Comparison

PCalc Lite vs HP 15c Calculator

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

Head to head
About

PCalc Lite

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
Read full description

PCalc is the powerful choice for scientists, engineers, students, programmers, or indeed anybody looking for a feature rich calculator. It includes an optional RPN mode and multi-line display, a choice of button layouts, an extensive set of unit conversions and constants, a paper tape, multiple undo and redo, engineering and scientific notation, as well as support for hexadecimal, octal, and binary calculations.PCalc Lite is a fully functional and free taste of our very popular scientific calculator. It includes an optional RPN mode, multiple undo and redo, unit conversions and constants, as well as two stylish themes and our highly praised design. A great choice for your new iPad! If you like what you see, the full version has many more settings and themes, a paper tape, engineering and scientific notation, and full support for hexadecimal, octal, and binary calculations. You can also now purchase extra features directly from inside PCalc Lite. Buy them individually, or buy everything. Includes an Apple Watch app, so you can calculate on your wrist!

About

HP 15c Calculator

Experience the official emulator of the legendary HP 15c scientific calculator. This app offers a redesigned interface and modern look while preserving the precision and reliability of the original. It features RPN input, matrix calculations, complex functions, and numerical integration for professionals and students.

Highlights
  • Official HP 15c emulator
  • RPN (Reverse Polish Notation)
  • Matrix calculations
  • Complex functions
  • Numerical integration
  • Programmable (448 lines)
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Meet the next generation of your favorite scientific calculator. The official HP 15c app, now brings a completely redesigned interface, a modern look, and improved functionality—while preserving the precision and reliability trusted by professionals for decades. This RPN calculator offers the features, algorithms and calculation sequences of the original 15c Scientific Calculator conveniently stored on your iPhone or iPad. The HP 15c You Know – Now Better Than Ever • Official emulator of legendary calculator device by HP • Identical algorithms, layout, and keystrokes as the original HP 15c • RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) for fast and efficient input • Matrix calculations, Complex functions, Numerical integration. • Ideal for math and engineering students and professionals • Programmable – up to 448 lines Be Ready. Anywhere. Anytime. Whether you’re in class, at the office, or on the go, HP 15c is ready when you are. Just launch the app on your iPhone and get to work. Download HP 15c today and experience the perfect blend of classic functionality and modern design.

Screenshots

PCalc Lite4 screens
HP 15c Calculator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PCalc Lite at Free against HP 15c Calculator's $14.99. PCalc Lite also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 16 months) and review sentiment (82% vs 68%). HP 15c Calculator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). On ratings volume, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

PCalc Lite is free to download; HP 15c Calculator costs $14.99 up front. PCalc Lite sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. HP 15c Calculator asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HP 15c Calculator holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 214 and 218 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of PCalc Lite's written reviews are positive against 68% of HP 15c Calculator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PCalc Lite ships an update every 2 months, HP 15c Calculator every 16 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
PCalc Lite versus HP 15c Calculator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPCalc LiteHP 15c Calculator
PriceFree — better$14.99
Rating4.4 (214 ratings)4.8 (218 ratings) — better
Positive reviews82.5% of reviews — better68.2% of reviews
Number of ratings214218 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 16 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#185 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size79 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTLA Systems Ltd.MORAVIA Consulting, spol. s r.o.

Customer experience

PCalc Lite

All ratings214 ratings
Positive83.6%
Neutral6.5%
Negative9.8%
Written reviews530 reviews
Positive82.5%
Neutral7.0%
Negative10.6%

HP 15c Calculator

All ratings207 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral0.5%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews308 reviews
Positive68.2%
Neutral7.8%
Negative24.0%

User reviews

PCalc Lite

From 214 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

HP 15c Calculator

From 218 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent emulation of original HP 15C
  • 👍 Faithful reproduction of classic calculator
  • 👍 Includes original manual
  • 👍 Works just like the real thing
  • 👍 Vertical layout with key features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Display issues in portrait mode
  • 🐛 Bugs with programming and trig functions
  • 🔇 Loud button click sound
  • 💰 Expensive for an app

Bugs and requests

PCalc Lite

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

4 requests
  • 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

HP 15c Calculator

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Numbers not aligned in display window
  • Display flashing after running programs
  • Incompatibility with latest iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Copy and paste functionality
  • Ability to change calculator models
  • Option to disable button click sound
  • Better support for larger iPhone screens

In-app purchases

11 purchases

PCalc Lite

One-time11
  • Theme Pack$0.99
  • Power User Pack$0.99
  • Multiple Line Pack$0.99
Show 8 more
  • Conversion Pack$0.99
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Medium Tip$1.99
  • Programmer Pack$2.99
  • Engineer Pack$2.99
  • Large Tip$4.99
  • Complete Pack$9.99
  • Enormous Tip$9.99
None

HP 15c Calculator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PCalc Lite free?
PCalc Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HP 15c Calculator free?
HP 15c Calculator costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PCalc Lite or HP 15c Calculator?
HP 15c Calculator is rated higher. PCalc Lite averages 4.4 out of 5 from 214 ratings, while HP 15c Calculator averages 4.8 from 218 ratings.
Do PCalc Lite or HP 15c Calculator have ads?
Neither PCalc Lite nor HP 15c Calculator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PCalc Lite or HP 15c Calculator?
PCalc Lite ships an update every 2 months, and HP 15c Calculator every 16 months. Most recently, PCalc Lite was updated on October 26, 2026 and HP 15c Calculator on October 27, 2026.

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