SymboCalc, a symbolic calculator and computer algebra system for iPhone and iPad, is free on the App Store right now. The tip site New Mobile Life lists its usual price as US$0.99 and calls the offer limited time. The US App Store listing showed the app as Free when we checked. Neither the listing nor the developer, Nils Albertsen, gives an end date, so the price could go back up at any time.
What SymboCalc does
Most calculator apps turn every answer into a decimal. SymboCalc keeps results exact: 1/3 stays 1/3, and radicals, fractions and complex numbers are shown as proper typeset math with stacked fractions and matrix brackets. Tap an answer to switch it to a decimal, and tap again to switch back. The App Store description even pitches it as an app version of the classic Ti-89 graphing calculator.
According to the listing, it covers:
- Algebra: expand, factor, simplify, partial fractions, polynomial division and trigonometric expansion
- Calculus: derivatives to any order, definite and indefinite integrals, limits, Taylor series and differential equations with initial conditions
- Equations: exact or numeric solving, over the reals or complex numbers, including systems of equations
- Matrices: determinants, inverses, rank, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, with symbolic entries
- Graphing: functions, implicit, parametric and polar curves, slope fields and rotatable 3D surfaces, with tools to find zeros, maxima and intersections
- Statistics: ten regression models and common distributions such as normal, t, chi square and Poisson
There is also unit conversion with physical constants, hex and binary arithmetic, time value of money functions, a small programming language and saved worksheets that export as PDF.
Privacy and requirements
The developer says SymboCalc collects nothing and makes no network requests, with no account, no tracking and no advertising. The App Store privacy section lists Data Not Collected, and the developer’s website says everything runs on the device, so it works offline.
- Requires iOS 17.0 or later on iPhone and iPadOS 17.0 or later on iPad
- Also runs on Macs with an Apple M1 chip or later and macOS 14.0 or later
- Size: 2.8 MB
- Language: English
- Version 2.0 added support for iPhone Duo
The listing does not mention in-app purchases or a subscription, and the developer’s site describes the app as one fixed price. The main catch is that the interface is in English only.
How to get it
- Open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad and search for “SymboCalc”.
- Check that the button shows Get rather than a price.
- Tap Get. Once you have claimed it, the app stays in your purchase history even after the price returns.
Who it suits
New Mobile Life points to students of math, engineering and science, along with researchers and engineers who work with symbolic math. It is also a handy replacement for anyone who used to carry a graphing calculator and wants exact answers without an internet connection. If you only need basic arithmetic, the built in Calculator app is enough, but at no cost SymboCalc is an easy app to keep for homework and exam prep.
