Digital Slide Rule vs Calcu
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Digital Slide Rule
This app digitally recreates various types of slide rules, offering features not possible on physical models like color options and numeric displays. It includes a slideshow of famous slide rules and is best experienced on larger devices.
- Simulates straight, circular, spiral, and cylindrical slide rules
- Dozens of scales included
- Color options and numeric value displays
- Includes a slideshow of famous slide rules
- Supports two-finger pinch/zoom and image rotation
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The slide rule was used for over 400 years as a calculating/estimation tool. Abandoned with the advent of hand-held calculators, computers and smart phones, their elegant simplicity is still a thing of wonderment. This program replicates the most common types of slide rules: Straight, circular, spiral and cylindrical. Dozens of scales are included and numerous features that could never exist on a physical slide rule are also included, such as color options, numeric displays of the values under the hairlines, and so on. Slide rules were used to go to the moon and to build bridges, skyscrapers, tunnels, aqueducts and nearly everything else. Slide rules were simple to use and accurate enough for most occasions. Also, note that this program is processor-intensive and with heavy use, will probably drain your battery quickly. Every effort has been make the program efficient, but nevertheless, some functions take a few moments to occur, including initial load, which can take three or four seconds, or perhaps a little longer. Nearly 30,000 "nibs" are created during this time, as well as over 3,000 labels, so please be a little patient! Because of all the detail, it looks best and runs best on a large-format machine such as a tablet. Also because of all the detail, the 30-loop spiral slide rule converts to a low-rez "bitmap data image" while you move it, then back to a "vector based image" as soon as you release. Includes a brief side show slide show of famous and interesting slide rules, most of which are in the author's collection. Two are public-domain photographs of antique slide rules. --------------------------------------------------------- Notes on usage: Program features include "two-finger pinch/zoom." Slide rule slide show images can also be rotated. Enlarge an image by double-tapping in the same place. Tapping three times in the same place will return the program to the home position. Tapping four times will bring up an intro-screen message which requires tapping anywhere to remove. ---------------------------------------------------------- This program was first released in 2016 and is the product of a lifelong love of numbers (and 30+ years of programming experience!). Special thanks to the Oughtred Society for their member's invaluable help in evaluating the earliest versions of this program.
Calcu
This app provides advanced logarithmic calculations and explanations, covering equation solving, Taylor series, digit-by-digit computation, and integral definitions. It also simplifies expressions, solves complex logarithmic equations, and includes a virtual slide rule.
- Solves logarithmic equations for y, x, and a
- Explains Taylor series for log_e(x)
- Illustrates digit-by-digit log_10(x) computation
- Explains log_e definition via integrals
- Simplifies logarithmic expressions
- Calculates and graphs complex logarithms
- Includes virtual slide rule
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Calcu-Logarithm performs calculations and helps user understand logarithms on advanced level: 1. Solves equation "y = log_a(x)” for “y”, “x”, and “a”, with relevant graphs. 2. Explains and illustrates how to compute log_e (x) from Taylor series. 3. Explains and illustrates how to compute log_10 (x) digit by digit (based on M.Goldberg algorithm). 4. Explains and provides proof of log_e definition as the integral of x inverse. 5. Simplifies logarithmic expressions and solves logarithmic equations with polynomials of up to 20th degree. 6. Includes virtual slide rule for multiplication and division. 7. Calculates, explains, and graphs logarithms of complex numbers. Developers welcome any feedback, please write to us at graphmath@aol.com. Please check out our other Math apps.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Calcu at every 3 days against Digital Slide Rule's every 4 months. Digital Slide Rule's advantage is ratings volume (15 vs 1) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Digital Slide Rule against 5.0 for Calcu. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Digital Slide Rule has 15 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Digital Slide Rule ships an update every 4 months, Calcu every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Digital Slide Rule | Calcu |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (15 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 15 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 6.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 59 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ace Hoffman | Yuri Morozov |
Customer experience
Digital Slide Rule
Calcu
In-app purchases
Digital Slide Rule
No in-app purchases
Calcu
No in-app purchases









