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Head-to-head · Scientific Calculator Apps

Desmos Scientific Calculator vs Qalculate!

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Desmos Scientific Calculator #3 in Scientific Calculator Apps 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 6 features Visit Desmos
Qalculate! #6 in Scientific Calculator Apps 8.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 6 features Visit Qalculate!

Desmos Scientific Calculator leads on 0 checks, Qalculate! on 1, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreDesmos Scientific Calculator · 8.8/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresQalculate! · 1 of 6

Desmos Scientific Calculator scores higher on our rubric for scientific calculator apps: 8.8 against 8.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #6.

Qalculate! offers offline mode; Desmos Scientific Calculator doesn't publish it.

Desmos Scientific Calculator is the better fit for free web-based scientific calculations. Qalculate! is the better fit for desktop users needing advanced math without a fee.

  • Desmos Scientific Calculator fits best

    Free web-based scientific calculations

  • Qalculate! fits best

    Desktop users needing advanced math without a fee

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Desmos Scientific Calculator 8.8/10 Visit ↗ Qalculate! 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.0
Ranking #3 in Scientific Calculator Apps #6 in Scientific Calculator Apps
Best for Free web-based scientific calculations Desktop users needing advanced math without a fee
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Desktop
Platforms Web Windows, Linux, macOS
Support Email, Docs Docs
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business
Features Desmos Scientific Calculator 0/6 · Qalculate! 1/6
Equation solving Not published Not published
Statistics tools Not published Not published
Programmable functions Not published Not published
Complex numbers Not published Not published
Offline mode Not published ✓ (best)
Matrix operations Not published Not published
Specs
Platform support Not published Not published
Our review
Pros
  • Includes trigonometric, statistical, and complex-number calculations
  • Lets you define variables and functions and calculate with lists
  • Offers Braille and reverse-contrast accessibility options
  • Symbolic math covers factorization, simplification, differentiation, and integration.
  • Plots functions and data, and solves most equations and inequalities.
  • Over 400 functions plus arbitrary precision, unit conversion, and calculation history.
Cons
  • Available on the web only
  • Does not include graphing
  • Focused on evaluating expressions rather than broader calculator workflows
  • Desktop-only deployment does not cover mobile use.
  • The feature set may exceed the needs of users seeking basic arithmetic.
  • Support channels are limited to documentation.
Our verdict

Desmos Scientific Calculator evaluates mathematical expressions in a browser, with a focus on scientific calculations rather than graphing. Its functions cover arithmetic, fractions, exponents, roots, absolute value, trigonometry,…

Read the review →

For desktop users who need more than basic arithmetic, Qalculate! is a free, open-source calculator for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It evaluates expressions with numbers, variables, units, and functions, and offers graphical GTK and Qt…

Read the review →
  1. Desmos Scientific CalculatorScientific Calculator Apps 8.8Free plan
  2. Qalculate!Scientific Calculator Apps 8.0Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Desmos Scientific Calculator — where it wins

    • Includes trigonometric, statistical, and complex-number calculations
    • Lets you define variables and functions and calculate with lists
    • Offers Braille and reverse-contrast accessibility options

    Where it doesn't

    • Available on the web only
    • Does not include graphing
    • Focused on evaluating expressions rather than broader calculator workflows

  • Qalculate! — where it wins

    • Symbolic math covers factorization, simplification, differentiation, and integration.
    • Plots functions and data, and solves most equations and inequalities.
    • Over 400 functions plus arbitrary precision, unit conversion, and calculation history.

    Where it doesn't

    • Desktop-only deployment does not cover mobile use.
    • The feature set may exceed the needs of users seeking basic arithmetic.
    • Support channels are limited to documentation.
  • Desmos Scientific Calculator8.8/10 · Free plan

    A focused web calculator for scientific functions, lists, variables, and complex numbers.

    Visit DesmosFull verdict →
  • Qalculate!8.0/10 · Free plan

    A free desktop calculator with symbolic math, equation solving, plotting, and over 400 functions.

    Visit Qalculate!Full verdict →

More comparisons

All scientific calculator apps comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update