iPadOS 17 is missing one big thing.
Here's what you can do instead.
Based on search data pulled from Google, the phrase "iPad calculator" has around 25% more search volume than the phrase "best iPads."
Just think about that for a second—people are more interested in a calculator app than they are in viewing iPad recommendations.
Today, I'll try my best to address iPadOS 17’s biggest problem: the nonexistent calculator app.
While we wait for Apple to develop a native calculator app, here are 8 alternatives you can use today:
Calculator Air
Pricing: The pricing for the app is a little weird. It is free to download, and from what I've seen in my brief experience with the app, the core features are free to use.
That being said, there's also a subscription. It costs $4.99/week or $9.99/mo or $69.99/year. Although it's pricy, the subscription appears to give "pro" access to all of the developer's apps.
First Look: This seems like a solid app. On top of having a smooth UI, the app also has a cool Math AI feature (think ChatGPT but for math).
What Other People Think: At 4.7 stars from 56,000+ ratings, Calculator Air appears to be a good app. Many of the negative reviews on the App Store are from kids who don't want to ask their parents to pay for a subscription (I'm not even kidding lol).
Overall, this app is pretty decent. The subscription is pricy and annoying, though it may be worth it if you're interested in the developer's other apps.
Even if you don't want to pay a subscription, this app still offers standard calculator functionality as well as the Math AI tutor feature. The AI feature alone makes this a fantastic calculator app for students.
Calculate 84
Pricing: This app is free to download. There are ads, though a one-time $6.99 purchase will get rid of them and give you lifetime access to the app.
First Look: This app resembles a standard Ti-84 graphing calculator, and shares many of the same features. The app looks like it was built to be used in Split View/Stage Manager mode, though this isn't a major issue.
What Other People Think: Like many of the apps on this list, Calculate84 has pretty good reviews (4.8 stars from 15,000 ratings). The negative reviews are either people talking about the ads in the app or racist comments (again, I'm not kidding).
Ultimately, this app is pretty cool if you're a student taking STEM classes. Many of the positive reviews mention that this app made them use their iPhone/iPad instead of their actual Ti-84 calculators during class.
Personally, I could see myself using this app in Split View/Stage Manager as I work on my homework.
Overall, a great app for students.
Desmos
Pricing: appears to be completely free
First Look: this app is the app version of the Desmos website. I personally LOVE the Desmos website. Its graphing features were a life-saver during many of my math and physics classes.
What Other People Think: Desmos is on the lower end of the spectrum at 4.2 stars from 1,000+ ratings. However, most of the negative reviews are either a few years old or complain about Dhar Mann (not kidding).
Though Desmos probably won't be anyone's primary calculator app, it can be a good companion for anyone taking math or math-oriented classes. I personally have had a great experience with the app whenever I've used it.
Uno Calculator
Pricing: appears to be completely free
First Look: This app takes a different approach to the calculator app.
Instead of simply being a calculator app, it provides a variety of preset options to suit your needs. For instance, you can quickly choose between different real-world unit conversions (like mass, volume, etc.)
What Other People Think: Though Uno Calculator doesn't have nearly as many ratings as the other apps on this list (80), it still has pretty good reviews (4.6 stars).
For anyone who doesn't want to deal with ads or pay a fee, Uno Calculator is probably the best truly free calculator app out there.
The iPad Calculator By Lake Edwards
Pricing: appears to be completely free
First Look: Technically, this isn't an app. Instead, it's a bookmark that you can save to your home screen.
Despite this limitation, this calculator is probably the closest we'll get to a native app before Apple releases their own calculator app. It mimics the design Apple uses for their iPhone calculator app, and is probably good enough for anyone doing basic calculations.
What Other People Think: No clue (obviously, this isn't on the App Store)
This app isn't super complex or powerful, but it does get the job done. The UI matches Apple's style, and it works for basic math problems.
Technicalc
Pricing: costs $7.99 to download
First Look: This app seems perfect for anyone working in a STEM field. It offers unit conversion, lets you use built-in and user-added constants, works with matrices, vectors, and complex numbers, etc.
What Other People Think: Though this app doesn't have too many ratings (just 39), it has a 4.8/5 star overall rating. Every written review gives the app 5 stars except for a 3-star review that complained about the font.
Though this app is overkill for most people, it's perfect for true professionals who need a powerful calculator tool.
PCalc
Pricing: costs $9.99 to download
First Look: Unlike many of the other apps on this list, this app has a "practical" style instead of an "aesthetic" style. The developer positions the apps has a "powerful choice for scientists, engineers, students, [and] programmers."
What Other People Think: With 4.7/5 stars from 621 ratings, this app has generally positive reviews. This time, many of the negative reviews do have genuine complaints, like no complex number support or issues with Shortcuts. If you're looking to purchase PCalc, I'd take a look at the reviews.
Like Technicalc, PCalc is oriented for pros, and is overkill for the vast majority of iPad users.
If you do need an overkill calculator app though, PCalc is a great option.
Calzy
Pricing: costs $4.99 to download
First Look: Unlike PCalc, Calzy has a minimalist aesthetic. It appears to be a pretty simple app. There's no overly complex features, which may or may not be a bad thing depending on your workflow.
What Other People Think: Calzy has a 4.7/5 star rating from 1,100+ users. Most negative reviews mention bugs/software issues, though the vast majority of the reviews are positive.
If you're willing to pay a small fee for an app with no in-app purchases or ads and you just want an app that's simple and works, Calzy is probably the best choice for you.
Final Thoughts
"Calculators only calculate—they cannot do mathematics"—John A. Van De Walle
Thanks for reading!
Adi
I sincerely apologize for this post if you hate math
There us also Soulver which takes a different, natural language, approach - it is on the Mac too and is much easier than say PCalc