The best calculators, according to hackers
21 calculators were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 9 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The three most recommended calculators with the badge. Each figure is 2 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Helped with exams and homework
People recommend it for covering basic and advanced math with a built-in CAS and long battery life, though critics warn it let some students skip learning the material.
We may earn a commission. It never changes the order.
Tactile keys that feel responsive
Owners praise its tactile keys, battery life and durability, with a median of 41 years of use. Critics say the reissues don't match the original's keys, display or labeling.
We may earn a commission. It never changes the order.
Taught people to program
Many people say it taught them to program, and it lasts for years; the built-in BASIC is limited and awkward to type on, and critics call the price high.
We may earn a commission. It never changes the order.
We may earn a commission. It never changes the order.
All 21 calculators, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Instruments TI-84 Evo | 41 | 53 | 44% | 4 | 10 yrs7 owners | — |
| 2 | TI-89 calculator | 31 | 8 | 79% | 8 | 28 yrs4 owners | Approved |
| 3 | HP 15C | 24 | 6 | 80% | 5 | 41 yrs5 owners | Approved |
| 4 | TI-83 Plus | 21 | 8 | 72% | 6 | 30 yrs3 owners | Approved |
| Tied 5 | HP 48G | 16 | 1 | 94% | 9 | — | Approved |
| Tied 5 | Casio S100X Japanese Lacquer Edition | 16 | 7 | 70% | 1 | — | — |
| 7 | Desmos | 15 | 2 | 88% | 5 | — | Approved |
| 8 | Casio calculator | 14 | 2 | 88% | 5 | — | Approved |
| 9 | SwissMicros DM42n | 13 | 1 | 93% | 6 | — | Approved |
| 10 | HP 48GX | 12 | 2 | 86% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Tied 11 | TI-85 calculator | 11 | 0 | 100% | 3 | 30 yrs3 owners | — |
| Tied 11 | SwissMicros R47 RPN calculator | 11 | 1 | 92% | 2 | — | — |
| 13 | HP 50G | 10 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | Approved |
| 14 | NumWorks calculator | 9 | 2 | 82% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 15 | HP 42S calculator | 8 | 0 | 100% | 4 | 30 yrs3 owners | — |
| Tied 15 | Texas Instruments TI-82 graphing calculator | 8 | 1 | 89% | 3 | — | — |
| 17 | HP-11C calculator | 7 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 18 | HP Prime | 6 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
| Tied 18 | HP-41 calculator | 6 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 20 | HP 28S calculator | 5 | 1 | 83% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 20 | HP 35s calculator | 5 | 1 | 83% | 1 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same calculator in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to calculators that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.