Comparison

Numerical³ vs Solves

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

Head to head
About

Numerical³

A powerful and beautifully designed calculator app that offers advanced scientific functions, automatic bracket handling, and a unique no-equals button interface. It integrates seamlessly with iOS features like widgets and keyboards for calculations anywhere.

Highlights
  • No equals button interface
  • Automatic bracket handling
  • Full scientific keypad
  • Today Widget integration
  • Numerical² Keyboard for any app
  • Equation editing
  • Customizable themes
Features
Read full description

Numerical³ is still the calculator without equal. The first Numerical shipped in 2014—v3 brings long-requested improvements and the same focus on delightful, minimalist utility apps.MAC TOONumerical runs natively on macOS: multiple windows, tabs, resizing, desktop widgets, full keyboard support, and synced history. Download it on the Mac App Store.WIDGETSLock screen and Home Screen widgets—modernized on iPhone and iPad.THEMESBrand-new neo-morphic themes alongside our most popular picks—each with light and dark variants that follow your iOS appearance settings. Use the Theme Picker to preview them all.ICONSTheme Home Screen icons match iOS 26 with glass effects, Dark Mode, and tints.HISTORYYour equations stay visible on screen—above the keyboard on iPhone (portrait) and to the side on iPad and Mac. iCloud keeps history in sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.KEYBOARDSExternal keyboards are fully supported on iPhone, iPad, and macOS—including the shortcuts you expect.SOUND FXSounds and clicky feedback on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Haptics on iPhone.14+ LANGUAGESThe entire app is localized in 14+ languages—including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Russian—with international digits and formats. Missing yours? Let us know.Mana Machines—Numerical³ and upcoming apps from a studio focused on delightful, minimal, human-centered utilities. More on the way.Questions or feedback: manamachineventures@gmail.comDeveloped by Andrew J Clark. Designed by Andrew J Clark & Alex Vanderzon.

About

Solves

A powerful and versatile calculator for all your Apple devices. Edit complex expressions, sync history across devices, and enjoy a clean, ad-free experience. Unlock advanced features like unit conversion and fraction support with an optional upgrade.

Highlights
  • Edit expressions without limitations
  • Instant results
  • Sync calculation history across devices
  • Unit conversion (currencies, physical units)
  • Fraction support
  • Customizable themes
Features
Read full description

Solves is a well-made calculator app for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. It allows you to edit expressions without limitations and get instant results. It keeps your calculation history in sync on all devices and lets you to easily interact with it. All this for free and without ads! By purchasing Solves+ you also get: • Unit Conversions: currencies (with crypto, metals & energy), physical units, and your own! • History Tools: comment, bookmark, export, auto clear, and more • Fractions • More Themes • Advanced Settings Hand-typed code. No generative AI was used during the development or by the app itself. Solves+ requires one payment only. You will own it forever on all devices.

Screenshots

Numerical³4 screens
Solves4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Numerical³ at none against Solves's 6. Numerical³ also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 381). Solves's advantage is review sentiment (91% vs 75%) and device support (5 vs 3). On price, rating 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. Solves sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Numerical³ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Numerical³ against 4.9 for Solves. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 381 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Numerical³'s written reviews are positive against 91% of Solves's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Numerical³ ships an update every 2 weeks, Solves every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Numerical³ versus Solves: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNumerical³Solves
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.3K ratings)4.9 (381 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.4% of reviews90.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.3K — better381
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.015 — better
Further details — not scored
Size113 MB82 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrew J ClarkOleg Barinov

Customer experience

Numerical³

All ratings1,338 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.1%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews487 reviews
Positive75.4%
Neutral9.4%
Negative15.2%

Solves

All ratings381 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews480 reviews
Positive90.6%
Neutral3.8%
Negative5.6%

User reviews

Numerical³

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great app
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive
  • 👍 Clean and beautiful design
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 👍 Customizable themes

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches (unresponsive keys, calculation errors)
  • 🔍 Lack of advanced functions (scientific, unit conversion)
  • 💡 Needs more theme options
  • 💡 Needs iPad support
  • 💡 Needs widget support

Solves

From 381 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Excellent calculator app
  • 🚀 Smooth and responsive
  • 🔒 No ads or data collection
  • 💡 Useful features like history, comments, and unit conversions
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive design

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs after updates
  • 🐛 Issues with certain mathematical operations
  • 🐛 Family sharing not working properly
  • 🐛 Lag or performance issues on some devices
  • 💡 Desire for more advanced features like fractions, base conversions

Bugs and requests

Numerical³

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unresponsive keys
  • Calculation errors
  • Crashes on startup

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add scientific functions (square root, trigonometry, etc.)
  • Implement an equals button
  • Add more theme options
  • Develop an iPad version
  • Bring back widget support

Solves

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes when pressing certain buttons
  • Issues with parsing complex expressions
  • Incorrect results for some calculations
  • Problems with history clearing or syncing

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add support for fractions and mixed numbers
  • Implement a widget for quick access
  • Allow resizing the app window on Mac
  • Provide more customization options
  • Add support for Apple Watch
Show 1 more
  • Improve unit conversion experience

In-app purchases

None

Numerical³

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Solves

One-time6
  • Tip Option #1$0.99
  • Tip Option #2$1.99
  • Tip Option #3$4.99
Show 3 more
  • Tip Option #4$9.99
  • Solves+$9.99
  • Tip Option #5$19.99

Questions

Is Numerical³ free?
Numerical³ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Solves free?
Solves is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Numerical³ or Solves?
Solves is rated higher. Numerical³ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Solves averages 4.9 from 381 ratings.
Do Numerical³ or Solves have ads?
Neither Numerical³ nor Solves shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Numerical³ or Solves?
Numerical³ ships an update every 2 weeks, and Solves every 3 weeks. Most recently, Numerical³ was updated on October 1, 2026 and Solves on September 28, 2026.

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