# Formula Box (LaTeX) vs mechanical design engine

The clearest difference is ads: mechanical design engine at none against Formula Box (LaTeX)'s shown. mechanical design engine also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 49 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Formula Box (LaTeX) ships an update every 49 months, mechanical design engine every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 9, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Formula Box (LaTeX) | mechanical design engine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/formula-box-latex/id1366207056/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 49 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [坤宁 毛](https://appshunter.io/developer/1201945856) | [gan dae choi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1574341439) |

## What reviewers say

### Formula Box (LaTeX)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/formula-box-latex/id1366207056)

This app allows users to write and edit mathematical and scientific formulas using LaTeX notation. It features a smart equation solver, a public formula library, and the ability to save and organize personal formulas. Calculations can be performed offline with high precision.

**Highlights:** LaTeX-powered formula editor, Smart equation solver, Public formula library, Personal formula collection, Variable presets, High-precision results

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### mechanical design engine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mechanical-design-engine/id1574341437)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Formula Box (LaTeX) free?

Formula Box (LaTeX) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is mechanical design engine free?

mechanical design engine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Formula Box (LaTeX) or mechanical design engine have ads?

Formula Box (LaTeX) shows ads; mechanical design engine does not.

### Which is updated more often, Formula Box (LaTeX) or mechanical design engine?

Formula Box (LaTeX) ships an update every 49 months, and mechanical design engine every 2 months. Most recently, Formula Box (LaTeX) was updated on June 9, 2026 and mechanical design engine on September 8, 2026.

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