Alfred vs PCalc (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PCalc grades higher than Alfred: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 4, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Alfred grades higher on the free plan. PCalc grades higher on value for money, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Alfred
Mac launcher with hotkeys, snippets and custom workflows
PCalc
Scientific calculator for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
Which one is for you
Pick Alfred if
- Fits if you want a keyboard launcher on your Mac with no subscription
- Works for people who repeat the same multi-step task daily and will build a workflow for it
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's macOS only, on 10.14 or later
- Tight if you're staying free and want clipboard history, snippets or workflows, because all of them need the £34 Powerpack
- Not for you if you want a price in dollars, since the shop only shows pounds sterling
- Watch out: the £34 license covers Alfred 5 only; the next major version is a paid upgrade unless you pay £59 up front
- Watch out: Alfred Remote for iOS is a separate App Store purchase
Pick PCalc if
- Fits if you want an RPN or programmer calculator on your Apple devices
- Works for people who convert units or switch number bases often
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use Windows or Android, as there is no version for either
- Pricey if you want both: Mac and iOS are separate $9.99 purchases
- Tight if you want a free Mac version, since only Lite exists, on iPhone, iPad and Watch
- Watch out: the vendor's pages give different minimum macOS versions, so check the App Store listing
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAAlfredFair | 3.0GPAPCalcVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe Powerpack is £34 once, with no subscription, and Mega Supporter at £59 adds free lifetime upgrades. Pay-once utilities here sit nearer $15, so Alfred asks more than most of them, but a single payment still beats a couple of years of any subscription. Pounds only, so no dollar price to quote. | A$9.99 once for Mac and $9.99 once for iPhone, iPad and Watch, each under a year of this category's middle subscription. Prices vary by country. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe core is free forever, at home, at school or at work: launching apps, finding files and searching the web, with no usage cap. A lot of people could stop there. But clipboard history, snippets, workflows and file actions all wait behind the Powerpack. | CPCalc Lite is free on iPhone, iPad and Watch with in-app purchases, but the Mac app has no free version. |
| Features | BThis is the full launcher job, not a slice of it: app, file and web search, clipboard history kept up to 3 months, snippets that expand as you type, file actions, custom hotkeys, system commands and no-code workflows you can import by the thousand. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. | BProgrammer modes, RPN, conversions, a button layout editor, a menu bar widget, Handoff and scripting. The listing names no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating is on record. Typing into the search bar is nothing to learn, but the half you pay for is the half you build: workflows are triggers wired to actions, and hotkeys, snippets and search keywords are all yours to set up. | BNo store rating is on record, but you open it and press keys with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 10.14 or later, so one operating system. Alfred Remote for iOS is a separate purchase on the App Store. It works with 1Password and Music.app, and the Powerpack runs Terminal commands and scripts. | BMac, iPhone, iPad, Watch and Vision Pro, with Shortcuts and AppleScript. No Windows, Android or web. |
| Best for | a Mac launcher you pay for once | a scientific and programmer calculator on Apple devices |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Alfred and PCalc. How we grade
Where they differ
- Alfred also covers workflow automation, launcher, clipboard manager and text expansion.
- PCalc also covers menu bar app and calculator.
At a glance
| Alfred | PCalc | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | £34 one-time purchase (Powerpack Single License) | $9.99 one-time |
| Free plan | The core of Alfred is free to use forever, covering app, file and web search. Powerpack features such as workflows, clipboard history and snippets are not included. | PCalc Lite: a free version for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch; the extra features of the full app can be bought inside it, individually or all at once. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Running with Crayons Ltd | TLA Systems Ltd. |
| Price read from | alfredapp.com | pcalc.com |
| Checked | Oct 4, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Alfred
- macOS only (10.14 or later). Alfred Remote for iOS is a separate purchase on the App Store.
- Clipboard history, snippets, workflows and file actions all require the paid Powerpack.
- Prices are shown in pounds sterling only; the vendor's site gives no US dollar price.
- The Single License is tied to Alfred 5; moving to a later major version is a discounted paid upgrade unless you hold Mega Supporter.
PCalc
- Apple platforms only; there is no Windows, Android or web version.
- The Mac and iPhone/iPad purchases are separate.
- The vendor's pages give different minimum macOS versions (macOS 12 on one page, OS X 10.13 on another), so check the App Store listing.
- The developer notes the App Store has no demos, which is why the Lite version exists.
Key features
Alfred
- App, file and web search
- Launch apps, find files on your Mac and search websites with default or custom search keywords, all from one search bar.
- Workflows
- A Powerpack feature that connects triggers and actions like building blocks to automate tasks without code. Thousands of community workflows can be imported.
- Clipboard History
- With the Powerpack, Alfred keeps the text, images and file links you copy for 24 hours, 7 days, 1 month or 3 months, so an earlier item can be found and pasted again.
- Snippets and text expansion
- With the Powerpack, saved snippets expand automatically when you type a short keyword.
- File actions and Terminal commands
- The Powerpack adds actions on files, such as emailing, moving, copying and revealing in Finder, and runs Terminal commands and scripts from Alfred.
- System commands and hotkeys
- Sleep the Mac, empty the Trash or start the screensaver with a keyword. The Powerpack adds custom hotkeys and keywords for apps and sites.
PCalc
- Programmer modes
- Hexadecimal, octal and binary modes with bitwise operators.
- RPN mode
- Optional reverse Polish notation with one-button access to the stack.
- Conversions and functions
- A large set of unit conversions, plus editable user conversions, functions and constants that sync across devices.
- Button layout editor
- On the Mac, build your own calculator layout and sync it with iPhone and iPad.
- Menu bar widget
- The Mac version has a menu bar widget for quick calculations.
- Handoff and scripting
- Hands off in-progress calculations between Mac, iOS, visionOS and watchOS; the Mac app supports AppleScript and Shortcuts.
Plans
Alfred
Alfred (free)£0
The core launcher for searching your Mac and the web. Free to use in a personal, educational or business setting.
Powerpack Single License£34
one-time purchase, license for Alfred 5
Unlocks the Powerpack for one user on Alfred 5: workflows, clipboard history, snippets, file actions, themes and settings sync.
Powerpack Mega Supporter£59
one-time purchase, free lifetime upgrades
The same Powerpack features for one user, with free upgrades to future versions of Alfred.
PCalc
PCalc Lite$0
Free app for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with in-app purchases for the full app's features.
PCalc for iPhone, iPad and Watch$9.99
one-time, US price; covers iPad, iPhone, Vision Pro and Watch
Full app sold through the App Store; prices vary by country.
PCalc for Mac$9.99
one-time, US price; separate from the iOS purchase
Mac App Store purchase with a menu bar widget, multiple calculators and a button layout editor.
Ways to pay less
Alfred
- Lifetime license
Mega Supporter license with free lifetime upgrades
The £59 Mega Supporter license includes free upgrades to future versions of Alfred. The £34 Single License covers Alfred 5.
- Other savings
Upgrade discount for older licenses
Holders of a Single User or Family license for an earlier version of Alfred can upgrade to the current Powerpack at a discount.
PCalc
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Alfred or PCalc?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Alfred starts at £34 one-time purchase (Powerpack Single License), and PCalc starts at $9.99 one-time.
Which has a free plan, Alfred or PCalc?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Alfred and PCalc have a free plan.
Which platforms do Alfred and PCalc run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PCalc lists an iOS app. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.