# Halcyon Calc vs Plus42

The clearest difference is update cadence: Plus42 at weekly against Halcyon Calc's every 4 months. Plus42 also leads on chart position (#110 vs unranked) and ratings volume (79 vs 18). Halcyon Calc's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $9.99). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Halcyon Calc costs $4.99 and Plus42 $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Halcyon Calc against 4.9 for Plus42. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 79 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Halcyon Calc's written reviews are positive against 92% of Plus42's.

Halcyon Calc ships an update every 4 months, Plus42 weekly. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Halcyon Calc | Plus42 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.9 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/halcyon-calc/id327064659/reviews) | [4.9 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plus42/id1597963622/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 18 | **79** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 92.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#110** |
| Size | 10 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Halcyon Touch Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/327064662) | [Thomas Okken](https://appshunter.io/developer/337692632) |

## What reviewers say

### Halcyon Calc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/halcyon-calc/id327064659)

A powerful calculator app for students, engineers, and scientists. It handles complex numbers, symbolic expressions, unit conversions, and matrix operations, with advanced plotting and programming capabilities.

**Highlights:** Complex number calculations, Symbolic expression manipulation, Unit conversion with custom units, Matrix and vector operations, Symbolic plotting, Programming of custom operations, Statistical data analysis

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Plus42

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plus42/id1597963622)

**Currently charting:** #110 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

This advanced scientific calculator simulates the classic HP-42S RPN calculator with enhanced features. It offers algebraic expressions, unit conversions, directories for storage, a larger resizable display, financial functions, and 2D plotting with integral and root finding.

**Highlights:** HP-42S RPN calculator simulation, Algebraic expressions, Attached units and conversions, Program and variable directories, Resizable 8-row, 22-column display, Time value of money and amortization, 2D function plotting with zoom and pan

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Halcyon Calc free?

Halcyon Calc costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Plus42 free?

Plus42 costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Halcyon Calc or Plus42?

Halcyon Calc and Plus42 are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 18 and 79 ratings respectively.

### Do Halcyon Calc or Plus42 have ads?

Neither Halcyon Calc nor Plus42 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Halcyon Calc or Plus42?

Halcyon Calc ships an update every 4 months, and Plus42 weekly. Most recently, Halcyon Calc was updated on September 22, 2026 and Plus42 on September 22, 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.*