# HotPaw Basic vs CalCollections

The clearest difference is price: CalCollections at Free against HotPaw Basic's $4.99. CalCollections also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 5 months). HotPaw Basic's advantage is iOS requirement (12.3 vs 18.4). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

CalCollections is free to download; HotPaw Basic costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HotPaw Basic ships an update every 5 months, CalCollections every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HotPaw Basic | CalCollections |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotpaw-basic/id295464266/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7** | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.3** | 18.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HotPaw Productions](https://appshunter.io/developer/285074853) | [The Calculator Store SLNE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801462449) |

## What reviewers say

### HotPaw Basic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotpaw-basic/id295464266)

Experience retro computing by typing and running Basic programs on your iPhone or iPad. This app functions as a programmable calculator and can display simple line graphics, Morse code audio, and perform FFT analysis.

**Highlights:** Retro text-mode Basic interpreter, Programmable calculator functionality, Simple line graphics display, Morse Code audio output, FFT analysis, GPS location support, MQTT and BTLE communications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### CalCollections

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calcollections/id6746972417)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HotPaw Basic free?

HotPaw Basic costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is CalCollections free?

CalCollections is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do HotPaw Basic or CalCollections have ads?

Neither HotPaw Basic nor CalCollections shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HotPaw Basic or CalCollections?

HotPaw Basic ships an update every 5 months, and CalCollections every 4 weeks. Most recently, HotPaw Basic was updated on September 6, 2026 and CalCollections on September 18, 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.*