A Soulver alternative that starts free
I make Jotsum, so take this with that in mind. Soulver is the app that made notepad calculators popular, and it's still excellent. Soulver 4 came out in June 2026 at $59. If that's more than you want to spend on the sums you do every day, Jotsum covers that everyday part for $29 once, and the calculator itself is free.
Side by side
| Jotsum | Soulver 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to download. Pro is $29 once, $9.99 a year, or $0.99 a month. | $59 once for Mac, iPhone and iPad, or $15 for iPhone only |
| Trial | 30 days of Pro, no card needed. The calculator stays free after. | 60 days, then sheets become read-only |
| Runs on | Mac (macOS 14), iPhone and iPad (iOS 17) | Mac (macOS 14), iPhone and iPad (iOS 17) |
| Sync | iCloud, with Pro | iCloud |
| Account | None | None needed |
| Currencies | 160+ plus Bitcoin and Ethereum | Yes, with rates updated hourly |
| Extras | Export to CSV, PDF, HTML and Markdown, with Pro | An optional $26 a year adds live stock prices, weather and a knowledge assistant. Also on Setapp. |
Soulver's details come from its own site, documentation and App Store page, checked in September 2026. Check soulver.app before you decide.
When Soulver is the better pick
- You want the most complete app of its kind. Soulver has years more polish and features Jotsum doesn't have, including a command-line tool in version 4.
- You already pay for Setapp. Soulver is included there.
- You own Soulver 3 from the App Store. Your upgrade is $29, the same as Jotsum Pro.
When Jotsum is
- You want to try it with no deadline. The calculator stays free after the trial. Pro adds sync and export.
- You'd rather pay less. $29 once covers your Mac, iPhone and iPad.
- Your sums are everyday ones. Splitting a bill, a trip budget, a percentage off, a price in another currency, the days until a deadline. That's what Jotsum is made for.