Madona vs xFormula
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Madona
Write and execute MATLAB and Octave code directly on your mobile device. Ideal for learning and testing code snippets with a custom keyboard and advanced editor. Supports plotting and graphing with detailed error output.
- Compile and run MATLAB/Octave code
- Supports plotting and graphing
- View program output or detailed error
- Custom keyboard for easy input
- Advanced source code editor
- Open, save, import, and share files
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Write MATLAB/Octave code directly on your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch! This app is ideal for learning and testing code snippets! The Octave language is an interpreted programming language. Its syntax is very similar to Matlab, and careful programming of a script will allow it to run on both Octave and Matlab. The language helps in solving linear and nonlinear problems numerically, and for performing other numerical experiments This app provides a mobile environment that allows you to execute Octave/MATLAB using the GNU Octave compiler. Features: - Compile and run your program - Supports plotting and graphing - View program output or detailed error - Select and run chunk of codes - Custom keyboard for easy input of frequently used characters - Optimized for connecting with external physical/bluetooth keyboard - Advanced source code editor with syntax highlighting and line numbers - Open, save, import and share files. - Language reference Limitations: - Internet connection is required for compilation - Maximum program running time is 20s - One file can be run at a time - Some file system, network and graphics functions may be limited - This is a batch compiler; interactive programs are not supported. For example, if your program provides an input prompt, enter the input in the Input tab prior to compilation.
xFormula
Create and edit mathematical equations with a visual interface. Export your work as images, LaTeX, MathML, or UnicodeMath for use in documents and presentations. Features include image recognition, formula libraries, and custom keyboards.
- Visual equation editing
- Export to image, LaTeX, MathML, UnicodeMath
- Image recognition for formulas
- Organized formula libraries
- Customizable keyboard for symbols
- Keyboard extension for other apps
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This is a math equation editor which could export the result as picture, LaTeX, MathML, UnicodeMath(Word). Include variables, binary operators, arrows, relations, brackets, underline, overline, accents, fraction, radical, large operator... Just download and have a try. ----- Functions: 1. Mathematical formula editing. 2. Import & Export - LaTeX (Pages, Keynote) - MathML (Pages, Keynote) - UnicodeMath (Word) - Image - SVG: If the .svg file is exported by xFormula, then it could be imported and edit again. 3. Image recognition - Setup large model API to recognize the math formula in the image. - The recognition of mathematical formulas in large models is getting better and better, but due to the large number of LaTeX commands for mathematical formulas, there may be some situations where the same symbol is different for different commands. xFormula cannot support all LaTeX commands yet, so there may be some exceptions. However, we will continue to optimize and be compatible with more commands in future versions 4. Mathematical formula library: - You can create several formula libraries at the same time, and each formula library can be exported and imported separately; - Under each formula library, there can be many categories, and under each category, there can be many groups. Under each group, formulas can be created and edited - Example 1: High School Mathematics Formula Library > Classification 1: Set, Classification 2: Geometry, Classification 3: Algebra - Example 2: Junior High School Mathematics Formula Library>Classification 1: Rational Numbers, Classification 2: Trigonometric Functions, Classification 3: Geometry 5. Mathematical style: - Due to font limitations, the mathematical formulas currently provided may have some pixel spacing flaws, and each style may also have several mathematical characters that are not supported. Please use them as appropriate. - We will continue to optimize mathematical styles, which is what we are concerned about. 6. Custom keyboard: -The frequency of mathematical symbols used varies at each stage, from elementary school, middle school, high school to university; The frequency of symbols used for sets, limits, matrices, functions, and each knowledge range is also different. So if you use it for a long time or frequently, it is strongly recommended to create a suitable input symbol keyboard for yourself, which is more efficient and saves more time than a universal keyboard. 7. Keyboard Extension - Could be directly used in the form of a keyboard in other text editing software - Due to the system's restrictions on keyboard Extension, there may be some abnormal situations. After installing the keyboard, if it cannot appear in the keyboard list, please restart the device and try again - Although currently compatible with iOS 15, it is recommended to use new devices as old devices may experience loading failures due to memory limitations and other issues 8. Help Document ----- Purchase: 1. This is a paid software and is provided for free download in the hope that users will know what features this software has and whether it is useful before purchasing. 2. As the payment methods for iOS and macOS were not unified when this software was first released, xFormula (iOS) and xFormula (macOS) need to be paid separately. The advantage of separate payment is pricing splitting, which means that if you only have a mobile device and don't have a Mac, you can save on the purchase cost of the Mac. If merged, the pricing will also be the sum of the current two pricing. 3. If you plan to use this software for a long time and consider upgrading more features in the future, it is recommended to purchase the Professional Edition. Terms of Service : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: http://guizhenjiaoyu.com/xformula/en/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
Madona and xFormula both sit at 3.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of xFormula's written reviews are positive against 33% of Madona's. xFormula also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (55 vs 16). Madona's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.1). On price, rating, update cadence 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. Madona sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and xFormula sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
xFormula holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 55 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Madona's written reviews are positive against 85% of xFormula's.
Madona ships an update monthly, xFormula every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Madona | xFormula |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (16 ratings) | 3.9 (55 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | 84.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 16 | 55 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ketan Appa | 煦 张 |
Customer experience
Madona
xFormula
In-app purchases
Madona
- Upgrade$2.99
xFormula
- Pro 1 Month (Auto-Renewable)$1.991 Month
- Advanced (Lifetime)$9.99
- Basic (Lifetime)$11.99
- Pro (Lifetime)$18.99








