Calculator
The Windows Calculator app source code, the one that ships pre-installed with Windows.
- Stars
- 31.1k
- Forks
- 5.8k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- C#
- Last update
- 13 days ago
- Type
- App
What it is
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.
- Build and run the calculator app locally from Visual Studio
- Explore the project architecture described in docs/ApplicationArchitecture.md
- Run the UI tests, which the README says require WinAppDriver
- Submit a bug report or feature idea through GitHub issues or the Feedback Hub
Great for
- 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
Not ideal for
- 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
How to get it
- 1
Clone and build from source
You'll need: Windows 11 build 22000 or newer · Visual Studio with the Universal Windows Platform Development workload · Windows 11 SDK · XAML Styler Visual Studio extension · Git
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Microsoft/calculator.git - 2
Run it
- Install Visual Studio with the required workloads and components listed in the README.
- Install the XAML Styler extension in Visual Studio.
- Clone the repository with git.
- Open src\Calculator.slnx in Visual Studio.
- Build and run the Calculator app from Visual Studio.
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Read docs/ApplicationArchitecture.md before changing code to understand how the app is organized
- Check docs/Roadmap.md to see planned features and release timing
- Follow CONTRIBUTING.md before opening pull requests
- Note that developer builds use mock data for currency and graphing, so test those areas with the retail app in mind
Downloads
Strengths
- 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
Trade-offs
- 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
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| calculator (this) | 31.1k | App | intermediate | 13 days ago | Windows 11 users who want to read or modify the built-in calculator |
| Files | 46.4k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Windows users who want a more modern alternative to File Explorer |
| DevToys | 32.2k | App | beginner | 1 months ago | Developers who often decode, encode, or format small pieces of data |
| UniGetUI | 26.8k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | Windows users who already use WinGet, Scoop or Chocolatey and want one place to manage them |
| PowerToys | 140k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | Windows users who want more control over window layout and multi-monitor setups |
| Win11Debloat | 61.5k | CLI | beginner | 4 days ago | People setting up a new Windows PC who want fewer preinstalled apps and less promotional content |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.