extensive register memory, and a library of pre-installed programs for various financial and statistical calculations.

Highlights
  • Photo-realistic look-and-feel
  • Programmable with subroutines and flags
  • 20 registers with unlimited store/recall
  • Indirect register addressing
  • Program library and sharing
  • Financial and statistical functions
  • Date and calendar calculations
Features
Read full description

RPN-38 CX is the first photo-realistic simulation of Hewlett-Packard's popular high-end programmable business calculator HP-38C for the iPhone. Produced from 1979 through 1983, it was the "Chive" member of the third-generation HP calculators known as the "Spice" series. While the simulator works like the original calculator, a number of carefully designed extensions make it a lot easier to use. RPN-38 CX is fully compatible with the HP-12C, except for calculations and programs involving Bonds and Depreciation. Features: • Photo-realistic look-and-feel • Programmable (99 steps, program memory not shared with register memory) • Subroutines, flags, loop control, extended conditional branching • Insert and delete steps with automatic address correction • 20 registers, "continuous", with unlimited store/recall arithmetic • Indirect register addressing • Register view • Program listing view • Program library view • Additional functions (nominal and effective interest rate) • Shortcuts for often-used key combinations • Store and retrieve any number of programs • Sharing: e-mail, AirDrop, Dropbox, copy, paste, print • 40 programs pre-installed Calculator functions: • Percentage (%, ∆%, %Total) • Simple and Compound Interest • Optional odd periods (like HP-12) • Nominal/Effective interest rate conversion • Amortization • Discounted Cash Flow Analysis • Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return • Date and Calendar (actual or 30/360 day basis) • Statistics (mean, weighted mean, standard deviation) • Linear Regression • Additional functions not found on the HP-38: - Subroutines, flags, loop control, random number, Pi, Log, x² and more Details: cuveesoft.ch/rpn38

About

Notes and Thoughts

Capture thoughts and ideas instantly without interrupting your current task. This minimalist tool sits in your menubar, offering a streamlined way to jot down notes and maintain focus. It's designed for users who prioritize efficiency and seamless workflow integration.

Highlights
  • Menubar integration
  • Quick idea capture
  • Workflow disruption-free
  • Focus-oriented design
  • Simple interface
Features
Read full description

Little Note redefines the way you take notes on your iPhone. Designed with simplicity and efficiency in mind, it sits quietly in your menubar, ready to capture your thoughts and ideas without disrupting your workflow. With Little Note, you never have to leave the context of your current task, making it the perfect tool for those who value focus and productivity.

Screenshots

RPN4 screens
Notes and Thoughts1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Notes and Thoughts at Free against RPN's $1.99. Notes and Thoughts also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). RPN's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 90%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.4). On ads, in-app purchases 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

Notes and Thoughts is free to download; RPN costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RPN ships an update every 2 months, Notes and Thoughts every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
RPN versus Notes and Thoughts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRPNNotes and Thoughts
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better90.0% of reviews
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.4
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCuVee SoftwareKevin Chromik

Customer experience

RPN

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Notes and Thoughts

Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

In-app purchases

None

RPN

No in-app purchases

None

Notes and Thoughts

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RPN free?
RPN costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Notes and Thoughts free?
Notes and Thoughts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do RPN or Notes and Thoughts have ads?
Neither RPN nor Notes and Thoughts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RPN or Notes and Thoughts?
RPN ships an update every 2 months, and Notes and Thoughts every 3 weeks. Most recently, RPN was updated on October 12, 2026 and Notes and Thoughts on October 10, 2026.

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