DifCal vs CrystalGen
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DifCal
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Calculate diffraction angles for a particular crystal with a defined orientation matrix. New crystals can be added to the database. Energy/wavelength can be changed. Currently knows about 4-circle, Z-Axis and Theta-Theta diffractometers as well as 2-circle, powder and amorphous diffraction modes. Current crystals include silicon, diamond, GaAs, Muscovite (mica), graphite, many 3-5 and 2-6 crystals. There are separate screens for setting the crystal (or creating a new one), defining the orientation matrix, defining the diffractometer mode, and calculating either angles, given h,k,l, or hkl given a set of angles. With the larger screen of the iPad all the controls are visible on a single page.
CrystalGen
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Visualize minerals from basic crystallographic information. Symmetry, unit cell dimension, and habit
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: DifCal at Free against CrystalGen's $2.99. DifCal also leads on update cadence (every 15 months vs every 38 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.2). On 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
DifCal is free to download; CrystalGen costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
DifCal ships an update every 15 months, CrystalGen every 38 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DifCal | CrystalGen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months — better | Every 38 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sean Brennan | Steve Kliewer |
In-app purchases
DifCal
No in-app purchases
CrystalGen
No in-app purchases








