# RationalNumberCalculator vs MathPapa

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RationalNumberCalculator at none against MathPapa's 2. RationalNumberCalculator also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). MathPapa's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MathPapa sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. RationalNumberCalculator asks for nothing beyond the download.

RationalNumberCalculator holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MathPapa has 17K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of RationalNumberCalculator's written reviews are positive against 78% of MathPapa's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

RationalNumberCalculator ships an update every 9 months, MathPapa every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RationalNumberCalculator | MathPapa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rationalnumbercalculator/id998791093/reviews)** | [4.7 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathpapa-algebra-calculator/id1024251561/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **17K** |
| Positive reviews | 63.6% of reviews | **77.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Freemium |
| Size | 4 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Jirou Fukuda](https://appshunter.io/developer/689603483) | [MathPapa, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1116770141) |

## What reviewers say

### RationalNumberCalculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rationalnumbercalculator/id998791093)

Perform calculations with fractions, decimals, and mixed numbers. Supports addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Results can be displayed in various formats.

**Highlights:** Fraction arithmetic, Decimal and fraction operations, Four arithmetic operations, Display results as decimal, Display results as improper fraction, Display results as mixed fraction

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### MathPapa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mathpapa-algebra-calculator/id1024251561)

This app provides step-by-step solutions to algebra problems, helping users understand how to solve equations and inequalities. It can also graph equations, factor expressions, and evaluate mathematical expressions.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step equation solving, Linear and quadratic equation solver, Linear and quadratic inequality solver, Equation graphing, Quadratic expression factoring, Order of operations, Expression evaluation

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MathPapa Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| MathPapa Pro Upgrade | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Solves any expression or equation
- 👍 Provides step-by-step solutions
- 👍 Graphs functions
- 👍 Helpful for homework and understanding concepts
- 🚀 Saves time on homework

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription required for step-by-step solutions
- 💰 Expensive subscription at $10/month
- 👎 Limited number of step-by-step solutions in free version
- 👎 Subscription is not affordable for some students
- 👎 Subscription model is disappointing compared to previous free version

**Reported bugs**

- Doesn't always recognize certain input formats
- Step-by-step solutions not always available even with subscription

**Requested features**

- Add history/log of past calculations
- Support for more math functions like differentiation and integration
- Ability to input expressions with exponents as expressions
- Option to display answers in different formats (decimal, fraction, mixed number)
- Ability to take a photo of a problem and have it solved


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RationalNumberCalculator free?

RationalNumberCalculator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MathPapa free?

MathPapa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, RationalNumberCalculator or MathPapa?

RationalNumberCalculator is rated higher. RationalNumberCalculator averages 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while MathPapa averages 4.7 from 17K ratings.

### Do RationalNumberCalculator or MathPapa have ads?

RationalNumberCalculator shows ads; MathPapa does not.

### Which is updated more often, RationalNumberCalculator or MathPapa?

RationalNumberCalculator ships an update every 9 months, and MathPapa every 3 weeks. Most recently, RationalNumberCalculator was updated on November 4, 2026 and MathPapa on November 9, 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.*