Comparison

picocalc vs RPN

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

picocalc

This app displays a single number on your home screen badge, which can be set, added to, or subtracted from. It's a minimalist tool for quick numerical reminders. Negative numbers and zero are not displayed on the badge.

Highlights
  • Set a number
  • Add to number
  • Subtract from number
  • Home screen badge display
  • Hides zero and negative numbers
Features
Read full description

picocalc is a tiny number memo which can be set, added and subtracted. The number is show as an application badge in the home screen. Zero and a negative number won't be shown in the badge.

About

RPN

This app simulates a legendary scientific calculator, offering photo-realistic visuals and advanced functions like integration and root finding. It includes built-in programs and extensions for enhanced usability, making it a powerful tool for complex calculations.

Highlights
  • Photo-realistic look-and-feel
  • Programmable with 999 steps
  • Integration and root solving
  • Built-in application programs
  • Live register view
  • Program library and backup
  • Sharing via email, AirDrop, Dropbox
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

RPN-34 CE is the first photo-realistic simulation of Hewlett-Packard's popular mid-range scientific calculator HP-34C for the iPhone. Produced from 1979 through 1983, it was the "Basil" member of the third-generation HP calculators known as the "Spice" series. It was the first pocket-calculator ever capable of doing integration and root finding. While the simulator works like the original calculator, a number of carefully designed extensions, along with the tremendously improved speed, make it joy to use even today. RPN-34 CE comes with the programs of HP's "Applications", "Mathematics", "Surveying", "Student Engineering", and "Statistics" application books built-in! Handbooks may be downloaded from CuVee Software's website. Features: • Photo-realistic look-and-feel • Programmable (999 steps), subroutines, 12 labels, 10 flags • 100 registers, "continuous", with full store/recall arithmetic • "Live" register view • Program listing view with intelligent navigation • Program library, easily backed-up via iTunes • Store and retrieve any number of programs • Sharing: e-mail, AirDrop, Dropbox, copy, paste, print • 62 programs pre-installed (53 original HP) Calculator functions: • Integration, root solving • Statistics (mean, standard deviation, linear regression, normal distribution) • Factorial of any number (normal and logarithmic) • Trigonometric and hyperbolic functions (degrees, radians, grads) • Polar/rectangular conversions • Inverse, square root, logarithm, exponential, pi • Storage arithmetic (both store and recall) • Statistics (average, standard deviation, y-estimate, linear regression) • Unit and hours conversions • 31 additional functions not found on the HP-34C, like time and sound Details: cuveesoft.ch/rpn34

Screenshots

picocalc2 screens
RPN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: picocalc at Free against RPN's $1.99. picocalc also leads on device support (4 vs 2). RPN's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On rating there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

picocalc is free to download; RPN costs $1.99 up front. picocalc sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. RPN asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for picocalc against 5.0 for RPN. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 14 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 66% of picocalc's written reviews are positive against 100% of RPN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

picocalc ships an update every 16 months, RPN every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
picocalc versus RPN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterpicocalcRPN
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews65.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings314 — better
Update frequencyEvery 16 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#69 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMasayuki AkamatsuCuVee Software

Customer experience

picocalc

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive65.6%
Neutral15.6%
Negative18.8%

RPN

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

picocalc

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99
None

RPN

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is picocalc free?
picocalc is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RPN free?
RPN costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, picocalc or RPN?
picocalc and RPN are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 14 ratings respectively.
Do picocalc or RPN have ads?
picocalc shows ads; RPN does not.
Which is updated more often, picocalc or RPN?
picocalc ships an update every 16 months, and RPN every 3 months. Most recently, picocalc was updated on October 25, 2026 and RPN on October 29, 2026.

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