# Calculator· vs Essential Calculator

The clearest difference is rating: Calculator· at 4.9 against Essential Calculator's 4.0. Calculator· also leads on ratings volume (34K vs 8) and review sentiment (84% vs 75%). Essential Calculator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Calculator· sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Essential Calculator asks for nothing beyond the download.

Calculator· holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calculator· has 34K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Calculator·'s written reviews are positive against 75% of Essential Calculator's.

Calculator· ships an update every 3 months, Essential Calculator every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calculator· | Essential Calculator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calculator/id554836784/reviews)** | [4.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-calculator/id1151178028/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **34K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **84.3% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 47 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tim O's Studios, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/412839685) | [CyberMoai](https://appshunter.io/developer/553890347) |

## What reviewers say

### Calculator·

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calculator/id554836784)

This app offers a straightforward calculation experience, focusing on essential functions without unnecessary complexity. It includes basic arithmetic, percentage calculations, and advanced functions like square root. Users can customize the appearance with multiple color schemes and utilize features like result copying and split-screen multitasking on iPad.

**Highlights:** Basic arithmetic operations, Percentage calculations, Multiple color schemes, Copy results, Square, square root, inverse functions, iPad Split View support, Apple Watch support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade App | $0.99 | per month |
| Upgrade App | $4.99 | per year |
| Upgrade App | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Quick and responsive
- 💡 Percentage function works well
- 👍 Large, clear buttons
- 👍 Straightforward, no-frills design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Frequent ads can be distracting
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔒 Lack of customization options
- 💡 No backspace/undo function
- 💡 Missing advanced features like memory

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when performing long calculations
- Freezes when opening the app
- Incorrect results for some complex calculations

**Requested features**

- Add a backspace/undo button
- Implement a history/memory feature
- Provide more customization options
- Reduce frequency of ads


### Essential Calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-calculator/id1151178028)

Perform basic mathematical calculations with a clean, minimalist interface. Get instant results for your equations on your iPhone or iPod touch.

**Highlights:** Basic mathematical equations, Instant results, Minimalist interface, iPhone and iPod touch support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calculator· free?

Calculator· is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Essential Calculator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Calculator· or Essential Calculator?

Calculator· is rated higher. Calculator· averages 4.9 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while Essential Calculator averages 4.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Calculator· or Essential Calculator have ads?

Calculator· shows ads; Essential Calculator does not.

### Which is updated more often, Calculator· or Essential Calculator?

Calculator· ships an update every 3 months, and Essential Calculator every 4 months. Most recently, Calculator· was updated on October 19, 2026 and Essential Calculator on October 2, 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.*