RPN 28x Calc vs WP 31s
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.
WP 31s
This app emulates a classic RPN scientific calculator, offering a rich function set for daily use with a simplified interface. It's based on the more complex WP 34s but is designed for easier operation.
- RPN scientific calculator emulation
- Rich function set
- Simplified, less cluttered keyboard
- Based on WP 34s
- Available on iOS
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WP 31s is a classic RPN scientific calculator based on the powerful but more complex WP 34s. Now available on iOS too (see the support site for other emulators and for the real stuff). It is not programmable but has a rich function set for daily use and is easier to use, thanks to a less cluttered keyboard. A manual can be downloaded at http://sourceforge.net/projects/wp34s/files/doc/Manual_wp_31s_1_2q.pdf/download
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: WP 31s at Free against RPN 28x Calc's $6.99. RPN 28x Calc's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 10 months). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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
WP 31s 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for RPN 28x Calc against 4.9 for WP 31s. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 15 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 97% of RPN 28x Calc's written reviews are positive against 100% of WP 31s's.
RPN 28x Calc ships an update every 2 months, WP 31s every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RPN 28x Calc | WP 31s |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (34 ratings) — better | 4.9 (15 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 97.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 34 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.4 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | tredje design | Pascal Meheut |
Customer experience
RPN 28x Calc
WP 31s
In-app purchases
RPN 28x Calc
No in-app purchases
WP 31s
No in-app purchases









