Notepad calculator comparison
Which workflow fits your thinking?
Continuum runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and in your browser. Soulver offers native apps for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Both keep calculations beside your notes. Compare the calculation tools, document workflow, and devices you use, then try a live Continuum example.
Choose Continuum for a calculation workspace on macOS, Windows, Linux, or in your browser. Start with the free scratchpad for everyday calculations. If your work grows into multiple documents, reusable templates, or a visual model, compare the Pro capabilities with your needs.
Desktop and hosted web documents are separate local stores. Cross-platform availability does not mean your documents automatically follow you between devices.
Consider Soulver when its notepad calculation tools and Mac, iPad, or iPhone workflow fit your routine. Both products have macOS desktop apps. Soulver also supports variables and changing assumptions, so compare the tools and document workflow you actually use.
Compare the essentials
On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to read both products.
| Your decision | Continuum | Soulver |
|---|---|---|
| Where you use it | Browser, plus macOS, Windows, and Linux desktop apps. | Native apps for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. |
| Working with numbers | Plain-text calculations with variables and units; reusable models and a visual Canvas are available in Pro. | A notepad with an answer column, variables, line references, units, and natural-language calculations. |
| Starting for free | One editable scratchpad with arithmetic, percentages, local variables, and unit conversions. No account required. | Its website offers a Mac trial. Check the current purchase and trial terms for your device. |
| Documents across devices | Documents are local to the browser or desktop profile. The hosted web app and desktop do not automatically synchronize. | Its site describes iCloud sheet sync across Apple devices. |
Use the same arithmetic when evaluating either app. Take an illustrative $4,500 monthly salary, eight work hours per day, one commute hour, 1.5 hours of recurring overhead, and 22 workdays. Keep salary on a consistent gross or net basis.
Scheduled time is 8 × 22 = 176 hours, giving $25.57 per scheduled hour. Counting the stated commute and overhead gives (8 + 1 + 1.5) × 22 = 231 hours, or $19.48 per effective hour. If commute time grows to two hours, the effective rate becomes $17.79.
This is a transparent comparison exercise, not a forecast or a judgment about the job. Benefits, taxes, career opportunities, and personal preferences need separate consideration.
Live Continuum example
The calculator below runs Continuum’s shipped Real Hourly Rate model. Change an input or inspect its source. You can try the embedded example without an account; opening the full model creates a local starter with the default inputs in the app.
template: real_hourly_rate salary_monthly = 4500 in usd work_hours_daily = 8 commute_hours_daily = 1 overhead_hours_daily = 1.5 workdays_per_month = 22
The template declaration and source syntax belong to Continuum. Re-enter your assumptions in Soulver’s own syntax when evaluating it; this page does not promise direct file or formula compatibility.
Open this model in ContinuumQuestions before switching
For everyday calculations, Continuum Free offers one scratchpad with arithmetic, percentages, local variables, and units. Advanced document and modeling capabilities require Pro. It is not a promise of feature parity with Soulver.
Yes. Continuum has desktop apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux, plus a browser app. Choose a desktop package from the desktop download controls or start in your browser.
This page does not claim an automatic Soulver importer or complete syntax compatibility. Recreate a small calculation, check its result, and validate any units or functions before moving more work.
The embedded example is temporary. Opening the full model creates a local starter with the default inputs in Continuum; edited demo inputs are not transferred. Desktop documents and hosted browser documents do not synchronize automatically.
Try your own calculation
Start with the free scratchpad, then decide whether Continuum’s wider workflow is useful to you.
