# PCalc Lite vs Gratuity | Tip Calculator

The clearest difference is update cadence: Gratuity | Tip Calculator at every 4 days against PCalc Lite's every 2 months. PCalc Lite's advantage is device support (4 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PCalc Lite sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Gratuity | Tip Calculator sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Gratuity | Tip Calculator holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 214 and 208 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of PCalc Lite's written reviews are positive against 75% of Gratuity | Tip Calculator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PCalc Lite ships an update every 2 months, Gratuity | Tip Calculator every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PCalc Lite | Gratuity | Tip Calculator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (214 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pcalc-lite/id300311831/reviews) | **[4.6 (208 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gratuity-tip-calculator/id846177978/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **214** | 208 |
| Positive reviews | **82.4% of reviews** | 75.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 76 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TLA Systems Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284666225) | [Carl Banks](https://appshunter.io/developer/846177981) |

## 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


### Gratuity | Tip Calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gratuity-tip-calculator/id846177978)

Effortlessly calculate tips, split bills with friends, and scan receipts to get accurate totals. This app simplifies everyday tipping scenarios at restaurants, bars, and for various services, ensuring you never have to guess again.

**Highlights:** Instant tip calculation, Split bills across groups, Tip before tax, Round totals, Scan receipt totals, Custom tip presets, Multiple currency options

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Keyboard Layout | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tax Options | $1.99 | one-time |
| Rounding Options | $1.99 | one-time |
| Venue Presets | $1.99 | one-time |
| Currency Options | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gratuity Pro | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Fast and quick calculations
- 💡 Effortless bill splitting
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Clean design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Calculation bugs
- 🐛 Inconsistent results
- 🐛 No pre-tax calculation option
- 🐛 Small font and bad contrast
- 🐛 Round up total option doesn't work

**Reported bugs**

- White screen after update
- Doesn't load after update
- Can't input price amount
- No decimal point for tax input
- App doesn't fill screen on large displays

**Requested features**

- Add tax function
- Add pre-tax calculation option
- Allow tip on pre-tax amount
- Option to round total amount
- Default establishment type


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PCalc Lite free?

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

### Is Gratuity | Tip Calculator free?

Gratuity | Tip Calculator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PCalc Lite or Gratuity | Tip Calculator?

Gratuity | Tip Calculator is rated higher. PCalc Lite averages 4.4 out of 5 from 214 ratings, while Gratuity | Tip Calculator averages 4.6 from 208 ratings.

### Do PCalc Lite or Gratuity | Tip Calculator have ads?

Neither PCalc Lite nor Gratuity | Tip Calculator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PCalc Lite or Gratuity | Tip Calculator?

PCalc Lite ships an update every 2 months, and Gratuity | Tip Calculator every 4 days. Most recently, PCalc Lite was updated on October 18, 2026 and Gratuity | Tip Calculator on October 19, 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.*