Comparison

Back In The Day vs Inflation Time Machine

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

Head to head
About

Back In The Day

Calculate historical US inflation to understand the purchasing power of money across different decades. Easily convert past amounts to today's dollars or vice versa.

Highlights
  • US inflation calculation
  • Convert past to present value
  • Convert present to past value
  • Easy to use interface
  • Historical currency comparison
Features
Read full description

BITD - Back in The Day! Easy to use US inflation calculator. Remember your grandfather's stories of penny candy and nickel matinees? How much would that be in today's dollars? What is $100.00 today worth back in the 1920s? You can find out the answer to these questions, and many more with Back In The Day. This is an easy to use Inflation Calculator. Enter the amount and years to compare. BITD will display the value. Also check out the About screen for a few words of wisdom from the old codger!

About

Inflation Time Machine

Read full description

Inflation Time Machine lets you instantly see how the value of the U.S. dollar has changed over more than two centuries — from 1800 to 2025. Ever wonder what $1 in 1900 would be worth today? Or how much purchasing power a $20 bill had during the Civil War? Just dial in any dollar amount from one cent to $99,999.99 using the Rolodex-style drum pickers and select any two years to see the inflation-adjusted result. FEATURES - 225 years of data — CPI values from 1800 through 2025, covering every major economic era in American history - Cent-level precision — calculate from $0.01 to $99,999.99 - Rolodex drum pickers — scroll through digits with a satisfying mechanical feel and haptic feedback - Instant results — see the adjusted value, cumulative inflation, and average annual rate in real time - Detailed breakdown — view CPI values for both years, the multiplier, and purchasing power change - Swap years — tap once to reverse the from/to direction - Clean dark interface — a gold-on-black design built for focus and readability HOW IT WORKS The app uses the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For years prior to 1913, it draws on historical estimates compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis from academic sources including the Vermont Farmers Index, the Ethel D. Hoover CPI, and the Albert Rees Cost of Living Index. To calculate inflation-adjusted values, the app applies the standard formula: Adjusted Value = Original Amount × (CPI in Target Year ÷ CPI in Base Year). Whether you're a student, teacher, investor, history enthusiast, or just curious about the changing value of money, Inflation Time Machine makes it fast and intuitive to explore over two centuries of economic history.

Screenshots

Back In The Day4 screens
Inflation Time Machine3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Back In The Day at 3 against Inflation Time Machine's 1. Back In The Day also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Back In The Day versus Inflation Time Machine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBack In The DayInflation Time Machine
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (167 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings167 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB0 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn SchumacherKen DeMoya

Bugs and requests

Back In The Day

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • App does not work at all
  • Sticks in info page on iPhone
  • Can't display results
  • Cuts off bottom, won't slide up
  • No longer shows value today
Show 3 more
  • Doesn't give final dollar amount
  • Invalid amount error
  • Uses microphone by default

Requested features

7 requests
  • Extend historical date range further back
  • Landscape format option
  • Always present keyboard
  • Stable UI during conversions
  • Support for larger font sizes
Show 2 more
  • Voiceover compatibility for iOS
  • Support for other currencies (e.g., £)

Inflation Time Machine

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Back In The Day

No in-app purchases

None

Inflation Time Machine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Back In The Day free?
Back In The Day is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Inflation Time Machine free?
Inflation Time Machine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Back In The Day or Inflation Time Machine have ads?
Neither Back In The Day nor Inflation Time Machine shows ads.

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