The 2026 comparison
The best graphing calculator apps, tested.
A new handheld graphing calculator costs $100–150. The apps below do the same job for a fraction of that — some for free. We compared the nine most popular options for iPhone, iPad, Android and Mac — including TI's own new TI-84 Evo online calculator. Same keypads, same functions, honest verdicts.
Our picks at a glance
Taculator 84
The only 84-style app that follows you across every device. Same keypad, menus and syntax as the handheld from class, free graphing with no ads, 14 keyboard themes, and free for schools.
Free · Pro unlock $29.99 one-time (or $2.99 / 3 months, $7.99 / year)
View on the App Store
Graphing Calculator Pro⁸⁴
Pay once, own every feature — like the handheld, minus $120. No subscription, no ads, no in-app purchases. The simplest deal in this comparison.
$12.99 one-time — everything included
View on the App Store
Desmos
Excellent, completely free, and built into the digital SAT's testing app. The trade-off: its own modern interface — not the TI-84 workflow your class may run on.
Free
Open Desmos
TI-84 Evo online
TI's own web version of the new Evo — the exact factory OS with P.O.I. and the reworked stat menus. But: browser-only, sign-in and internet required, and the 4-year license comes bundled with the Evo handheld. No phone or tablet app.
4-year license bundled with the Evo handheld
TI-84 Evo onlineAll nine apps, side by side
Prices are US App Store / Google Play prices as of August 2026. "84-style keypad" means the app reproduces the layout, menus and entry syntax of the classic classroom handheld, so textbook instructions and muscle memory carry over.
Taculator 84
Editor's choiceThe most faithful TI-84 Plus CE calculator app in our test: same keypad, menus and entry syntax as the handheld from class, so textbook keystroke instructions carry over 1:1. It's the only graphing calculator app here covering all four platforms — iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android — with 14 keyboard themes and no ads in any tier. Graphing is completely free and works offline, and the school program (full app free for districts via Apple Custom Apps) is unique in this comparison.
Graphing Calculator Pro⁸⁴
Best one-time buyThe cheapest way to own every feature outright — like the handheld, minus $120. One $12.99 payment unlocks the complete TI-84-style graphing calculator: function graphing, statistics and regressions, distributions, matrices, lists and programming. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no ads — a strong buy-once calculator app for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
TI-84 Evo online
From Texas InstrumentsThe exact new Evo OS — including Points-of-Interest tracing and the reworked statistics menus — running as an online graphing calculator in your browser. Made by Texas Instruments itself and approved together with the Evo handheld for SAT, ACT, AP and IB exams, it's the natural companion for classrooms standardizing on Evo hardware. The trade-offs: sign-in and a constant internet connection are required, the 4-year license only comes bundled with Evo hardware, and there's no phone, tablet or offline app.
Calculate 84 AI
An 84-style graphing calculator app with an AI tutor built in: it explains solutions step by step, checks your entry syntax and helps when you're stuck — genuinely useful for homework and exam prep. The core calculator is free and ad-free on iPhone, iPad and Mac; only the AI assistant sits behind a subscription. Good fit for students who want guided help rather than just keystrokes.
Calculate84
Polished and visually close to the original TI-84, with an institutional program for schools and large download numbers on the App Store. The downside: the free tier has become noticeably ad-heavy — recent reviews increasingly complain about intrusive video ads and formerly free features moving behind the paywall. iOS and iPadOS only; using it ad-free requires a purchase.
NCalc – Graphing Calculator 84
Two things make this TI-84 calculator app interesting: a built-in computer algebra system (CAS) that simplifies and solves symbolically — something the real handheld can't do — and the cheapest lifetime unlock in this comparison at $5.99. Available for iOS and Android. The caveats: ads in the free tier and no major update in years, so don't expect new features or fresh designs.
Graphing Calculator X84
A straightforward TI-84-style calculator app for iPhone with the familiar keypad layout — fine for casual graphing and quick homework checks. The free version covers the basics; the $9.99 PRO upgrade removes ads and unlocks the advanced functions. Like Calculate84, user reviews frequently criticize the ad frequency, and there's no Android or desktop version.
Wabbitemu
EmulatorThe only true TI-84 emulator in this list: Wabbitemu runs the actual Texas Instruments operating system, so every menu and every quirk matches the real handheld exactly. The catch: you have to create a ROM image from your own TI calculator, setup is technical, and there's no iOS version. Free for Windows, Mac and Android — the right choice for tinkerers who already own TI hardware.
Desmos
Best freeThe best completely free graphing calculator available: fast, beautiful, and built into the digital SAT's Bluebook testing app — for SAT practice, nothing beats it. It runs in any browser and as an app on iOS and Android, with no ads and no paywall. Just note that Desmos is not a TI-84: there's no 84-style keypad, so teacher demos and textbook keystroke instructions won't carry over to your class.
Comparison data as of August 2026 — spotted an error? Email contact@graphingcalculatorapps.com and we'll fix it.
How we compare
Every app in this list was installed and run through the same coursework checklist — from entering functions in Y= to distribution functions. Prices and platform availability are re-checked before each update.
Taculator 84 Editor's choice
The point of an 84-style app is that textbook instructions, teacher demos and your own muscle memory carry over 1:1 — y=, window, zoom, trace, graph. Taculator 84 nails this and is the only app here that runs natively on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android, with no ads in any tier. Graphing is completely free; the advanced Pro functions are a $29.99 one-time unlock or a subscription ($2.99 / 3 months, $7.99 / year). It also ships 14 keyboard themes and the only meaningful school program in this comparison: districts get the full app free via Apple Custom Apps.
Graphing Calculator Pro⁸⁴ Best one-time buy
If subscriptions annoy you, this is the pick: $12.99 once, every feature included, no ads, no in-app purchases. Made by the same team as Taculator 84, for people who simply want to buy a calculator once — like the handheld, minus $120.
TI-84 Evo online From Texas Instruments
With the Evo, Texas Instruments finally put the 84 in the browser: the exact factory OS, including the new Points-of-Interest tracing and the reworked statistics menus. For classrooms standardizing on Evo hardware, it's the obvious companion — schools get 50 licenses per 10-pack of teacher devices, and the Evo handheld itself is approved for SAT, ACT, AP and IB. The limits are structural: it runs only in the browser with sign-in and an internet connection, the 4-year license is bundled with the Evo handheld rather than sold on its own, and there is no phone, tablet or offline app. If your calculator lives on your phone, a native app remains the more practical choice.
Calculate 84 AI
The 84 formula with an AI assistant on top: it explains steps, checks syntax and guides you through problems — genuinely helpful for studying. The trade-off: the AI features sit behind a subscription ($3.99/month or $24.99/year).
Calculate84, NCalc & Graphing Calculator X84
The ad-supported tier. Calculate84 is polished and close to the original look, but recent reviews increasingly complain about intrusive ads and paywalled features. NCalc – Graphing Calculator 84 adds a computer algebra system and the cheapest lifetime unlock ($5.99), though the app hasn't seen a major update in years. Graphing Calculator X84 is iOS-only with similar ad complaints. All three work, but read the recent reviews before committing.
Wabbitemu For tinkerers
Wabbitemu emulates the actual TI operating system, which nothing else here does. The trade-offs: you must create a ROM image from your own calculator, there's no iOS version, and it feels like the emulator it is rather than a native app.
Desmos Best free
Desmos is free, excellent, and the calculator built into the digital SAT's testing app — for SAT practice, nothing beats it. Just know it doesn't use the TI-84 workflow: if your teacher demonstrates keystrokes on an 84, you'll be translating between two systems.
For schools & districts
Equipping a classroom with handhelds costs thousands. Taculator 84 EDU is completely free for schools and districts: full feature set, no ads in any tier, distributed through Apple Custom Apps and deployable to managed iPads and Android tablets via MDM. Request access with your Apple Organization ID.
From the blog
TI-84 Evo vs TI-84 Plus CE
New keyboard, missing Apps menu, P.O.I. — every difference that matters, and which one to buy in 2026.
Taculator 84: our editor's choice in detail
The full TI-84 workflow, the built-in apps the Evo dropped, and free graphing with no ads — on every platform.
The TI-84 Evo has no Apps menu anymore
Cabri Jr, Periodic Table, Science Tools — gone for good. What moved, what was deleted, and why.
TI-84 Evo online calculator explained
TI's own 84 in the browser: licensing, limits, and when a native app is the better choice.
Book pick
Our top guidebook
Prefer a real book next to your calculator? Of the guides we reviewed, TI-84 Plus CE Guidebook is the one we reach for: every function you need for high school and college, taught with exact key-press sequences and worked examples — the method teachers have been recommending for years.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best TI-84 calculator app?
For most students, Taculator 84. It replicates the familiar 84 keypad, menus and syntax, runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android, includes graphing for free, shows no ads, and unlocks everything for a one-time $29.99.
Does Texas Instruments make its own TI-84 app?
TI offers the TI-84 Evo online calculator at ti84evo.ti.com — the exact factory OS in the browser, but with sign-in, an internet connection and a license (4 years, bundled with the Evo handheld). Texas Instruments offers no TI-84 phone or tablet app; that space is served by independent developers like the apps above.
Is there a free graphing calculator app like the TI-84?
Yes. Taculator 84's graphing is completely free with no ads. Desmos is a powerful free calculator with its own modern interface. NCalc and Graphing Calculator X84 have ad-supported free tiers.
Can I use a calculator app on the SAT or ACT?
No — phones are not permitted. The digital SAT has Desmos built into its testing app, and approved handhelds may be brought. Apps are for homework, classwork and studying.
What's the difference between an emulator and a TI-84 style app?
An emulator like Wabbitemu runs the original TI operating system and requires a ROM from a calculator you own — no iOS version exists. Native apps like Taculator 84 re-create the 84 as a real mobile app: faster, touch-friendly, available on the App Store and Google Play.
Do these apps work offline?
Every app we recommend works fully offline — no account, no sign-in, no internet required for calculations.
Are there free options for schools?
Yes — Taculator 84 EDU is free for schools and districts via Apple Custom Apps, deployable through MDM. Details in the schools section above or at taculator.com/for-schools.