# Magna Calc vs PALCS

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PALCS at 100% against Magna Calc's 25%. PALCS also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 37 months). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

PALCS is free to download; Magna Calc costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PALCS holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Magna Calc's written reviews are positive against 100% of PALCS's.

Magna Calc ships an update every 37 months, PALCS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magna Calc | PALCS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magna-calc/id412428391/reviews) | **[3.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palcs/id6474450096/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **7** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 37 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 1 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Greg Paskal](https://appshunter.io/developer/322758381) | [The Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School](https://appshunter.io/developer/1612475272) |

## What reviewers say

### Magna Calc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magna-calc/id412428391)

Calculate telescope magnification easily. Supports various eyepiece focal lengths and Barlow lens options from 1x to 5x. Essential tool for amateur and professional astronomers.

**Highlights:** Telescope focal length input, Eyepiece focal length input, Barlow lens option (1x-5x), Magnification calculation, Supports millimeters

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### PALCS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palcs/id6474450096)

This app allows parents to actively participate in their child's academic journey. It offers real-time updates on progress, personalized messages, and important school announcements and alerts.

**Highlights:** Academic progress tracking, Personalized parent messages, School announcements, Critical notices and alerts, Division-specific updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magna Calc free?

Magna Calc costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PALCS free?

PALCS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Magna Calc or PALCS?

PALCS is rated higher. Magna Calc averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while PALCS averages 3.3 from 7 ratings.

### Do Magna Calc or PALCS have ads?

Neither Magna Calc nor PALCS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Magna Calc or PALCS?

Magna Calc ships an update every 37 months, and PALCS every 4 months. Most recently, Magna Calc was updated on October 16, 2026 and PALCS on October 14, 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.*