# Calca vs KDE Connect

The clearest difference is price: KDE Connect at Free against Calca's $9.99. KDE Connect also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). Calca's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (76% vs 61%). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Calca holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 153 and 271 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Calca's written reviews are positive against 61% of KDE Connect's.

Calca ships an update every 5 months, KDE Connect every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calca | KDE Connect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (153 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calca/id635757879/reviews)** | [4.2 (271 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kde-connect/id1580245991/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 153 | **271** |
| Positive reviews | **76.5% of reviews** | 60.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 78 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Krueger Systems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/299293363) | [KDE e.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1580245993) |

## 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


### KDE Connect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kde-connect/id1580245991)

Seamlessly integrate your devices with features like a shared clipboard, file sharing, and remote control. Use your phone as a virtual touchpad or keyboard, and even control presentations remotely. All communication is secured with end-to-end encryption.

**Highlights:** Shared clipboard, File and URL sharing, Virtual touchpad and keyboard, Remote presentation control, Remote command execution, End-to-end encryption

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works seamlessly across devices
- 👍 Easy to set up and use
- 🔒 Secure file transfer
- 💡 Innovative remote control features
- 🤖 Great for Linux/KDE integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and connectivity issues
- 🔋 Drains battery when running in the background
- 🤖 Limited functionality on iOS compared to Android
- 🤔 Pairing can be unreliable at times

**Reported bugs**

- Clipboard push feature not working
- App crashes on launch for some users
- Incompatibility with certain device/OS combinations
- Inability to discover/connect to devices in some cases

**Requested features**

- Add support for background operation
- Improve multi-file transfer capabilities
- Integrate with system share sheet
- Implement two-finger scrolling and other gestures
- Add SMS/notification sync features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calca free?

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

### Is KDE Connect free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Calca or KDE Connect?

Calca is rated higher. Calca averages 4.5 out of 5 from 153 ratings, while KDE Connect averages 4.2 from 271 ratings.

### Do Calca or KDE Connect have ads?

Neither Calca nor KDE Connect shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Calca or KDE Connect?

Calca ships an update every 5 months, and KDE Connect every 3 months. Most recently, Calca was updated on September 25, 2026 and KDE Connect on September 11, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*