PocketCAS vs xFormula
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PocketCAS
This advanced math application assists with a wide range of mathematical problems, from basic arithmetic to calculus, algebra, and statistics. It functions as a graphing calculator replacement, aids in homework, and supports complex calculations for academic and professional use.
- 2D and 3D plotting
- Calculus functions (limits, derivatives)
- Linear algebra operations
- Equation solving
- Scripting language
- Physical units and constants
- iCloud sync
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PocketCAS is a graphing calculator for iPhone and iPad. It graphs your functions, finds derivatives and works with exact fractions and roots. Everything runs on your device, so it works without internet or an account. An in-app purchase unlocks PocketCAS Pro, with steps, integrals and the solver. Graphs - 2D plots of functions, implicit equations, polar and parametric curves and vector fields, two functions per plot. PocketCAS marks zeros, extrema and intersections. In full screen, tap a mark to read its coordinates. - 3D surfaces with soft light and shading. Drag to turn them, pinch to zoom. Derivatives - Under each function, a suggestion shows its derivative, already worked out, and a small plot sits beside the result. Tap one to add it to your document. - Exact derivatives of products, quotients, roots and chains, written the way your textbook writes them. Exact results - Arithmetic with exact fractions and roots, trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions. - Matrices: determinants, inverses and products. - Your own functions, with conditions and recursion. - Common units and physical constants. Reads like your textbook - Results look the way they do in a textbook: fractions, roots, powers and matrices. - A math keyboard with every function in reach, and a hint shows what goes between the brackets. Made for daily work - Documents keep your calculations and plots together, and iCloud syncs them between your devices. - Export and print plots, entries or whole documents (with a watermark). - Help built in: the function reference explains every function with examples, and tutorials get you started. Unlock PocketCAS Pro One purchase in the app unlocks everything in PocketCAS Pro, without a subscription: calculation steps that name the rule behind each step, integrals, limits, series and sums, equation and system solving, factoring and simplifying, eigenvalues, differential equations, scripts, plots with more than two functions, imports of documents and CSV data, larger matrices in the editor, exports without a watermark, and suggestions with zeros, extrema and integrals. Family Sharing is included, and Restore Purchases is in the main menu. Until you unlock it, the function reference marks the functions of Pro with a PRO badge. PocketCAS Pro is also sold as its own app; you need only one. Questions or ideas? Write to us at https://pocketcas.com/support. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://pocketcas.com/privacy.php
xFormula
Create and edit mathematical equations with a visual interface. Export your work as images, LaTeX, MathML, or UnicodeMath for use in documents and presentations. Features include image recognition, formula libraries, and custom keyboards.
- Visual equation editing
- Export to image, LaTeX, MathML, UnicodeMath
- Image recognition for formulas
- Organized formula libraries
- Customizable keyboard for symbols
- Keyboard extension for other apps
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This is a math equation editor which could export the result as picture, LaTeX, MathML, UnicodeMath(Word). Include variables, binary operators, arrows, relations, brackets, underline, overline, accents, fraction, radical, large operator... Just download and have a try. ----- Functions: 1. Mathematical formula editing. 2. Import & Export - LaTeX (Pages, Keynote) - MathML (Pages, Keynote) - UnicodeMath (Word) - Image - SVG: If the .svg file is exported by xFormula, then it could be imported and edit again. 3. Image recognition - Setup large model API to recognize the math formula in the image. - The recognition of mathematical formulas in large models is getting better and better, but due to the large number of LaTeX commands for mathematical formulas, there may be some situations where the same symbol is different for different commands. xFormula cannot support all LaTeX commands yet, so there may be some exceptions. However, we will continue to optimize and be compatible with more commands in future versions 4. Mathematical formula library: - You can create several formula libraries at the same time, and each formula library can be exported and imported separately; - Under each formula library, there can be many categories, and under each category, there can be many groups. Under each group, formulas can be created and edited - Example 1: High School Mathematics Formula Library > Classification 1: Set, Classification 2: Geometry, Classification 3: Algebra - Example 2: Junior High School Mathematics Formula Library>Classification 1: Rational Numbers, Classification 2: Trigonometric Functions, Classification 3: Geometry 5. Mathematical style: - Due to font limitations, the mathematical formulas currently provided may have some pixel spacing flaws, and each style may also have several mathematical characters that are not supported. Please use them as appropriate. - We will continue to optimize mathematical styles, which is what we are concerned about. 6. Custom keyboard: -The frequency of mathematical symbols used varies at each stage, from elementary school, middle school, high school to university; The frequency of symbols used for sets, limits, matrices, functions, and each knowledge range is also different. So if you use it for a long time or frequently, it is strongly recommended to create a suitable input symbol keyboard for yourself, which is more efficient and saves more time than a universal keyboard. 7. Keyboard Extension - Could be directly used in the form of a keyboard in other text editing software - Due to the system's restrictions on keyboard Extension, there may be some abnormal situations. After installing the keyboard, if it cannot appear in the keyboard list, please restart the device and try again - Although currently compatible with iOS 15, it is recommended to use new devices as old devices may experience loading failures due to memory limitations and other issues 8. Help Document ----- Purchase: 1. This is a paid software and is provided for free download in the hope that users will know what features this software has and whether it is useful before purchasing. 2. As the payment methods for iOS and macOS were not unified when this software was first released, xFormula (iOS) and xFormula (macOS) need to be paid separately. The advantage of separate payment is pricing splitting, which means that if you only have a mobile device and don't have a Mac, you can save on the purchase cost of the Mac. If merged, the pricing will also be the sum of the current two pricing. 3. If you plan to use this software for a long time and consider upgrading more features in the future, it is recommended to purchase the Professional Edition. Terms of Service : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: http://guizhenjiaoyu.com/xformula/en/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PocketCAS at 4.6 against xFormula's 3.9. PocketCAS also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (204 vs 55). xFormula's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (16.1 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. PocketCAS sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and xFormula sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
PocketCAS holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 204 and 55 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of PocketCAS's written reviews are positive against 84% of xFormula's.
PocketCAS ships an update every 3 months, xFormula every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PocketCAS | xFormula |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (204 ratings) — better | 3.9 (55 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.8% of reviews — better | 84.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 204 — better | 55 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Timing Software GmbH | 煦 张 |
Customer experience
PocketCAS
xFormula
Bugs and requests
PocketCAS
Reported bugs
6 issues- App crashes when loading previously saved documents
- Crashes with no error feedback or debugging information
- Cannot plot certain mathematical functions
- Zoom scaling issues with 3D graphs (scales Z-axis incorrectly)
- Compatibility broken with iOS 6 after iOS 7 update
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- Function plotting limitations for advanced equations
Requested features
8 requests- Dark theme/dark mode for UI
- Multiple polynomials on single graph
- Inverse button functionality
- Better zoom functionality for 3D graphs
- Improved documentation and tutorials
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- More Greek characters support
- Measurement conversion capabilities
- Better control layout and cleanup
xFormula
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PocketCAS
- PocketCAS Pro$29.99
xFormula
- Pro 1 Month (Auto-Renewable)$1.991 Month
- Advanced (Lifetime)$9.99
- Basic (Lifetime)$11.99
- Pro (Lifetime)$18.99









