RPN 28x Calc vs RPN
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RPN 28x Calc
A programmable scientific calculator offering a classic aesthetic with modern functionality. It features a dynamic stack display, customizable buttons, and support for multiple data types, making complex calculations intuitive and accessible.
- Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) input
- Dynamic stack display with scrolling
- Customizable buttons and programming
- Support for multiple data types (real, complex, binary, lists, etc.)
- 147 scientific units and physical constants
- Interactive program debugging
- Units and log viewers
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RPN 28x Calc is a programmable scientific calculator with a pleasingly classic look. Despite its nostalgic appearance, it offers a modern and intuitive user experience, allowing you to interact with your operands by touching them in the display. It is a reverse-polish notation (RPN) calculator with a dynamic stack display. As you add more values to the stack, the display shown on an iPad automatically expands. To see more lines, simply swipe to scroll. You can also re-order the levels or modify any of the values on the stack. ----- "It’s the third RPN calculator I buy for my iPad 2 and the first that makes me happy. It’s graphically appealing, intuitive and very responsive. I rated it 5 stars." (Nuno Gomes) ----- Advanced commands are available in a secondary panel on iPad or as alternative button pages on iPhone. The buttons are efficiently grouped into five pages that you can quickly access by swiping left or right: - user-defined buttons, - letters A-Z for typing, - trigonometric, logarithmic, and data manipulation commands, - statistics, storage and programming commands - binary integers, system flags and boolean logic. This is why RPN 28x Calc is unique in its class: - You can tap a row to select it and issue commands for the selected level. - In REORD mode, it is possible to rearrange the stack by dragging the rows. - You can swipe up or down the display to see all levels. - When you enter a value, you can tap a digit to reposition the cursor. - Tap on the status indicators in the top of the display to change their state. - Drag buttons to re-arrange them as you like it (enable that in the settings). Additionally, on iPad: - The display automatically resizes to show more than just 4 levels of the stack. - You can slide the secondary panel out of view or swipe across the panel to navigate between button pages. New: - 147 scientific units and elementary physical constants. - Upper-tail probablity distribution commands. - Interactive program debugging. RPN 28x Calc is all you need. - High precision arithmetics. - Supports multiple data types: real numbers, complex numbers, binary integers, or lists, arrays, vectors, matrices, programs, names, and strings. - Name your own variables; inspect them in the variable viewer. - Use the rich command set to write your own programs. - Create buttons for your programs. - Interactive button reordering. - Browse all scientific units and constants in the units viewer. - View the command history and the results in the log viewer. - Customizable button click & alert volumes. - Support for landscape orientation. - Optional thousand separators. - Haptic feedback on iPhone. - External keyboard support. - Dark Appearance since iPadOS 13 or iOS 13. - Alternative, dark app icon. - Use the same app on iPad or iPhone. - Use the calculator in iPad multitasking, i.e. in a Slide Over view or in Split View. - No ads, no tracking, and no rating requests. - Downloadable user guide with introduction and command reference (PDF). ----- Plans for future versions (NOT YET SUPPORTED): - Arithmetic expressions.
RPN
This app is a faithful simulation of a rare 1974 financial calculator, offering all its original functions with enhanced features like more memory registers and a visual stack display. It's designed for users who appreciate vintage technology and need precise financial calculations.
- Photo-realistic vintage calculator design
- Full HP-70 function simulation
- Animated keys with sound
- Enhanced stack and memory register view
- Cut/copy/paste display value
- Input parameter visual indicators
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RPN-70 SD is a complete simulation of the financial hand-held calculator HP-70 from 1974. It handles loan amortization, saving plans, depreciation, and much more with ease. What users said: "Looks good, all functions you need. Love it!" "This is a beautiful emulation of a very rare HP financial calculator from 1974. Works just like the original but better! Faster, more accurate, with 10 more storage registers, and a popup window lets you see the contents of each stack, financial and storage register. Provides TVM4 functionality for compound interest as well as accumulated simple interest. A true work of art!" Features: • Photo-realistic look based on an existing device • Animated keys with click sound (adjustable volume) • All functions and operations of the HP-70 fully implemented • Correct wrong number entries by swiping across the display • Cut/copy/paste of display value • Double-tap display to view the stack and memory registers • Visual indicators keep track of input parameters entered • 10 non-volatile memory registers (not available in original HP-70) The HP-70 was discontinued after just one year. It is one of the rarest calculators, hard to find in any condition. NOTE: RPN-70 SD is a faithful simulation of a vintage HP-70 calculator, as has been verified against a real device using the examples in the Applications Cookbook section of the HP-70 manual. In certain cases, what may appear like a bug of the app is actually an idiosyncrasy of the HP-70. IMPORTANT: The HP-70 requires exactly three input parameters from the top-row keys, at least one of them being either "n" or "i". In other words, you can't use PMT, PV, and FV as input parameters simultaneously. A version for the iPhone named "RPN-70 HD" is also available. Short manual and sample calculations on the website: www.cuveesoft.ch
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: RPN at Free against RPN 28x Calc's $6.99. RPN 28x Calc's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
RPN is free to download; RPN 28x Calc costs $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
RPN 28x Calc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 11 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 97% of RPN 28x Calc's written reviews are positive against 100% of RPN's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
RPN 28x Calc ships an update every 2 months, RPN every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RPN 28x Calc | RPN |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (34 ratings) — better | 4.7 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 96.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 34 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 7 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | tredje design | CuVee Software |
Customer experience
RPN 28x Calc
RPN
In-app purchases
RPN 28x Calc
No in-app purchases
RPN
No in-app purchases









