Soulver

Active

Country: Australia (AU)
Founded: 2005
Developer: Rick Mellor
Pricing: One-time purchase with optional $29/year extras subscription
Open source: No
Platforms: macOS, iPadOS, iOS

Indexes

Overview

Soulver is a notepad calculator app that evaluates math expressions written in natural language within text on Mac, iPad, and iPhone. It supports units, currencies, dates, times, percentages, variables, and functions, displaying results inline as text changes. Targeted at users needing quick calculations without spreadsheets or traditional calculators, it stands out with its parser-based natural language engine, avoiding machine learning or regex¹⁵.

Key Features

Instant answers - Evaluates math in text instantly, updating results as expressions change⁷.
Natural language functions - Supports hundreds of functions for units, currencies, dates, times, and conversions¹³.
Sheets management - Organizes calculations in sheets with folders, sidebar, Spotlight search, and sorting⁴⁷.
Custom syntax coloring - Automatically colors numbers, units, and variables with customizable preferences⁷.
Dark mode support - Matches system appearance or customizable, with full AppKit behaviors like full screen⁷.
Keyboard and Apple Pencil - Supports magic keyboard shortcuts, Scribble, and multi-window/Split View³.
Soulver Studio - Builds standalone apps from sheets for macOS 12+⁶.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Core app	One-time purchase (price via App Store)	Natural language calculator, sheets, functions, units, dates¹³.
Soulver Extras	$29/year	Live/historical stock data, advanced weather, Wolfram	Alpha queries (free for Setapp)².

Platforms & Requirements

Runs natively on macOS (AppKit), iPadOS, and iOS (UIKit) via App Store, with macOS 12+ for Soulver Studio. Supports multiple windows, Split View, Touch Bar, and Spotlight integration. No Windows, Android, Linux, or web versions¹³⁵⁷.

Integrations & Ecosystem

Spotlight search
URL schemes
Siri Shortcuts
Wolfram|Alpha (with extras)
Stock data APIs (with extras)
Weather data (with extras)
Export to .slvr files
Import Soulver 2/3 files

Alternatives

App	Difference
PCalc	Traditional scientific calculator with RPN mode, less focused on natural language text integration.
Numi	Similar natural language calculator but with more emphasis on web and cross-platform support.
Calca	Spreadsheet-like natural language calc, more structured than Soulver's notepad style.
Notepad calculators like Soulver clones	Often lack native Apple optimizations and advanced sheet management.

Reputation

Soulver is regarded as a longstanding, reliable tool since 2005 with strong native Apple integration and a dedicated user base praising its intuitive natural language parsing³. Users appreciate the lightweight alternative to spreadsheets for daily math, though some note the extras subscription for data features adds ongoing cost². Criticisms include platform exclusivity to Apple devices, limiting accessibility¹.

Sources (8)