# Beam HPC vs iHP48

The clearest difference is rating: iHP48 at 4.6 against Beam HPC's 4.2. iHP48 also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 18 months) and ratings volume (302 vs 5). Beam HPC's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 88%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

iHP48 holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iHP48 has 302 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Beam HPC's written reviews are positive against 88% of iHP48's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Beam HPC ships an update every 18 months, iHP48 monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Beam HPC | iHP48 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-hpc/id1447917199/reviews) | **[4.6 (302 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ihp48/id1549608953/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **302** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 88.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 18 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kurt Gramoll](https://appshunter.io/developer/782218116) | [Alexis Lorca](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549608955) |

## What reviewers say

### Beam HPC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-hpc/id1447917199)

This app calculates structural diagrams for beams, including moment, shear, and deflection. It supports various loads, supports, and material properties, allowing for interactive adjustments and comparisons. Designed for educational purposes, it helps users visualize and understand beam behavior.

**Highlights:** Moment, shear, and deflection diagrams, Multiple load types (forces, moments, distributed), Adjustable support conditions (pinned, fixed, roller), Segmented beams with varying properties, Interactive drag-and-drop interface, Educational focus on beam behavior

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### iHP48

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ihp48/id1549608953)

This app brings the powerful HP48 calculator experience to your mobile device. It offers enhanced performance, seamless file management, and a customizable interface with support for various HP calculator models. Enjoy a familiar and convenient calculator solution without needing extra hardware.

**Highlights:** Supports HP38, HP39, HP48, HP49, HP50 calculators, Haptic feedback and customizable zoom options, Seamless file transfer via iTunes and Files app, Cloud storage integration (iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox), Object saving/loading and copy/paste functionality, Access to calculator packages, skins, and ROMs, Internal file manager and extensible settings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent emulation of HP48
- 👍 Familiar and nostalgic feel
- 👍 Comprehensive functionality
- 👍 Customizable skins
- 👍 Haptic feedback

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🐛 Missed keystrokes when typing quickly
- 🐛 Blank or flickering display
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Inability to save state across sessions
- Incompatibility with certain iOS devices

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to disable haptic feedback
- Support for HP50G emulation
- Improved keyboard mapping and arrow key functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Beam HPC free?

Beam HPC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is iHP48 free?

iHP48 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Beam HPC or iHP48?

iHP48 is rated higher. Beam HPC averages 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while iHP48 averages 4.6 from 302 ratings.

### Do Beam HPC or iHP48 have ads?

Neither Beam HPC nor iHP48 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Beam HPC or iHP48?

Beam HPC ships an update every 18 months, and iHP48 monthly. Most recently, Beam HPC was updated on October 24, 2026 and iHP48 on October 24, 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.*