# Basic Calculations vs Recursion

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Recursion at none against Basic Calculations's 5. Recursion also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Basic Calculations sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Recursion asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Basic Calculations | Recursion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Size | 26 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [涛 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499197098) | [少鹏 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1631826684) |

## What reviewers say

### Basic Calculations

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-calculations/id1499197099)

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scan all functions: 1 month | $0.99 | per month |
| Scan all functions: 6 months | $1.99 | per 6 months |
| Scan all functions: 1 year | $2.99 | per year |
| Full calc | Free | one-time |
| Scan full version | $4.99 | one-time |


### Recursion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recursion/id6443852888)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Basic Calculations free?

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

### Is Recursion free?

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

### Do Basic Calculations or Recursion have ads?

Neither Basic Calculations nor Recursion shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Basic Calculations or Recursion?

Basic Calculations ships an update every 3 weeks, and Recursion every 3 weeks. Most recently, Basic Calculations was updated on October 8, 2026 and Recursion on October 4, 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.*