PCalc Lite vs CALC Smart Calculator ±
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!
CALC Smart Calculator ±
This app offers a versatile calculator experience with basic, scientific, and advanced modes. It features real-time results, unit conversions, custom functions, and a shareable history. Optimized for various Apple devices, it's designed for ease of use by students, professionals, and scientists.
- Real-time results
- Unit and currency conversions
- Custom functions and constants
- Shareable calculation history
- Landscape mode with tape-roll
- Gratuity calculator
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Why Choose CALC Smart? ► Used by Scientists, Professionals and Students alike ► Apple-Featured: Spotlighted in Utilities and Calculate & Convert. ► User-Loved: Over 10k+ global reviews and 200M+ sessions validate its utility. ► Educator-Certified: Praised by teachers on the Educational App Store for its intuitive UI. Ready for the Latest OS * Multitask on your iPad and use 3D Touch shortcuts. * Search your calculation history with Spotlight. * Widget with history integration. * Apple Watch support, complete with haptic feedback and complications. Top 10 Unique Features ① Real-time results, even with incomplete parentheses. ② Landscape mode for shareable history and tape-roll. ③ Optimized custom keyboard & widget to save space and time. ④ Fast unit and currency conversions—a swipe away. ⑤ Quick gratuity calculator with rounding options. ⑥ Display decimals as fractions with 1/999 precision. ⑦ Create unlimited custom functions and constants. ⑧ Easy expression sharing via link. ⑨ Built-in timer. ⑩ Limitless themes and layouts. Why Users Love CALC * Live Math: Natural input, even for complex calculations. * Swipe Functions: Over 60 advanced math functions just a swipe away. * History: Never lose track of your calculations. * Conversion: 21 categories, plus custom options. Additional Features * Edit on the Fly: Long-press to modify expressions and numbers. * Audio Feedback: Customize tapping sounds. * Styling: Multiple font choices. * Enterprise-Ready: EMM support with MDM & AppConfig. We Listen * Frequent updates based on your feedback. Got a suggestion? Visit our UserVoice page: https://QApps.UserVoice.com Custom Background Tip * Design your own CALC background with images from NASA’s multimedia library: https://nasa.gov/multimedia Terms & Usage * Using this app means agreeing to the standard Terms of Use. Standard Terms of Use (EULA) - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: CALC Smart Calculator ± at 4.8 against PCalc Lite's 4.4. CALC Smart Calculator ± also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (2.4K vs 214). PCalc Lite's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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 and CALC Smart Calculator ± sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 3 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
CALC Smart Calculator ± holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CALC Smart Calculator ± has 2.4K 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 CALC Smart Calculator ±'s.
PCalc Lite ships an update every 3 months, CALC Smart Calculator ± fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.
| Parameter | PCalc Lite | CALC Smart Calculator ± |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (214 ratings) | 4.8 (2.4K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 82.5% of reviews | 87.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 214 | 2.4K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 363 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | TLA Systems Ltd. | QApps LLC |
Customer experience
PCalc Lite
CALC Smart Calculator ±
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
CALC Smart Calculator ±
From 2.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💻 Excellent calculator functionality
- 🎨 Beautiful and clean interface
- 🔢 Displays full calculation history
- 🔍 Useful conversion tools
- 🤖 Seamless Apple Watch integration
Room to improve
- 💰 Subscription model introduced
- 🔒 Restricted features behind paywall
- 📊 Calculation bugs and inaccuracies
- 🔄 Unnecessary UI changes frustrate users
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
CALC Smart Calculator ±
Reported bugs
3 issues- Calculation errors in certain scenarios
- Forced tutorial popup on every launch
- Unreliable widget functionality
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to easily clear calculation history
- Option to customize button layout
- Support for entering hexadecimal numbers
- Integration with other apps and services
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
CALC Smart Calculator ±
- Quarterly Supporter$0.993 Months
- Quarterly Supporter7 Days trial$1.993 Months
- Annual Contributor$2.991 Year
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- Annual Contributor7 Days trial$5.991 Year
Questions
Is PCalc Lite free?
Is CALC Smart Calculator ± free?
Which has better reviews, PCalc Lite or CALC Smart Calculator ±?
Do PCalc Lite or CALC Smart Calculator ± have ads?
Which is updated more often, PCalc Lite or CALC Smart Calculator ±?
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