Comparison

Complex RPN Calculator vs LabTimer

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

Head to head
About

Complex RPN Calculator

This scientific calculator utilizes a four-level stack and natively handles complex numbers. It allows users to input and view numbers in both polar and rectangular formats, remembering its state and offering 10 memory locations.

Highlights
  • Complex number support
  • Four-level stack
  • Polar and rectangular formats
  • State persistence
  • 10 memory locations
  • Scientific calculations
Features
Read full description

Complex RPN Calculator is a scientific RPN calculator with a four stack whose native number is complex. You can view and enter numbers in both polar and rectangular formats. Complex RPN remembers its state between usages and has 10 memory locations.

About

LabTimer

This app provides multiple configurable timers for various uses, from scientific experiments to everyday tasks like cooking and workouts. It features a clear display, customizable labels, and the ability to repeat count-down timers.

Highlights
  • Four configurable timers
  • Count-up and count-down modes
  • Large display and buttons
  • Customizable text labels
  • Repeat count-down functionality
  • Disables iPod sleep
Features
Read full description

LabTimer is a count-up and alarming count-down multi-timer. ***NEWS*** LabTimerPhD is now available. It has all the same functionality as LabTimer. If you like LabTimer, please consider picking up LabTimerPhD! I'll use the suggestions on LabTimerPhD for future changes. All updates will be applied to both applications. ***NEWS*** The look and feel of LabTimer is designed to emulate that of standard lab timers, providing quick access to count-down timers and repeat runs. LabTimer is not just good for the lab, though - it is also convenient for cooking, medication timing, working out, and child timeouts. LabTimer has the following features: - Four timers, individually configurable as count-up or alarming count-down - Large display and buttons - Display in Hours : Minutes : Seconds (limit above 1000 hours) - Customizable text labels for each timer - Small icons describing the state of all timers - Disables iPod sleep, keeping your timer running and visible - Designed to satisfy the lab needs of my molecular biologist wife Count-down timers each: - Display the projected finish time - Alarm for one minute - After the alarm, display the time elapsed since finish in red - Repeat the last count-down by: -- pressing clear while the timer is paused -- pressing start/stop twice after the timer has finished The iPhone currently prevents background processes, so LabTimer cannot alarm if the application is not running. However, the screen can be locked while the timers are running. The alarm also plays over and does not interrupt any playing music. While this will finally let you keep your noise-isolating headphones on during long incubations, please remember to experiment responsibly. There are many timers and stopwatches on the App Store, but they did not fulfill my (or my wife's) needs. We're now using LabTimer, and we hope you will too. LabTimer is free and will remain free. I've created LabTimerPhD, a pay app with identical features, if you'd like to contribute to future development. I haven't seen anyone else doing this and it seems like an interesting way of handling donations. :) Please let me know what you think and how LabTimer can be improved, either via a review or the e-mail address on the website. Thanks for looking!

Screenshots

Complex RPN Calculator4 screens
LabTimer4 screens

Verdict

The call

Complex RPN Calculator and LabTimer both sit at 3.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of LabTimer's written reviews are positive against 52% of Complex RPN Calculator's. LabTimer also leads on ratings volume (174 vs 22) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 16.4). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LabTimer holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LabTimer has 174 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Complex RPN Calculator's written reviews are positive against 91% of LabTimer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Complex RPN Calculator ships an update every 5 months, LabTimer every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on August 23, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Complex RPN Calculator versus LabTimer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterComplex RPN CalculatorLabTimer
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (22 ratings)4.0 (174 ratings) — better
Positive reviews51.7% of reviews90.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings22174 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.410.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn Coddington0x0c

Customer experience

Complex RPN Calculator

All ratings22 ratings
Positive72.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews87 reviews
Positive51.7%
Neutral8.0%
Negative40.2%

LabTimer

All ratings174 ratings
Positive70.1%
Neutral12.1%
Negative17.8%
Written reviews118 reviews
Positive90.7%
Neutral5.9%
Negative3.4%

User reviews

Complex RPN Calculator

From 22 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✅ Great RPN functionality
  • ✨ Complex number support
  • 🆓 Free to use
  • 🚫 No ads or in-app purchases
  • 💻 Works on macOS

Room to improve

  • 🎨 SwiftUI design is ugly
  • 🐌 Slow keyboard response
  • 🖱️ Clunky operation
  • 📉 Complex number operations limited
  • ⚠️ Broken on newer iOS versions (historically)

LabTimer

From 174 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple, clean, and intuitive user interface
  • 🎯 Multiple timers (up to 16) running simultaneously
  • ⏱️ Ability to count up and count down
  • 🔄 Timers continue running in background/other apps
  • 💾 Saves timer settings for future use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Notifications not working properly on iPad
  • 🐛 App crashes or won't open on some iOS versions
  • 🐛 Alarm doesn't work when app is locked/in background
  • 📱 No landscape/auto-rotate orientation support
  • 🔊 Alarm sound too short and soft

Bugs and requests

Complex RPN Calculator

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Mutes other apps when used
  • Slow keyboard response after update
  • X^3 calculation incorrect for large imaginary numbers
  • App crashes on opening/button press (historical iOS 9 issues)
  • App starts upside down in landscape on iPad (historical iOS 8 issue)
Show 1 more
  • Unreadable fonts on iPad (historical version 1.2 issue)

Requested features

24 requests
  • Turn off key click sound
  • Customize number display
  • See the stack
  • Fix slow entry response
  • Fix imaginary number calculation (X^3)
Show 19 more
  • Improve SwiftUI design (less whitespace)
  • Show all stack levels
  • Add angle function
  • Add magnitude function
  • Add 'Clear X' button
  • Make RAD/DEG toggle button
  • Single button for Sci/Eng/Fix/Raw modes
  • Add '//' (parallel) function
  • Add 'Module' button
  • Change 'i' to 'j' for imaginary part
  • Show stack levels
  • Add log2 function
  • Add logGamma function
  • Smaller buttons
  • Add complex conjugate button
  • Add real part button
  • Add imaginary part button
  • Add modulo function
  • Make app start faster

LabTimer

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • iPad notifications not displaying correctly
  • App fails to open on iPhone X with iOS 14.4
  • Alarm non-functional on iOS 5 in lock mode
  • No audio output on iOS 9.x
  • Timer stops when iPhone enters sleep mode (older versions)
Show 1 more
  • App incompatibility with newer iOS versions

Requested features

17 requests
  • Landscape orientation support (especially for iPad)
  • Keyboard/direct number input for faster time entry
  • Multiple selectable alarm sounds/tones
  • Ability to customize alarm volume independently
  • Countdown voice announcements
Show 12 more
  • Screen lock display of timer countdown
  • Millisecond/decimal second precision
  • Different alarm sounds for different timers
  • Visual alerts (screen flash) in addition to sound
  • Ability to decrease time values (not just increase)
  • Timer interaction/chaining (one timer starts another)
  • Configurable alarm duration
  • Days display option for very long timers
  • All timers visible on single screen
  • Ability to add notes to timers
  • Push notifications when app is closed
  • Recording custom alarm messages

In-app purchases

None

Complex RPN Calculator

No in-app purchases

None

LabTimer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Complex RPN Calculator free?
Complex RPN Calculator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LabTimer free?
LabTimer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Complex RPN Calculator or LabTimer?
LabTimer is rated higher. Complex RPN Calculator averages 3.8 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while LabTimer averages 4.0 from 174 ratings.
Do Complex RPN Calculator or LabTimer have ads?
Neither Complex RPN Calculator nor LabTimer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Complex RPN Calculator or LabTimer?
Complex RPN Calculator ships an update every 5 months, and LabTimer every 11 months. Most recently, Complex RPN Calculator was updated on August 23, 2026 and LabTimer on August 26, 2026.

Other comparisons