# Calca vs RayCrest Lab Calculator

The clearest difference is price: RayCrest Lab Calculator at Free against Calca's $9.99. RayCrest Lab Calculator also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Calca's advantage is ratings volume (153 vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

RayCrest Lab Calculator holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calca has 153 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Calca ships an update every 5 months, RayCrest Lab Calculator every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calca | RayCrest Lab Calculator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (153 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calca/id635757879/reviews) | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raycrest-lab-calculator/id6785651551/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **153** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 76.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 78 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Krueger Systems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/299293363) | [RAYCREST SOFTWARE LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1847966144) |

## 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


### RayCrest Lab Calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raycrest-lab-calculator/id6785651551)

This app assists researchers, students, and lab teams with essential calculations for preparing buffers, solutions, and dilutions. It provides practical guidance for weighing solids, mixing stocks, and titration, with built-in tools for buffer charts, recipes, and protocol timers.

**Highlights:** Buffer preparation guidance, Henderson-Hasselbalch recipes, Stock mixing and titration, Solution and dilution calculations, Mass/volume conversions, Protocol timers, Saved recipes and compounds

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calca free?

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

### Is RayCrest Lab Calculator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Calca or RayCrest Lab Calculator?

RayCrest Lab Calculator is rated higher. Calca averages 4.5 out of 5 from 153 ratings, while RayCrest Lab Calculator averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Calca or RayCrest Lab Calculator have ads?

Neither Calca nor RayCrest Lab Calculator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Calca or RayCrest Lab Calculator?

Calca ships an update every 5 months, and RayCrest Lab Calculator every 2 months. Most recently, Calca was updated on October 13, 2026 and RayCrest Lab Calculator on September 24, 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.*