Comparison

SwiftRPN vs HP16C

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SwiftRPN

Read full description

SwiftRPN is an RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) calculator that aims to be quick to open and easy to use. = RPN Stack Work quickly and efficiently using the RPN Stack by pushing and popping values. The stack will always show what series of inputs led to each output, so you won't lose context during complicated expressions. = Extended Types SwiftRPN can understand scalar types like integers and real numbers, as well as vectors and square matrices of sizes 2, 3, and 4. When operating purely in the scalar integer domain, SwiftRPN can promote up to BigInts to avoid floating point imprecision. = 80 Operators SwiftRPN has 84 built-in operators with included documentation and examples. All the expected operators (basic arithmetic, exponents, logarithms) are present, as are: - Rounding functions (floor/ceil/trunc/round) - Unit conversions - Bitwise operations (and/or/not/xor/shift left/shift right) - Statistics (avg/min/max/sum/std dev/NPV) - Trigonometry (sin/cos/tan + arc/hyperbolic variants) - Vector operations (dot/cross/normalize/length/swizzle) - Matrix operations (identity/inverse/transpose + translation/scale/rotation matrix generators) = Unit Conversions SwiftRPN has 74 built-in units, and can convert between units within families, including: - Angle - Area - Colors (3 and 4 components) - Coordinate systems (2D and 3D) - Length - Mass - Storage (Base 10 [SI, 1000 bytes in a kb] and Base 2 [1024 bytes in a kb]) - Temperature - Time - Volume = Value Representation SwiftRPN recognizes values represented in binary, octal, decimal, and hexidecimal. You can: - Enter values in one representation, and convert them to another - See the result of bitwise operations in binary automatically - View vec3 and vec4 components (truncated) in hexidecimal when working with colors.

About

HP16C

This app faithfully recreates the legendary HP 16C Computer Scientist calculator, offering advanced hex arithmetic, bit manipulation, and base conversion. It features RPN, keystroke programming, and modern enhancements like a two-line display and haptic feedback.

Highlights
  • Full RPN calculator
  • Integer arithmetic (HEX, DEC, OCT, BIN)
  • Configurable word size (1-64 bits)
  • Complete bit operations
  • Keystroke programming
  • Two-line display
  • Haptic feedback
Features
Read full description

A faithful recreation of the legendary HP 16C Computer Scientist calculator for iPhone, with a few modern upgrades. If you've ever needed to perform hex arithmetic, bit manipulation, or base conversion on your phone and been frustrated by the available options, this is for you. RPN-16C gives you the full power of the original HP 16C in your pocket. WHAT IT DOES - Full RPN (Reverse Polish Notation) calculator - Integer arithmetic in HEX, DEC, OCT, and BIN - Configurable word size from 1 to 64 bits - Unsigned, one's complement, and two's complement modes - Complete bit operations: shift, rotate, rotate through carry, AND, OR, XOR, NOT, mask, bit set/clear/test, count bits, left justify - Float mode with configurable precision (FLOAT 0-9) - Keystroke programming with labels, subroutines, loops, and conditionals - Storage registers with direct and indirect addressing - Programs can be imported from text (long-press the display to paste) ENHANCEMENTS OVER THE ORIGINAL - Two-line display: see both X and Y registers at once. No more guessing what's on the stack. - Wider LCD: displays all 32 bits in binary without scrolling. The original could only show 8 at a time. - Haptic feedback on every key press - State persistence: pick up right where you left off - SHOW function to peek at values in other bases FAIR WARNING This is a quirky calculator. It uses Reverse Polish Notation, has no equals key, and expects you to know what two's complement means. If you're looking for a simple calculator, this is not it. If you've ever wished you could do a bitwise rotate through carry on your phone, welcome home. DESIGNED FOR PROGRAMMERS The key layout matches the physical HP 16C exactly, including the f (gold) and g (blue) shift labels. If you know the original, you already know this one. The original HP 16C Owner's Handbook is freely available on the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/hp-16c_handbook

Screenshots

SwiftRPN4 screens
HP16C4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: HP16C at 2 against SwiftRPN's —. On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
SwiftRPN versus HP16C: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwiftRPNHP16C
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 days
AdsNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPatrick GelvinMichael Doornbos

In-app purchases

None

SwiftRPN

No in-app purchases

None

HP16C

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SwiftRPN free?
SwiftRPN is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HP16C free?
HP16C is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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