# PCalc Lite vs Digits Tape Calculator

The clearest difference is price: PCalc Lite at Free against Digits Tape Calculator's $1.99. Digits Tape Calculator's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 214). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

PCalc Lite is free to download; Digits Tape Calculator costs $1.99 up front. PCalc Lite sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Digits Tape Calculator sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Digits Tape Calculator holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Digits Tape Calculator has 1.1K ratings behind it against 214, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of PCalc Lite's written reviews are positive against 87% of Digits Tape Calculator's.

PCalc Lite ships an update every 2 months, Digits Tape Calculator every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PCalc Lite | Digits Tape Calculator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (214 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pcalc-lite/id300311831/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digits-tape-calculator/id364500115/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 214 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 82.5% of reviews | **86.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 79 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **10.3** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TLA Systems Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284666225) | [Shift](https://appshunter.io/developer/364500118) |

## What reviewers say

### PCalc Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pcalc-lite/id300311831)

This free scientific calculator offers essential features like RPN mode, unit conversions, and multiple undo/redo. It provides a taste of a more powerful version, with optional in-app purchases for expanded functionality.

**Highlights:** Optional RPN mode, Multiple undo and redo, Unit conversions and constants, Two stylish themes, Apple Watch app

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Theme Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Power User Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Multiple Line Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Conversion Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Programmer Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Engineer Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Complete Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Enormous Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
- 💡 Customizable themes and settings
- 🚀 Efficient performance
- 👍 Useful conversion tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional lags and crashes
- 🔒 Lack of dark mode support
- 🔒 Inconsistent icon appearance after upgrades
- 🔒 Limitations in RPN mode on Apple Watch
- 🔒 Lack of financial calculator functions

**Reported bugs**

- Calculations sometimes produce unexpected results
- Upside-down text censorship feature is problematic
- Purchased features not always accessible on Apple Watch

**Requested features**

- Add option to display thousands separators
- Implement a history function to review past calculations
- Provide more customization options for the widget
- Add support for sexagesimal angle input and conversion


### Digits Tape Calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digits-tape-calculator/id364500115)

This app offers a calculator with an editable, line-by-line tape history, combining spreadsheet-like functionality with calculator simplicity. Easily correct mistakes, add comments, and share or print your calculations.

**Highlights:** Editable line-by-line tape history, Correct and insert entries, Add labels and comments, Email or print tapes, Store tapes as documents, Dark Mode and customization

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Export and Sharing | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pro Design | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best tape calculator
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Editable and commentable saved tapes
- 🚀 Resizes well on iPad
- 👍 Customizable color scheme

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bug with iOS 26 where number pad doesn't return after adding comments
- 🐛 Slow to load and unresponsive on some devices
- 👎 Lack of iCloud sync between devices

**Reported bugs**

- Number pad disappears after adding comments on iOS 26
- App crashes on startup for some users after iOS updates

**Requested features**

- Add scientific calculator functions
- Ability to import/export CSV files
- Option to change font size of tape section
- Add date/time stamp for calculations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PCalc Lite free?

PCalc Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Digits Tape Calculator free?

Digits Tape Calculator costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PCalc Lite or Digits Tape Calculator?

Digits Tape Calculator is rated higher. PCalc Lite averages 4.4 out of 5 from 214 ratings, while Digits Tape Calculator averages 4.8 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do PCalc Lite or Digits Tape Calculator have ads?

Neither PCalc Lite nor Digits Tape Calculator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PCalc Lite or Digits Tape Calculator?

PCalc Lite ships an update every 2 months, and Digits Tape Calculator every 4 weeks. Most recently, PCalc Lite was updated on October 26, 2026 and Digits Tape Calculator on October 26, 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.*