# RPN vs DB48X

The clearest difference is update cadence: DB48X at every 3 weeks against RPN's every 6 months. DB48X also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 71%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). RPN's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $4.99) and chart position (#184 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

RPN costs $1.99 and DB48X $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

DB48X holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of RPN's written reviews are positive against 100% of DB48X's.

RPN ships an update every 6 months, DB48X every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RPN | DB48X |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rpn-35-sd/id956224485/reviews) | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/db48x/id6615086535/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#184** | — |
| Size | 14 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CuVee Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/424873503) | [Christophe de Dinechin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1761608161) |

## What reviewers say

### RPN

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rpn-35-sd/id956224485)

**Currently charting:** #184 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

This app emulates the first pocket scientific calculator, offering a photo-realistic vintage experience. It simulates original operating speeds and unique arithmetic bugs, with optional modern enhancements like non-volatile registers.

**Highlights:** Photo-realistic look-and-feel, Multiple vintage skins, Vintage and Enhanced modes, Optional key-click and key-glow, Swipe to correct input, Display stack and memory registers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### DB48X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/db48x/id6615086535)

This advanced scientific calculator offers arbitrary precision computations, RPN and algebraic operations, and extensive graphing capabilities. It supports complex numbers, matrices, symbolic calculations, and over 1000 built-in functions, inspired by the HP48 series.

**Highlights:** Arbitrary precision computations, RPN and algebraic operations, Complex numbers, vectors, and matrices, Symbolic computations and numerical solving, Graphing and plotting, Engineering units and currency conversion, Built-in hyperlinked help system

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RPN free?

RPN costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is DB48X free?

DB48X costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RPN or DB48X?

DB48X is rated higher. RPN averages 4.4 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while DB48X averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do RPN or DB48X have ads?

Neither RPN nor DB48X shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RPN or DB48X?

RPN ships an update every 6 months, and DB48X every 3 weeks. Most recently, RPN was updated on September 6, 2026 and DB48X on September 10, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*