Comparison

Digital Slide Rule vs Math Editor

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Math Editor

Create and organize mathematical notes and presentations with a user-friendly interface. Input complex notations, import or create images, and utilize voice commands. Export documents as PDFs or images, and generate LaTeX strings.

Highlights
  • Enter complex mathematical notations
  • Import and create images with built-in editor
  • Handwritten notes optimized for Apple Pencil
  • Create documents with rich formatting
  • Voice commands and custom shortcuts
  • Export to PDF and image formats
  • Generate LaTeX strings
Read full description

Create, customize and organize Math notes and presentations with friendly interface: • Enter fractions, square roots, exponents, subscripts, integrals, sums, products, limits, piecewise functions, matrices, and most other mathematical notations. • Import images from external sources, or create them with built in image editor. • Take handwritten notes with the image editor, optimized for Apple Pencil. • Create documents with headers, text content, formulas, matrices, images and written notes. Highlight, color code and choose from different fonts. • Use Apple’s Voice recognition plus Math Editor’s voice commands. Create your own voice and keyboard commands for formulas or matrices. • Convert documents into PDF format or image format and export the files. • Generate LaTeX strings from your typed entries. View string blocks between matching LaTeX delimiters. • Create presentations, record and export presentation videos. • Save your work on your device and in iCloud. Synchronize data between devices. Made for students, teachers, tutors, engineers, scientists, and anyone who needs polished custom Math notes on iPhone/iPad. Help is available. Dark mode is supported. We welcome feedback: graphmath@aol.com

Screenshots

Digital Slide Rule1 screens
Math Editor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Math Editor at every 3 days against Digital Slide Rule's every 4 months. Digital Slide Rule's advantage is ratings volume (14 vs 4) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 16.6). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Digital Slide Rule against 5.0 for Math Editor. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Digital Slide Rule ships an update every 4 months, Math Editor every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Digital Slide Rule versus Math Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDigital Slide RuleMath Editor
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (14 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings14 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS6.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAce HoffmanEteri Byazrova

Customer experience

Digital Slide Rule

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Math Editor

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Digital Slide Rule

No in-app purchases

None

Math Editor

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Digital Slide Rule free?
Digital Slide Rule is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Math Editor free?
Math Editor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Digital Slide Rule or Math Editor?
Digital Slide Rule and Math Editor are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 14 and 4 ratings respectively.
Do Digital Slide Rule or Math Editor have ads?
Neither Digital Slide Rule nor Math Editor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Digital Slide Rule or Math Editor?
Digital Slide Rule ships an update every 4 months, and Math Editor every 3 days. Most recently, Digital Slide Rule was updated on October 7, 2026 and Math Editor on September 27, 2026.

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