What PCalc does

PCalc, operated by TLA Systems Ltd., is a UK-based (Glasgow) independent software developer founded by James Thomson in 1992. The company produces PCalc, a feature-rich scientific calculator originally designed as a Programmers' Calculator and now spanning every major Apple platform — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS — with a shared portable C/C++ calculation core that has been continuously refined for over three decades. The product portfolio includes the flagship PCalc (sold as a $9.99 universal iOS purchase with a separate Mac App Store purchase), the freemium PCalc Lite with in-app purchase packs, the Dice by PCalc spin-off for tabletop RPGs ($1.99), and the standalone About by PCalc companion app. Differentiators include RPN mode, hexadecimal/octal/binary calculations with bitwise operators, editable unit conversions across dozens of categories, customizable themes and layouts (including a user-shareable layout editor), paper tape, multi-platform iCloud sync, and deep Apple-ecosystem integration via Siri Shortcuts, Handoff, Control Center, and watchOS complications.

The business is a bootstrapped, founder-owned lifestyle software company with no external funding, no disclosed employees beyond the founder, and a product-led go-to-market motion anchored entirely in Apple's App Stores. Revenue streams combine one-time licenses ($9.99 iOS universal purchase, separate Mac purchase, $1.99 Dice app), a freemium layer in PCalc Lite with feature packs priced $0.99–$9.99, and an optional tip jar. Distribution is global through Apple marketplaces, and marketing relies on organic social (Mastodon, Threads), earned media from publications such as MacStories, Macworld, and Daring Fireball, and the developer's personal brand cultivated over 30 years — including a notable 2002 Apple licensing deal for iMac bundling that briefly delivered ~1 million unit royalties before Apple shipped its own calculator in Mac OS 10.2. The product continues to receive regular updates (PCalc 3.14.4 in March 2026 for iOS/iPadOS/visionOS/watchOS 26) targeting Apple platform iteration cycles.

Name

PCalc

Legal name

TLA Systems Ltd.

Website

https://pcalc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

PCalc, by TLA Systems Ltd., is a UK solo-developer scientific calculator suite spanning all Apple platforms (iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS), sold as one-time licenses and freemium in-app purchases to individual consumers including programmers, engineers, students, and general users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. iOS App Sales: PCalc for iOS (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro) is sold as a universal purchase for $9.99, covering all iOS devices in one purchase. Available on the iOS App Store.
2. macOS App Sales: PCalc 4 for Mac is sold as a separate purchase on the Mac App Store. Previously sold through Kagi before transitioning to the Mac App Store in 2014.
3. Apple TV Version: PCalc for Apple TV is now free, previously was a paid app.
4. Dice by PCalc App Sales: Separate dice simulation app for iOS and macOS, sold for $1.99. Universal purchase for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV).
5. PCalc Lite In-App Purchases: PCalc Lite is free with optional in-app purchases including Conversion Pack ($0.99), Complete Pack ($9.99), Multiple Line Pack ($0.99), Power User Pack ($0.99), Theme Pack ($0.99), Engineer Pack ($2.99), Programmer Pack ($2.99). Also includes optional tips ($0.99-$9.99).
6. Tip Jar and Alternative Icons: Optional tip jar unlocks alternative app icons. Feature introduced in version 3.6.4 as a way to support development without charging for updates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PCalc, made by TLA Systems Ltd., is a fully featured scientific calculator app for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro, offering RPN mode, hexadecimal/octal/binary and bitwise programmer functions, programmable functions, unit conversions, customizable themes and layouts, and iCloud syncing. The PCalc family also includes Dice by PCalc, a physics-based 3D dice simulator for tabletop role-playing games, and About by PCalc, a standalone About-screen utility.

Product overview

PCalc is a suite of calculator and utility apps developed by TLA Systems Ltd., led by James Thomson. The portfolio includes the flagship PCalc scientific calculator available across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS platforms; a free PCalc Lite version with in-app purchases; Dice by PCalc for tabletop RPG dice rolling; and the standalone About by PCalc app. PCalc for iOS/iPad/Vision/Watch is sold as a universal purchase supporting all those devices, while PCalc for Mac and Dice by PCalc for Mac are separate purchases. The company celebrates 30+ years of development, having released the original Mac version in 1992.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PCalc Lite: A free, fully functional taste of the PCalc calculator with optional in-app purchases to unlock additional features.
• Dice by PCalc
• About by PCalc

Products and services

• PCalc Flagship fully-featured scientific calculator app for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, supporting RPN mode, programmer mode (hex/octal/binary with bitwise operations), programmable functions, unit and currency conversions, customizable themes and layouts, and iCloud syncing. Sold as a paid one-time download on the App Store.
• PCalc Lite Free version of PCalc for iOS that mirrors the full app's look-and-feel and core functions but unlocks additional features, layouts and themes through in-app purchases. Targeted at users who want to try PCalc before buying the full version.
• PCalc for Mac Standalone macOS version of PCalc distributed via the Mac App Store, providing the same scientific, RPN, and programmer calculator features on desktop with iCloud sync to the iOS version.
• PCalc for Apple TV Free version of PCalc made available on the Apple TV App Store, extending the PCalc brand into the living-room Apple TV form factor.
• Dice by PCalc Physics-based 3D dice simulator for iOS, iPadOS, and Apple TV designed for tabletop role-playing games and board games, supporting many dice of many types (e.g., d3, d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, d100) with realistic rolling physics.
• About by PCalc Standalone About-screen utility spun out of PCalc, used to surface app information, credits, and related details.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Apple Inc.minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2002In January 2002, Apple licensed PCalc to include on some iMacs shipped in the US. A per-copy license fee was agreed, and PCalc was bundled with approximately 1 million iMacs. The partnership ended when Apple released their own scientific calculator in Mac OS 10.2.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Soulver: Soulver is a smart calculator app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS that combines a notepad with a calculator. It competes directly with PCalc for the premium calculator user segment on Apple's platforms using similar one-time purchase pricing on the App Store.
• Calcbot: Calcbot is a calculator app for iOS and iPadOS developed by Tapbots. It targets the same premium calculator audience as PCalc with similar one-time purchase pricing and customization features on the Apple App Store.
• Calzy: Calzy is a privacy-focused calculator app for iOS and iPadOS with customizable layouts, calculation history, and unit conversions. It targets the same premium calculators-as-a-product niche as PCalc with similar feature positioning.
• Tydlig: Tydlig is a calculator app for iOS and macOS focused on natural language input and arithmetic. It competes with PCalc in the premium Mac and iOS calculator category with a similar focus on power-user features and elegant design.
• Desmos: Desmos is a free graphing calculator and math tool available across iOS, Android, and web. It competes with PCalc for student and STEM user attention with broader graphing capabilities, though it relies on a freemium web model.
• Numi: Numi is a minimalist calculator app for Mac with unit conversion and natural language input. It directly competes with PCalc for Mac in the premium macOS calculator category with similar lightweight, design-forward positioning.
• GeoGebra: GeoGebra is a dynamic mathematics software for graphing, geometry, and algebra, available across iOS, Android, and web. It competes with PCalc for STEM and education users with broader math capabilities and a freemium model.
• PowerOne: PowerOne is a calculator app for iOS with engineering and financial templates. It competes with PCalc in the professional calculator app category, especially for engineers and finance professionals seeking specialized calculation workflows.

Broad incumbents

• Wolfram Alpha: Wolfram Alpha is a computational knowledge engine that performs calculations, math, and data analysis across iOS, web, and enterprise APIs. It is a broader incumbent in the computation space, overlapping with PCalc's advanced calculation and scientific use cases at a much larger scale.
• Microsoft Math Solver: Microsoft Math Solver is a free AI-powered math problem solver available on iOS, Android, and web. It is a broader incumbent competing with PCalc for student and general consumer calculation use cases with a free, ad-supported model and enterprise backing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pcalc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PCalc