# Calca vs iHP48

The clearest difference is price: iHP48 at Free against Calca's $9.99. iHP48 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

iHP48 is free to download; Calca costs $9.99 up front. Calca sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. iHP48 asks for nothing beyond the download.

iHP48 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 153 and 270 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Calca's written reviews are positive against 88% of iHP48's.

Calca ships an update every 5 months, iHP48 monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calca | iHP48 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (153 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calca/id635757879/reviews) | **[4.7 (270 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ihp48/id1549608953/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 153 | **270** |
| Positive reviews | 76.5% of reviews | **88.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 78 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Krueger Systems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/299293363) | [Alexis Lorca](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549608955) |

## What reviewers say

### Calca

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calca/id635757879)

This app is an advanced symbolic calculator and text editor. It solves equations, simplifies expressions, and allows you to explain your work alongside calculations. Calculations update instantly as you type, and all data is stored as plain text for easy sharing and device syncing.

**Highlights:** Symbolic calculation, Equation solving, Expression simplification, Markdown text editor, Real-time updates, Unit and currency conversion, Matrix operations

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6-Month Optional Patronage | $4.99 | one-time |
| 12-Month Optional Patronage | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Unique blend of text editor and calculator
- 📝 Markdown support for documentation
- 🔄 Dynamic recalculation of all values
- ⚙️ Powerful mathematical and algebraic capabilities
- 📊 Unit conversion and unit-aware calculations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Magic Keyboard input bugs on iPad
- ⚠️ Appears abandoned or poorly maintained
- 🐛 Text selection issues with external keyboards
- 📱 iPad landscape mode problems
- 🐛 Cursor jumping and screen jumping during editing

**Reported bugs**

- Magic Keyboard causes number input to overwrite instead of append
- Text selection before numbers triggers increment/decrement instead of selecting
- Cursor jumps forward and backward with external keyboards
- iPad Pro keyboard truncation in portrait mode
- Arrow key (=>) doesn't work in landscape mode

**Requested features**

- Files app and document browser integration
- Dropbox and Google Drive support
- Date calculation functionality
- Looping and iteration support
- User-defined function storage in separate files


### iHP48

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ihp48/id1549608953)

This app brings the powerful HP48 calculator experience to your mobile device. It offers enhanced performance, seamless file management, and a customizable interface with support for various HP calculator models. Enjoy a familiar and convenient calculator solution without needing extra hardware.

**Highlights:** Supports HP38, HP39, HP48, HP49, HP50 calculators, Haptic feedback and customizable zoom options, Seamless file transfer via iTunes and Files app, Cloud storage integration (iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox), Object saving/loading and copy/paste functionality, Access to calculator packages, skins, and ROMs, Internal file manager and extensible settings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent emulation of HP48
- 👍 Familiar and nostalgic feel
- 👍 Comprehensive functionality
- 👍 Customizable skins
- 👍 Haptic feedback

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🐛 Missed keystrokes when typing quickly
- 🐛 Blank or flickering display
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Inability to save state across sessions
- Incompatibility with certain iOS devices

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to disable haptic feedback
- Support for HP50G emulation
- Improved keyboard mapping and arrow key functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calca free?

Calca costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is iHP48 free?

iHP48 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Calca or iHP48?

iHP48 is rated higher. Calca averages 4.5 out of 5 from 153 ratings, while iHP48 averages 4.7 from 270 ratings.

### Do Calca or iHP48 have ads?

Neither Calca nor iHP48 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Calca or iHP48?

Calca ships an update every 5 months, and iHP48 monthly. Most recently, Calca was updated on September 25, 2026 and iHP48 on September 19, 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.*