# Madona vs xFormula

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Madona | xFormula |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/madona-run-matlaboctave-code/id1332444309/reviews) | **[3.9 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xformula-equation-editor/id1477136751/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **55** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **84.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ketan Appa](https://appshunter.io/developer/576435759) | [煦 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/494537607) |

## What reviewers say

### Madona

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/madona-run-matlaboctave-code/id1332444309)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade | $2.99 | one-time |


### xFormula

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xformula-equation-editor/id1477136751)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro 1 Month (Auto-Renewable) | $1.99 | per month |
| Advanced (Lifetime) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Basic (Lifetime) | $11.99 | one-time |
| Pro (Lifetime) | $18.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Madona free?

Madona is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is xFormula free?

xFormula is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Madona or xFormula?

xFormula is rated higher. Madona averages 3.7 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while xFormula averages 3.9 from 55 ratings.

### Do Madona or xFormula have ads?

Madona shows ads; xFormula does not.

### Which is updated more often, Madona or xFormula?

Madona ships an update monthly, and xFormula every 3 weeks. Most recently, Madona was updated on September 7, 2026 and xFormula on September 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*