# The Calculator vs Life Dots

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Life Dots at none against The Calculator's 3. Life Dots also leads on ratings volume (36 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Calculator sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Life Dots asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for The Calculator against 5.0 for Life Dots. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Life Dots has 36 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

The Calculator ships an update every 6 days, Life Dots weekly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Calculator | Life Dots |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-calculator-notes-and-units/id6745772251/reviews)** | [5.0 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-dots-visualize-time/id6802906685/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **36** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 17 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [YiDe Liu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1813803093) | [THE DIGITAL MINIMALIST PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/6787353211) |

## What reviewers say

### The Calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-calculator-notes-and-units/id6745772251)

This app combines a powerful calculator with a note-taking feature, allowing you to document calculations as you perform them. It also offers unit and currency conversions, with customizable appearance and settings.

**Highlights:** Integrated notepad for documenting calculations, Unit and currency conversion, Basic, scientific, and conversion calculators, Customizable appearance (light, dark, black), Adjustable number formats and decimal places, History with attachable notes

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium | $9.99 | one-time |


### Life Dots

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/life-dots-visualize-time/id6802906685)

Visualize your life's progress through a simple grid of dots representing your day, month, year, or lifespan. A home screen widget provides a constant reminder to make the most of your time and stay motivated.

**Highlights:** Visualize time progression, Day, month, year, lifespan views, Home screen widget, Lock screen widget, Motivation and urgency reminder

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Calculator free?

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

### Is Life Dots free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Calculator or Life Dots?

The Calculator is rated higher. The Calculator averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Life Dots averages 5.0 from 36 ratings.

### Do The Calculator or Life Dots have ads?

Neither The Calculator nor Life Dots shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Calculator or Life Dots?

The Calculator ships an update every 6 days, and Life Dots weekly. Most recently, The Calculator was updated on October 24, 2026 and Life Dots on October 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.*