# Cali vs Benchpad

The clearest difference is update cadence: Benchpad at every 3 weeks against Cali's every 5 months. Benchpad also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cali sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Benchpad sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Cali ships an update every 5 months, Benchpad every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cali | Benchpad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Size | 46 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ariel Araya-Madrigal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1623018170) | [Gagandeep Singh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864104544) |

## What reviewers say

### Cali

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cali-your-new-calendar/id6474921366)

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One cup of tea | $0.99 | one-time |
| One cup of Coffee | $0.99 | one-time |
| Three Carrots | $2.99 | one-time |
| A slice of Cake | $4.99 | one-time |


### Benchpad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/benchpad-scratchpad-notes/id6766779528)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Benchpad Pro | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cali free?

Cali is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Benchpad free?

Benchpad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Cali or Benchpad have ads?

Neither Cali nor Benchpad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cali or Benchpad?

Cali ships an update every 5 months, and Benchpad every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cali was updated on October 30, 2026 and Benchpad on November 9, 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.*