Calculator vs UniGetUI
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
The Windows Calculator app source code, the one that ships pre-installed with Windows.
Open source · MIT
A single window to install, update and remove software from many package managers.
The short answer
Choose Calculator if you need…
- Windows 11 users who want to read or modify the built-in calculator
- Developers studying how a XAML and UWP desktop app is structured
- Contributors who want to report bugs or suggest changes to the official calculator
- Students learning how a real-world Windows app is organized
Choose UniGetUI if you need…
- Windows users who already use WinGet, Scoop or Chocolatey and want one place to manage them
- People who find command-line package managers unfamiliar but still want their software kept up to date
- Anyone managing software across several package managers on one machine
Side-by-side
| Calculator | UniGetUI | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 31.1k | 26.8k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | C# | C# |
| Last code update | 13 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Calculator
This is the source code for the Calculator app included with Windows 11. It offers standard, scientific, and programmer modes, plus date calculations, unit and currency converters, and calculation history. The code is written in C++ and C# and is published under the MIT License.
UniGetUI
UniGetUI is a graphical interface for command-line package managers, mainly on Windows 10 and 11. It lets you search, install, update and uninstall software from several package managers such as WinGet, Scoop, Chocolatey, pip and npm from one window. Builds for macOS and Linux are also listed in the README.
Best for
Calculator
- Windows 11 users who want to read or modify the built-in calculator
- Developers studying how a XAML and UWP desktop app is structured
- Contributors who want to report bugs or suggest changes to the official calculator
- Students learning how a real-world Windows app is organized
UniGetUI
- Windows users who already use WinGet, Scoop or Chocolatey and want one place to manage them
- People who find command-line package managers unfamiliar but still want their software kept up to date
- Anyone managing software across several package managers on one machine
Strengths
Calculator
- Mature, widely used app with over 31,000 GitHub stars at the time of this snapshot
- Covers standard, scientific, programmer, and date calculation modes in one codebase
- Released under the permissive MIT License
UniGetUI
- Brings several package managers into one graphical interface
- Free, open source and MIT-licensed, with the project now maintained by Devolutions
- Offers installers, portable zip and Microsoft Store options on Windows
Not ideal for
Calculator
- People who only want a calculator to use: the Microsoft Store or the built-in app is the simpler choice
- Anyone on Windows 10 or earlier, since the README requires Windows 11 build 22000 or newer
- Users who need graphing: the README says developer builds lack working graphing functionality
- Developers wanting a cross-platform project: this targets Windows only
UniGetUI
- People who prefer working entirely in the terminal, since the README centers on a graphical interface
- Users who need guaranteed vetting of every package, because the README notes packages come from third parties and should be reviewed before installation
- Anyone on a very old Linux distribution, because the Linux binaries require glibc 2.27 or newer
Trade-offs
Calculator
- Requires Windows 11 and a fairly large Visual Studio setup with UWP tooling
- Developer builds use mock currency data and a mock graphing engine, so some features behave differently from the retail app
- Diagnostic data collection is part of the project, which the README notes is disabled by default in dev builds
UniGetUI
- The README says it is Windows-first, so macOS and Linux support is secondary
- It depends on the underlying package managers being installed and working
- Packages come from third parties, so users must check sources and publishers themselves
Getting started
Calculator
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Microsoft/calculator.gitUniGetUI
Install via WinGet
winget install --exact --id Devolutions.UniGetUI --source wingetInstall via Scoop
scoop bucket add extrasFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Calculator and UniGetUI?
Calculator: The Windows Calculator app source code, the one that ships pre-installed with Windows. UniGetUI: A single window to install, update and remove software from many package managers. Calculator suits windows 11 users who want to read or modify the built-in calculator, while UniGetUI suits windows users who already use winget, scoop or chocolatey and want one place to manage them.
Are Calculator and UniGetUI free?
Calculator: Free and open source. UniGetUI: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Calculator or UniGetUI?
UniGetUI is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Calculator is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Calculator or UniGetUI more popular?
Calculator has more GitHub stars (31.1k) than UniGetUI (26.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Calculator and UniGetUI?
Other options people compare them with include Files, DevToys, PowerToys, Notepads.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.