WP 34s vs DB48X
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
WP 34s
This app is a powerful RPN scientific calculator with extensive functions for mathematics, statistics, programming, and engineering. It includes programmer functions, fraction mode, probability distributions, and a stopwatch, offering a comprehensive tool for complex calculations.
- RPN scientific calculator implementation
- Programmer functions (binary, octal, hexadecimal)
- Fraction mode and probability distributions
- Stopwatch with real-time clock
- Mathematical, statistical, and financial functions
- Unit conversions and physical constants
- Extended character sets for multiple languages
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WP 34s is the most powerful and complete implementation of a classic RPN scientific calculator. Now available on iOS too (see the support site for other emulators and for the real stuff). The function set of the WP 34S is based on the most powerful programmable RPN calculators built so far and we expanded the set, incorporating programmer functions (base 2, 8 & 16), a fraction mode, probability distributions, a stopwatch... We also included numerous additional useful functions for mathematics, statistics, physics, engineering, programming, I/O, etc., such as: + Euler’s Beta and Riemann’s Zeta functions, Bernoulli and Fibonacci numbers, Lambert’s W, the error function, and the Chebyshev, Hermite, Laguerre, and Legendre orthogonal polynomials (no more need to carry heavy printed tables), + many statistical distributions and their inverses: Poisson, Binomial, Geometric, Cauchy-Lorentz, Exponential, Logistic, Weibull, Lognormal, and Gaussian, + programmable sums and products, first and second derivatives, solving quadratic equations for real and complex roots, + testing for primality, + integer computing in fifteen bases from binary to hexadecimal, + extended date and time operations and a stopwatch3 based on a real-time clock, + financial operations such as mean rate of return and margin calculations, + 88 conversions, mainly from old Imperial to universal SI units and vice versa, + 50 fundamental physical constants as accurate as used today by national standards institutes such as NIST or PTB, plus a selection of important constants from mathematics, astronomy, and surveying, + Greek and extended Latin letters covering the languages of almost half of the world’s population (upper and lower case in two font sizes), plus mathematical symbols. A beginner manual can be downloaded at http://sourceforge.net/projects/wp34s/files/doc/WP_34S_Beg_Guide.pdf and a full, very complete version at http://sourceforge.net/projects/wp34s/files/doc/Manual_wp_34s_3_1.pdf
DB48X
This advanced scientific calculator offers arbitrary precision computations, RPN and algebraic operations, and extensive graphing capabilities. It supports complex numbers, matrices, symbolic calculations, and over 1000 built-in functions, inspired by the HP48 series.
- Arbitrary precision computations
- RPN and algebraic operations
- Complex numbers, vectors, and matrices
- Symbolic computations and numerical solving
- Graphing and plotting
- Engineering units and currency conversion
- Built-in hyperlinked help system
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DB48X is a new high-precision scientific calculator inspired by the legendary HP48 series from Hewlett-Packard. It is not an emulator, but a redesign from scratch, which is faster, and delivers never seen before capabilities like computations in arbitrary precision. Like the original HP48, DB48X supports an unlimited stack, RPN and algebraic operations, complex numbers, based numbers, vectors, matrices, text, symbolic computations, numerical solving and integration, graphing and plotting, statistics, engineering units, and well over 1000 built-in functions. DB48X adds several HP50G capabilities, including a library of equations and constants covering mathematics, physics or chemistry. Using modern technologies, DB48X goes well beyond the original HP48 in many ways: - It is significantly faster, uses less memory, and features a higher-resolution 240x400 pixels graphical display. - Integer and decimal values can have an arbitrarily large number of digits, so you can compute log(pi) with 200 digits in a few keystrokes. - The six function keys feature up to three function per key, giving quick access to up to 18 related functions at a time. - Complex numbers can mix and match polar and rectangular form. - Symbolic operations extend to complex numbers, vectors and matrices. - Based numbers can be in any base from 2 to 36, and support any number of bits, making it easy to emulate a 23-bit or 512-bit processor. - Text is represented using Unicode instead of the proprietary HP encoding, facilitating data exchange with the rest of the world. - Multiple graphs can be distinguished using bitmap patterns (DB50X adds the ability to use colors) - Engineering units include all the modern evolutions of the SI system, and can be configured by the user, e.g. to integrate currency units with the exchange rate du jour. Converting between USD/hour and EUR/day has never been so easy! - A built-in hyperlinked help system documents functions simply by holding the corresponding key, and combine a quick start guide, a user manual and a reference manual. DB48X will run many user RPL programs as is. However, since it is not an emulator, it will not run any HP binary object, and notably will not run HP48 games or anything involving system RPL. DB48X is part of a family of compatible RPL calculators that include the free DB40X and the color DB50X.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: WP 34s at Free against DB48X's $4.99. WP 34s also leads on ratings volume (28 vs 4) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). DB48X's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On rating, 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
WP 34s is free to download; DB48X costs $4.99 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 — 4.7 for WP 34s against 4.8 for DB48X. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WP 34s has 28 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of WP 34s's written reviews are positive against 100% of DB48X's.
WP 34s ships an update every 4 months, DB48X every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WP 34s | DB48X |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (28 ratings) | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 92.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 28 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pascal Meheut | Christophe de Dinechin |
Customer experience
WP 34s
DB48X
In-app purchases
WP 34s
No in-app purchases
DB48X
No in-app purchases









