# Hacker Note vs Calculator Classic Basic

The clearest difference is price: Calculator Classic Basic at Free against Hacker Note's $9.99. Calculator Classic Basic also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). Hacker Note's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Calculator Classic Basic is free to download; Hacker Note costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Hacker Note ships an update fortnightly, Calculator Classic Basic every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacker Note | Calculator Classic Basic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 36 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [yuki okada](https://appshunter.io/developer/1505937141) | [Matrix Software Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457004046) |

## What reviewers say

### Hacker Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-note-cool-design/id1541110936)

This note-taking app offers a unique "coolness" with a design inspired by hackers and sci-fi movies. Enjoy a futuristic feel with a transparent background option and customizable themes. It includes essential features like categorization, password protection, and cloud backup.

**Highlights:** High-performance and simple functionality, Transparent app background, Theme color customization, Category management, HTML and Markdown output, Password protection, Google Drive backup

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Calculator Classic Basic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calculator-classic-basic/id6745878564)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hacker Note free?

Hacker Note costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Calculator Classic Basic free?

Calculator Classic Basic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Hacker Note or Calculator Classic Basic have ads?

Calculator Classic Basic shows ads; Hacker Note does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hacker Note or Calculator Classic Basic?

Hacker Note ships an update fortnightly, and Calculator Classic Basic every 5 days. Most recently, Hacker Note was updated on September 8, 2026 and Calculator Classic Basic on September 11, 2026.

---

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