# picocalc vs DB48X

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | picocalc | DB48X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picocalc/id284740333/reviews)** | [4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/db48x/id6615086535/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **4** |
| Positive reviews | 65.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 31 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 6 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Masayuki Akamatsu](https://appshunter.io/developer/284722836) | [Christophe de Dinechin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1761608161) |

## What reviewers say

### picocalc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picocalc/id284740333)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


### DB48X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/db48x/id6615086535)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


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