Comparison

DifCal vs CrystalGen

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

Head to head
About

DifCal

Read full description

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.

About

CrystalGen

Features
Read full description

Visualize minerals from basic crystallographic information. Symmetry, unit cell dimension, and habit

Screenshots

DifCal4 screens
CrystalGen4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: DifCal at every 15 months against CrystalGen's every 38 months. DifCal also leads on price ($1.99 vs $2.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.2). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

DifCal costs $1.99 and CrystalGen $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DifCal ships an update every 15 months, CrystalGen every 38 months. The most recent releases landed on May 16, 2026 and November 30, 2025 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
DifCal versus CrystalGen: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDifCalCrystalGen
Price$1.99 โ€” better$2.99
Update frequencyEvery 15 months โ€” betterEvery 38 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 โ€” better17.2
Further details โ€” not scored
Size9 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSean BrennanSteve Kliewer

In-app purchases

None

DifCal

No in-app purchases

None

CrystalGen

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DifCal free?
DifCal costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is CrystalGen free?
CrystalGen costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do DifCal or CrystalGen have ads?
Neither DifCal nor CrystalGen shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DifCal or CrystalGen?
DifCal ships an update every 15 months, and CrystalGen every 38 months. Most recently, DifCal was updated on May 16, 2026 and CrystalGen on November 30, 2025.

Other comparisons