Calculator‰ vs Five Bells
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Calculator‰
This utility app offers a clean and intuitive interface for performing calculations. It prioritizes a user-friendly design with large buttons and a clear display for quick and efficient use.
- Large buttons
- Clear display
- Fast calculations
- Intuitive layout
- Retina Display support
Read full descriptionHide full description
This calculator has a perfect design that maximizes the size of the buttons and display, with a great layout for fast and easy calculations. Retina Display. Download now and see how truly great this basic calculator is.
Five Bells
This app replicates the traditional ship's bell system for marking time and watch changes. Users can configure bell sequences, set hourly chimes, and schedule quiet times. It also offers additional information for sailors.
- Traditional ship's bell simulation
- Configurable bell sequences
- Hourly single bell option
- Scheduled quiet time
- Maritime information for sailors
Read full descriptionHide full description
For sailors or anyone interested in maritime tradition. The ship’s bell has traditionally been used to mark the passage of time and the changeover of watches aboard ships. Five Bells aims to replicate this tradition on your iPhone®. Bells can be configured to sound a traditional or simplified sequence. Alternatively, a single bell can be struck every hour. A scheduled quiet-time can be enabled to prevent bells from sounding during a scheduled period. Additional information relevant to sailors is also provided.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Calculator‰ at none against Five Bells's 3. Calculator‰ also leads on ratings volume (410K vs 239). Five Bells's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, rating, device support and iOS requirement 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. Five Bells sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Calculator‰ asks for nothing beyond the download.
Calculator‰ holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calculator‰ has 410K ratings behind it against 239, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of Calculator‰'s written reviews are positive against 79% of Five Bells's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Calculator‰ ships an update every 5 months, Five Bells every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 14, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Calculator‰ | Five Bells |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (410K ratings) — better | 4.7 (239 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 69.8% of reviews | 79.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 410K — better | 239 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 47 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tim O's Studios, LLC | Mark Gould |
Customer experience
Calculator‰
Five Bells
User reviews
Calculator‰
From 410K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Large, clear buttons
- 👍 Accurate calculations
- 👍 Simple, no-frills design
- 👍 Reliable and stable
Room to improve
- 🔍 Lack of advanced features
- 💰 Ads can be intrusive
- 🔒 Concerns about security/malware
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
Five Bells
From 239 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🔔 Great bell sounds
- 👍 Exactly what users wanted
- 💡 Useful for time tracking
- 💰 Free with donation option
- 🌙 Quiet hours feature appreciated
Room to improve
- 🐛 Quiet time feature doesn't work
- ⏰ Time incorrect/chiming late
- 🔇 Silence function doesn't work
- 🔊 Too loud, needs volume control
- 🔔 Half-hour bell can be annoying
Bugs and requests
Calculator‰
Reported bugs
2 issues- Calculations sometimes incorrect
- App crashing or freezing
Requested features
4 requests- Percentage key in portrait mode
- Option to remove ads (paid version)
- More customization options
- Memory function
Five Bells
Reported bugs
9 issues- Quiet time feature doesn't work
- Time incorrect, chiming late
- Silence function doesn't work
- App doesn't work on Apple Watch, only one ding
- Number of bells doubled on iPad compared to iPhone
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- App strikes bells when it wants, not always when required
- Bells stopped working after iOS 17 upgrade
- App doubles strikes (e.g., 16 bells at noon)
- Developer webpage link goes to an error
Requested features
6 requests- Nicer clock interface
- Volume control or loud/medium/quiet switch
- Option to leave out half-hour bell
- Ability to have app on Apple Watch
- Choice of bell sounds
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Fix Apple Watch integration
In-app purchases
Calculator‰
No in-app purchases
Five Bells
- Regular Coffee$1.99
- Large Coffee$2.99
- Lunch$4.99
Questions
Is Calculator‰ free?
Is Five Bells free?
Which has better reviews, Calculator‰ or Five Bells?
Do Calculator‰ or Five Bells have ads?
Which is updated more often, Calculator‰ or Five Bells?
Other comparisons
