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Head-to-head · Calculators

Qalculate! vs Microsoft Calculator

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score Qalculate! #1 in Calculators 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Qalculate!
Microsoft Calculator #7 in Calculators 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 6 features Visit site

Qalculate! leads on 0 checks, Microsoft Calculator on 0, and 7 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreQalculate! · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresQalculate! · 6 of 6

Qalculate! scores higher on our rubric for calculators: 9.3 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #7.

Qalculate! is the better fit for desktop users needing a powerful all-purpose calculator. Microsoft Calculator is the better fit for windows users wanting a capable free desktop calculator.

  • Qalculate! fits best

    Desktop users needing a powerful all-purpose calculator

  • Microsoft Calculator fits best

    Windows users wanting a capable free desktop calculator

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Side by side

Feature Qalculate! 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Microsoft Calculator 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 8.6
Ranking #1 in Calculators #7 in Calculators
Best for Desktop users needing a powerful all-purpose calculator Windows users wanting a capable free desktop calculator
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows, Linux, macOS Windows
Support Docs Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business
Features Qalculate! 6/6 · Microsoft Calculator 4/6
Scientific functions ✓ ✓
Graphing ✓ ✓
Equation solver ✓ ✓
Financial functions ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Offline mode ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Calculation history ✓ ✓
Our review
Pros
  • Evaluates expressions with variables, units, and functions
  • Combines symbolic math, equation solving, and graphing
  • Offers over 400 functions plus searchable calculation history
  • Includes scientific, programmer, and graphing modes alongside standard arithmetic.
  • Plots equations and supports equation solving in graphing mode.
  • Adds date calculations, unit and currency conversion, history, and memory.
Cons
  • Desktop software only, with no mobile platform listed
  • Support channels are limited to documentation
  • Its broad feature set may be more than basic calculations require
  • Available as a desktop application for Windows only.
  • Does not include AI features.
  • Support channels are community and documentation.
Our verdict

Qalculate! is a free, open-source desktop calculator for people who need more than basic arithmetic. Its graphical GTK and Qt interfaces and command-line interface are available on Windows, Linux, and macOS. It handles expressions with…

Read the review →

Microsoft Calculator is an open-source desktop calculator maintained by Microsoft, aimed at Windows users who need more than standard arithmetic. It brings scientific and programmer modes into the same application as everyday calculations,…

Read the review →
  1. Qalculate!Calculators 9.3Free plan
  2. Microsoft CalculatorCalculators 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Qalculate! — where it wins

    • Evaluates expressions with variables, units, and functions
    • Combines symbolic math, equation solving, and graphing
    • Offers over 400 functions plus searchable calculation history

    Where it doesn't

    • Desktop software only, with no mobile platform listed
    • Support channels are limited to documentation
    • Its broad feature set may be more than basic calculations require

  • Microsoft Calculator — where it wins

    • Includes scientific, programmer, and graphing modes alongside standard arithmetic.
    • Plots equations and supports equation solving in graphing mode.
    • Adds date calculations, unit and currency conversion, history, and memory.

    Where it doesn't

    • Available as a desktop application for Windows only.
    • Does not include AI features.
    • Support channels are community and documentation.
  • Qalculate!9.3/10 · Free plan

    A free desktop calculator for expressions, symbolic math, equation solving, and graphing.

    Visit Qalculate!Full verdict →
  • Microsoft Calculator8.6/10 · Free plan

    A free Windows desktop calculator that goes beyond arithmetic with graphing and conversions.

    Visit siteFull verdict →

More comparisons

All calculators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update