# PCalc Lite vs Phase Calc

The clearest difference is price: PCalc Lite at Free against Phase Calc's $1.99. PCalc Lite also leads on ratings volume (214 vs 4) and device support (4 vs 2). Phase Calc's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 11). On update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

PCalc Lite is free to download; Phase Calc costs $1.99 up front. PCalc Lite sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Phase Calc asks for nothing beyond the download.

Phase Calc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PCalc Lite has 214 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of PCalc Lite's written reviews are positive against 100% of Phase Calc's.

PCalc Lite ships an update every 2 months, Phase Calc every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PCalc Lite | Phase Calc |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (214 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pcalc-lite/id300311831/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phase-calc/id837266300/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **214** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 82.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 76 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TLA Systems Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284666225) | [Donnie Herman](https://appshunter.io/developer/837266303) |

## 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

**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


### Phase Calc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phase-calc/id837266300)

This advanced engineering app performs complex electrical calculations for three-phase power systems. It offers tools for students, technicians, and engineers to analyze unbalanced systems, perform sequence transformations, and access reference libraries. Results can be easily exported for documentation and sharing.

**Highlights:** Symmetrical component analysis, Three-phase power system calculations, Phase-to-sequence and sequence-to-phase transformations, Polar and rectangular input support, Specialized calculators and reference libraries, Exportable results for documentation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PCalc Lite free?

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

### Is Phase Calc free?

Phase Calc costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PCalc Lite or Phase Calc?

Phase Calc is rated higher. PCalc Lite averages 4.4 out of 5 from 214 ratings, while Phase Calc averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do PCalc Lite or Phase Calc have ads?

Neither PCalc Lite nor Phase Calc shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PCalc Lite or Phase Calc?

PCalc Lite ships an update every 2 months, and Phase Calc every 6 weeks. Most recently, PCalc Lite was updated on September 24, 2026 and Phase Calc on August 1, 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.*