Bargain vs Parallel
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bargain
Easily compare prices and quantities of different items while shopping. Simply input the price and quantity for each product to quickly determine the best value. Shake your device to clear and start a new comparison.
- Price comparison
- Quantity comparison
- On-the-go calculations
- Error checking
- Shake to clear
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You're in the shop. Should you buy three of these for this price or two of those for that price? Which is the bargain? Just reach in your pocket, launch Bargain, enter the price and quantity for each item then tap Compare. Done! The keyboard is always visible whilst robust error checking and a clean and effective interface make on-the-go comparisons a doddle. It takes just a tap to clear the entries and hunt for the next bargain.
Parallel
Perform multiple calculations simultaneously with a drag-and-drop interface. Features a scientific calculator, currency and crypto converter, and history saving with optional privacy locks. Customize with themes and fonts.
- Run 2, 3, or 4 calculations side-by-side
- Drag and drop calculation arrangement
- Scientific calculator mode
- Currency and crypto converter
- Save calculation history with notes
- Face ID/passcode lock for privacy
- Home screen widget and Quick Menu access
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Parallel. Calculate more. DO MORE AT ONCE Why calculate one thing at a time? Run 2, 3, or 4 calculations side by side, and arrange them however you like with drag and drop. No more memorizing one result just to punch it into the next — it's all already on screen. That's the whole idea behind the name. ONLY WHAT YOU NEED No bloat, no clutter. Scientific mode covers exactly what you'd expect from a real scientific calculator — nothing more, nothing less. The converter covers 57 world currencies plus Bitcoin, Ethereum, and a handful of other crypto. Simple, on purpose. YOUR HISTORY, YOUR CALL Parallel only saves what you choose to keep — each calculation with your own note attached, kept separate for standard and scientific mode. Share any result straight from history, wherever you need it. Prefer to keep it private? Lock it all behind Face ID or your passcode. MADE TO FEEL RIGHT Swipe between calculator, scientific mode, and converter. Feel every tap with haptic feedback. Add a widget to your Home Screen, or pull it up instantly from Quick Menu. MAKE IT YOURS Free with the Classic theme. Unlock 10 named themes, a set of distinctive fonts, and the 4-screen layout with Parallel Pro — a one-time purchase, no subscription, ever. Your calculator has never looked this good. No ads. No data collected. Available in 34 languages.
Screenshots
Verdict
Bargain and Parallel both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Parallel's written reviews are positive against 60% of Bargain's. Parallel also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). Bargain's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, rating, ads and monetization model 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. Parallel sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Bargain asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Bargain against 5.0 for Parallel. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Bargain's written reviews are positive against 100% of Parallel's.
Bargain ships an update every 10 months, Parallel every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bargain | Parallel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Stephen Watson | Evgenii Chizhov |
Customer experience
Bargain
Parallel
In-app purchases
Bargain
No in-app purchases
Parallel
- Parallel Pro$2.99









