Comparison

picocalc vs DB48X

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
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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

DB48X

This advanced scientific calculator offers arbitrary precision computations, RPN and algebraic operations, and extensive graphing capabilities. It supports complex numbers, matrices, symbolic calculations, and over 1000 built-in functions, inspired by the HP48 series.

Highlights
  • Arbitrary precision computations
  • RPN and algebraic operations
  • Complex numbers, vectors, and matrices
  • Symbolic computations and numerical solving
  • Graphing and plotting
  • Engineering units and currency conversion
  • Built-in hyperlinked help system
Features
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DB48X is a new high-precision scientific calculator inspired by the legendary HP48 series from Hewlett-Packard. It is not an emulator, but a redesign from scratch, which is faster, and delivers never seen before capabilities like computations in arbitrary precision. Like the original HP48, DB48X supports an unlimited stack, RPN and algebraic operations, complex numbers, based numbers, vectors, matrices, text, symbolic computations, numerical solving and integration, graphing and plotting, statistics, engineering units, and well over 1000 built-in functions. DB48X adds several HP50G capabilities, including a library of equations and constants covering mathematics, physics or chemistry. Using modern technologies, DB48X goes well beyond the original HP48 in many ways: - It is significantly faster, uses less memory, and features a higher-resolution 240x400 pixels graphical display. - Integer and decimal values can have an arbitrarily large number of digits, so you can compute log(pi) with 200 digits in a few keystrokes. - The six function keys feature up to three function per key, giving quick access to up to 18 related functions at a time. - Complex numbers can mix and match polar and rectangular form. - Symbolic operations extend to complex numbers, vectors and matrices. - Based numbers can be in any base from 2 to 36, and support any number of bits, making it easy to emulate a 23-bit or 512-bit processor. - Text is represented using Unicode instead of the proprietary HP encoding, facilitating data exchange with the rest of the world. - Multiple graphs can be distinguished using bitmap patterns (DB50X adds the ability to use colors) - Engineering units include all the modern evolutions of the SI system, and can be configured by the user, e.g. to integrate currency units with the exchange rate du jour. Converting between USD/hour and EUR/day has never been so easy! - A built-in hyperlinked help system documents functions simply by holding the corresponding key, and combine a quick start guide, a user manual and a reference manual. DB48X will run many user RPL programs as is. However, since it is not an emulator, it will not run any HP binary object, and notably will not run HP48 games or anything involving system RPL. DB48X is part of a family of compatible RPL calculators that include the free DB40X and the color DB50X.

Screenshots

picocalc2 screens
DB48X3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: picocalc at Free against DB48X's $4.99. picocalc also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). DB48X's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume and device support 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; DB48X costs $4.99 up front. picocalc sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. DB48X asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

picocalc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of picocalc's written reviews are positive against 100% of DB48X's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

picocalc ships an update every 31 months, DB48X every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
picocalc versus DB48X: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterpicocalcDB48X
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.8 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews65.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings34 — better
Update frequencyEvery 31 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMasayuki AkamatsuChristophe de Dinechin

Customer experience

picocalc

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

DB48X

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

picocalc

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99
None

DB48X

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is picocalc free?
picocalc is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DB48X free?
DB48X costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, picocalc or DB48X?
picocalc is rated higher. picocalc averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while DB48X averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.
Do picocalc or DB48X have ads?
picocalc shows ads; DB48X does not.
Which is updated more often, picocalc or DB48X?
picocalc ships an update every 31 months, and DB48X every 3 weeks. Most recently, picocalc was updated on September 22, 2026 and DB48X on September 10, 2026.

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