Comparison

Basic Calculator vs Essential Calculator

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

Head to head
About

Basic Calculator

A straightforward calculator app designed for everyday use. It offers a clean interface with essential functions, displaying current calculations and providing a history of your operations. Ideal for users who prefer simplicity over advanced features.

Highlights
  • Basic calculation system
  • Intuitive design
  • View present modifications
  • Calculation history
  • Universal app support
Features
Read full description

'3.0 Fun design applied' Focusing on the most basic calculation system This calculator is focused on the most basic calculation system than other calculator apps. Excluded engineering calculations. It shows present modifications. It provides calculation history. This is for common people using in the most easy ways. It is available for people seeking the simplest method. - Intuitive design - Able to see present modifications - Calculation history - Universal app Basic Calc for iPad Think Human Designed by SuperDG

About

Essential Calculator

Perform basic mathematical calculations with a clean, minimalist interface. Get instant results for your equations on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Highlights
  • Basic mathematical equations
  • Instant results
  • Minimalist interface
  • iPhone and iPod touch support
Read full description

Easily enter basic mathematical equations and instantly view the results on your iPhone or iPod touch with this simple, minimalist calculator app.

Screenshots

Basic Calculator4 screens
Essential Calculator2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Basic Calculator at 4.6 against Essential Calculator's 4.0. Basic Calculator also leads on ratings volume (1.9K vs 8). Essential Calculator's advantage is iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Basic Calculator holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Basic Calculator has 1.9K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 69% of Basic Calculator's written reviews are positive against 75% of Essential Calculator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Basic Calculator ships an update every 3 months, Essential Calculator every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Basic Calculator versus Essential Calculator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBasic CalculatorEssential Calculator
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.9K ratings) — better4.0 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews69.4% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.9K — better8
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSuperDG Inc.CyberMoai

Customer experience

Basic Calculator

All ratings1,903 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews248 reviews
Positive69.4%
Neutral8.1%
Negative22.6%

Essential Calculator

All ratings8 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Basic Calculator

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Percentage key not working on iPad
  • Calculation history not updating correctly

Requested features

3 requests
  • Support for fractions and advanced calculations
  • Ability to correct mistakes without restarting
  • Customization options like themes and fonts

Essential Calculator

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Basic Calculator

No in-app purchases

None

Essential Calculator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Basic Calculator free?
Basic Calculator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Essential Calculator free?
Essential Calculator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Basic Calculator or Essential Calculator?
Basic Calculator is rated higher. Basic Calculator averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Essential Calculator averages 4.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Basic Calculator or Essential Calculator have ads?
Neither Basic Calculator nor Essential Calculator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Basic Calculator or Essential Calculator?
Basic Calculator ships an update every 3 months, and Essential Calculator every 4 months. Most recently, Basic Calculator was updated on November 6, 2026 and Essential Calculator on November 2, 2026.

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