epicGM vs Calamus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
epicGM
This app serves as a digital DM screen, battlemap, and compendium for tabletop role-playing games. It helps manage game notes, track combat encounters, and quickly look up game information. Users can also import and export campaign data.
- Digital DM notes with maps and images
- Combat tracker for health and initiative
- Quick compendium lookup
- Interactive battlemap with tokens
- XML and Dropbox support for data import/export
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epicGM is a digital dm screen, compendium and battlemap for your RPG needs. DM Notes Create DM notes, add maps and images and quick links to monsters. Notes also allow you to create Random Tables that add rolled encounters to combat. Combat Tracker Easily tracks PC and Monsters health and initiative. The combat tracker allows you to quickly view monsters stats and roll attack and damage dice. Compendium Offers a quick look up allowing you to search for anything from the compendium by name. Battlemap Run combat by loading images as a battle map. Add PC and Monster tokens and quickly assign AOE damage with Dice Nodes. XML and Dropbox Support Import and export compendiums or campaign notes via XML. Also supports FightClub PC xmls In-App Purchase The App is free to download but you are limited to 3 campaigns with 3 adventures each. In-App purchases unlock additional features and perks. *The app only comes with open 5e content and you will need to import or add additional content.
Calamus
Create expansive battlemaps with hand-drawn tiles for tabletop RPGs. Design custom character tokens and host real-time games where players can move their own pieces. Engage in robust chat, sending messages as yourself or any in-game token.
- Create large battlemaps
- Dozens of hand-drawn tiles
- Custom PC, NPC, FOE tokens
- Host real-time games
- Player character movement
- Robust in-game chat
- Send messages as tokens
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The Calamus is a companion for tabletop roleplaying games, such as Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder, that allows you to create huge battlemaps utilizing dozens of hand-drawn tiles, create custom PC, NPC, and FOE tokens, and host games in which players can add and move their own characters in real-time. It also features a robust chat, in which you can send messages as yourself or any token you have in play, publicly or privately. You can find our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy here: http://trapstreetstudios.com/theCalamus/tos/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: epicGM at 4.3 against Calamus's 3.3. On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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. epicGM sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Calamus sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
epicGM holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 101 and 83 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of epicGM's written reviews are positive against 33% of Calamus's.
epicGM ships an update every 2 months, Calamus monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | epicGM | Calamus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (101 ratings) — better | 3.3 (83 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 36.8% of reviews — better | 32.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 101 — better | 83 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 237 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Stanley Sison | TrapStreet Studios |
Customer experience
epicGM
Calamus
Bugs and requests
epicGM
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Calamus
Reported bugs
40 issues- No undo option
- Walls erase when removing objects
- Rune password login issues
- Water turns light blue when saving/cropping
- App repeatedly asks for password
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- Pop-ups are disruptive
- Download issues
- Support issues
- Map saving issues
- App crashes
- Broken text formatting
- Tabs do not work
- Program freezes while placing tiles
- Login issues after canceling subscription
- Pinch and pull zoom doesn't work
- Erase button in wrong menu
- Forced password system
- Locked out if away from app for too long
- Not designed for mobile user experience
- Maps don't save properly
- App never loads
- Never got to do much of anything
- Non-functional, never makes it past loading screen
- Monetization model kills it
- Forced subscription after idle period
- Limited variety of items
- Cannot download saved maps
- App asks for subscription after payment
- Free app with subscription service
- Too complicated login process
- Freezes when adding players
- Rune password is confusing
- Subscription is a big problem
- Keeps locking, requires frequent passcode entry
- Slowdown on larger maps
- Text is incredibly small
- Menu screen swipe function doesn't work
- Cannot figure out rune password
- Slow learning curve
- No simple tutorial
Requested features
18 requests- Add undo option
- Improve Apple Pencil support
- Add more assets like columns
- Add desert themed items
- Add steering wheel and crows nest
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- Add fungi for underdark maps
- Allow watching ads instead of subscription
- Fix water color issue when saving/cropping
- Improve login process
- Add more variety of items
- Allow downloading saved maps to device
- Implement a one-time purchase option
- Add more content
- Change rune password system to typed password or tap option
- Add more VTT features
- Provide a simple tutorial
- Allow maps to be exported as PDFs
- Allow maps to be printed
In-app purchases
epicGM
- Small Donation$0.99
- BGM Atmosphere$1.99
- BGM Combat$1.99
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- BGM Location$1.99
- Premium2 variants$2.99
- Map Tool Addon$2.99
- Medium Donation$2.99
- Large Donation$4.99
Calamus
- Calamus Player Only$0.991 Month
- Full Version - Monthly$2.991 Month
- Calamus Monthly Subscription$3.491 Month
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- Full Version - Yearly$29.991 Year
- Calamus Yearly Subscription$39.991 Year
- More Tokens Slots (12)$0.99
- More Tokens Slots (30)$0.99
- More Tokens Slots (24)$0.99
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- All Epic Token Icons$0.99
- 2x2 Token Ring$0.99
- More Map Slots (6)$0.99
- More Tokens Slots (6)$0.99
- Full Roommaker$1.99
- All Epic Token Rings$2.99
- Player Enhanced Version$2.99







