Comparison

epicGM vs Calamus

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

epicGM4 screens
Calamus4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

epicGM ships an update every 2 months, Calamus monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
epicGM versus Calamus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterepicGMCalamus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (101 ratings) — better3.3 (83 ratings)
Positive reviews36.8% of reviews — better32.5% of reviews
Number of ratings101 — better83
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size237 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStanley SisonTrapStreet Studios

Customer experience

epicGM

All ratings99 ratings
Positive79.8%
Neutral10.1%
Negative10.1%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive36.8%
Neutral21.1%
Negative42.1%

Calamus

All ratings83 ratings
Positive51.8%
Neutral16.9%
Negative31.3%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive32.5%
Neutral17.5%
Negative50.0%

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
Show 35 more
  • 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
Show 13 more
  • 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

8 purchases

epicGM

One-time8
  • Small Donation$0.99
  • BGM Atmosphere$1.99
  • BGM Combat$1.99
Show 5 more
  • BGM Location$1.99
  • Premium2 variants$2.99
  • Map Tool Addon$2.99
  • Medium Donation$2.99
  • Large Donation$4.99
15 purchases

Calamus

Subscriptions5
  • Calamus Player Only$0.991 Month
  • Full Version - Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Calamus Monthly Subscription$3.491 Month
Show 2 more
  • Full Version - Yearly$29.991 Year
  • Calamus Yearly Subscription$39.991 Year
One-time10
  • More Tokens Slots (12)$0.99
  • More Tokens Slots (30)$0.99
  • More Tokens Slots (24)$0.99
Show 7 more
  • 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

Questions

Is epicGM free?
epicGM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Calamus free?
Calamus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, epicGM or Calamus?
epicGM is rated higher. epicGM averages 4.3 out of 5 from 101 ratings, while Calamus averages 3.3 from 83 ratings.
Do epicGM or Calamus have ads?
Neither epicGM nor Calamus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, epicGM or Calamus?
epicGM ships an update every 2 months, and Calamus monthly. Most recently, epicGM was updated on October 24, 2026 and Calamus on October 24, 2026.

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