RPN vs Nixie Calculator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RPN
Experience a faithful simulation of the groundbreaking HP-65 programmable calculator on your iPhone. This app offers virtual program and data cards, a paper tape printer, and a robust card manager. Explore four distinct operating modes, including an enhanced "Super-65" option.
- Virtual program and data cards
- Virtual paper tape printer with AirPrint
- Database-driven card manager
- Create, delete, and organize unlimited cards
- Sharing via email, AirDrop, Dropbox, iTunes
- Paste and run existing HP-65 listings
- Four distinct operating modes
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World's first pocket computer! Now running on your iPhone. RPN-65 SD is the iPhone version of RPN-65 Pro, the first complete simulation of Hewlett-Packard's stunning HP-65 programmable calculator for iOS. Produced from 1974 to 1977 at an initial price of $795 (that's close to $5,000 today!), the HP-65 was a breakthrough. Not only was it programmable, it also contained a motorized magnetic card reader - and still fit into Bill Hewlett's shirt pocket. Experience this revolutionary calculator on your iPhone. With over 180 original HP programs included with the app, you can get started right away. "A work of art. Fantastic!" (MacBreak Weekly, episode 572) Features: • Virtual program and data cards • Virtual 2000-line paper tape printer supports AirPrint • Powerful database-driven card manager • Create, delete, label, and organize a virtually unlimited number of cards • Sharing: e-mail, AirDrop, Dropbox, iTunes, copy, paste, print • Paste existing HP-65 listings into RPN-65 and run them • "Live" display of stack, memory registers, program counter, flags • Reads program and data cards created by RPN-65 Pro • Reads data cards created by RPN-67 Pro/SD and RPN-97 Pro Run RPN-65 SD in any of 4 modes: 1 - Just like the original HP-65 2 - Like the original HP-65, but at much higher speed 3 - With many user-interface improvements, like backstep key or jump to any program step 4 - "Super-65" with 999 program steps, 120 labels, 120 registers, nested subroutines, and much more For details, free program downloads, calculator handbook and much more, visit the RPN-65 website: cuveesoft.ch/rpn65
Nixie Calculator
This calculator app features a digital paper tape to display entries, which can be copied or shared. It offers various customization options like color schemes, rounding, and display modes, blending retro aesthetics with modern device technology.
- Paper tape for entry display
- Copy and paste functionality
- Customizable color schemes
- Adjustable rounding and exponential modes
- Classic Nixie font option
- Thousand separator styles
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Features of Nixie Calculator: • Paper tape to display what you have entered. Can be copied or shared • Copy and paste entries Settings available: • Color schemes • Color layouts (in-app purchase) • Rounding options • Exponential modes • Use classic Nixie font for the display • Separators embedded with the digits • Classic pyramid and illuminated thousand separators • Classic red filter The calculator is a rounding or truncating type to fit numbers into the fixed display. Please enjoy this calculator that combines one of the first display technologies with state of the art in phone and tablet technology.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Nixie Calculator at Free against RPN's $2.99. Nixie Calculator also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). RPN's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (100% vs 67%). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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
Nixie Calculator is free to download; RPN costs $2.99 up front. Nixie Calculator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. RPN asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for RPN against 4.9 for Nixie Calculator. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 15 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of RPN's written reviews are positive against 67% of Nixie Calculator's.
RPN ships an update every 4 months, Nixie Calculator monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RPN | Nixie Calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (8 ratings) — better | 4.9 (15 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 | 15 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 62 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CuVee Software | UNB SYSTEMS PTY LTD |
Customer experience
RPN
Nixie Calculator
In-app purchases
RPN
No in-app purchases
Nixie Calculator
- Color Layouts$2.99









