PCalc Lite vs Calculator HD Pro Lite
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Optional RPN mode
- Multiple undo and redo
- Unit conversions and constants
- Two stylish themes
- Apple Watch app
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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!
Calculator HD Pro Lite
This app offers a user-friendly calculator with large buttons and extensive customization options. It features a dual-line display to see input and results simultaneously, saves your calculation history, and provides full scientific functions. Personalize layouts, themes, and even button symbols to suit your needs.
- Dual-line display
- Calculation history
- Full scientific functions
- Customizable layouts and themes
- Big buttons
- Email history
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A colorful calculator with big buttons, comprehensive features, and extensive customization. Used by millions. Supported by ads. SEE EVERY STEP ・Dual-line display - shows your input and result simultaneously ・Multi-line input for long equations ・Tap & hold to move the cursor or copy and paste where you want SAVE YOUR WORK ・History saves every calculation with time and date ・Label important calculations for easy reference ・Email single calculations or complete history ・Swipe down to review previous work CUSTOMIZE EVERYTHING ・6 layouts including extra-large button options ・10 color themes plus Dark Mode ・Adjustable font size and bold text ・Left-handed mode ・Show or hide features you don't need SCIENTIFIC FUNCTIONS ・Full scientific calculator when needed ・Memory buttons with values displayed ・Percentage and backspace buttons ・Automatic scientific notation ・VoiceOver accessibility OPTIONAL IN APP PURCHASES ・Today View Widget (iOS 17 and below) ・Multiple History Tapes ADDITIONAL FEATURES ・Customizable button symbols and decimal settings ・Multiple backspace button styles ・iPad Split View and 3D Touch support ・Gesture controls for quick access URL Scheme: calculatorhdprofree://
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Calculator HD Pro Lite at none against PCalc Lite's 11. Calculator HD Pro Lite also leads on ratings volume (52K vs 214) and rating (4.6 vs 4.4). PCalc Lite's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support 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
Both are free to download. PCalc Lite sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Calculator HD Pro Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.
Calculator HD Pro Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calculator HD Pro Lite has 52K ratings behind it against 214, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of PCalc Lite's written reviews are positive against 77% of Calculator HD Pro Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PCalc Lite | Calculator HD Pro Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (214 ratings) | 4.6 (52K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 82.4% of reviews — better | 77.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 214 | 52K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 76 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | TLA Systems Ltd. | Cider Software LLC |
Customer experience
PCalc Lite
Calculator HD Pro Lite
User reviews
PCalc Lite
From 214 App Store ratingsWhat 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
Calculator HD Pro Lite
From 52K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 📝 Keeps calculation history
- 💡 Customizable layout and themes
- 🔢 Large, clear numbers
- 🧮 Variety of functions (basic, scientific, etc.)
Room to improve
- 💢 Intrusive ads, especially between calculations
- 🙄 Ads that are difficult to close
- 🤦♂️ Ads that interrupt workflow
- 🤑 Expensive to remove ads
- 🚫 Gambling ads
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
Calculator HD Pro Lite
Reported bugs
3 issues- Calculation errors with very large numbers
- Crashes after recent update
- Decimal point displayed as comma
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Ability to sync calculation history across devices
- More advanced math functions (e.g. dms/dd)
- Customizable button layout
- Ability to disable ads without paying
In-app purchases
PCalc Lite
- Theme Pack$0.99
- Power User Pack$0.99
- Multiple Line Pack$0.99
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- 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
Calculator HD Pro Lite
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PCalc Lite free?
Is Calculator HD Pro Lite free?
Which has better reviews, PCalc Lite or Calculator HD Pro Lite?
Do PCalc Lite or Calculator HD Pro Lite have ads?
Which is updated more often, PCalc Lite or Calculator HD Pro Lite?
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