Comparison

PencilCalc vs *CalcMemo

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

Head to head
About

PencilCalc

Features
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PencilCalc PencilCalc displays calculation results in the vertical arithmetic format taught in Japanese elementary schools. Even when used like a regular calculator, the answers appear neatly in the traditional pencil-and-paper style, helping children intuitively understand how addition and subtraction work. It’s perfect for classrooms, home study, or even as brain training for seniors. You can also enjoy ad-free use for 48 hours by watching a short ad — making it safe and comfortable for anyone to use. Main Features • Displays addition and subtraction in vertical (column) format • Supports numbers up to 999,999 • non-personalized ads only

About

*CalcMemo

Features
Read full description

A calculator that remembers what your numbers were for. "Wait, what was this $385 for?" A normal calculator only keeps the answer. CalcMemo puts every calculation into a note, and lets you add a line of text in between. Quotes, budgets, splitting the bill, trip costs: come back later and you can still see what you calculated and why. ■ Made for • Quotes: unit price × quantity, with item names • Budgets: monthly bills in one folder, with a total • Splitting the bill: head count and rounding, all on record • Loans: compare monthly payments and total interest • Due dates: a monthly reminder on the 25th to pay rent ■ Calculator and notes on one screen Notes on top, calculator below. Every "=" adds the expression and answer to the note. Add headings and memos anywhere to keep it readable. Ans button recalls the last answer. ■ Scientific functions and statistics The f(x) tab adds trig, logs, powers, factorial, parentheses and memory (M+ M− MR MC). Select calculations in a note to see their sum, mean, max, min and standard deviation. ■ Money math built in • Loans (including balloon payments) • Loan prepayment simulator (Pro) • Savings plan (Pro) • Compound interest • Profit margin and discounts • Bill splitting with rounding • Sales tax • Date and day counting • Unit conversion (length, weight, temperature, area, volume, speed, fuel economy, time) Save any result to your note in one tap. ■ Reminders and widgets • Note reminders (Pro): once, daily, weekly or monthly. Tap the notification to open the note • Daily reminder: a nudge at the same time every day • Home Screen widgets (Pro): pinned notes, a folder, or one note's answer ■ Organized like a notes app Folders, pinning, grouping by date, reordering, moving between folders, and search across all notes. ■ iPad three-column layout Folders, notes and calculator on one screen, with a calculator you can float anywhere. ■ CalcMemo Pro (one-time purchase) Buy once, keep it forever. No subscription. • Unlimited folders and notes (free: 3 folders, 30 notes) • Lock folders with Face ID • Export notes as PDF or CSV • Savings and prepayment planners with charts • Home Screen widgets • Note reminders ■ Built to be trusted No ads, no account. Your notes stay on your device and are never uploaded. Back up and move to a new phone with JSON export. Available in 16 languages.

Screenshots

PencilCalc3 screens
*CalcMemo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PencilCalc at every 2 days against *CalcMemo's weekly. *CalcMemo's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PencilCalc ships an update every 2 days, *CalcMemo weekly. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
PencilCalc versus *CalcMemo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPencilCalc*CalcMemo
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYASUHIDE MATSUMOTOTomoyuki Fukuzawa

In-app purchases

None

PencilCalc

No in-app purchases

None

*CalcMemo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PencilCalc free?
PencilCalc is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is *CalcMemo free?
*CalcMemo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PencilCalc or *CalcMemo have ads?
Neither PencilCalc nor *CalcMemo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PencilCalc or *CalcMemo?
PencilCalc ships an update every 2 days, and *CalcMemo weekly. Most recently, PencilCalc was updated on October 14, 2026 and *CalcMemo on October 14, 2026.

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