Chalk
A free, open-source Mac calculator built for exact results, uncertainty tracking and big numbers.
- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 3
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- 0
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About Chalk
Chalk is a desktop calculator for macOS written by Pierre Chatelier, the developer behind LaTeXiT. It aims to replace Apple's built-in Calculator app for people who do real computation: you type a whole expression, see it pretty-printed with MathJax, and get a result that stays exact for as long as possible. Its standout idea is uncertainty handling. Chalk tracks absolute and relative uncertainty through a chain of operations and only shows digits it knows are correct, and it reports when a prime test is probabilistic rather than certain. It handles very large numbers through GMP, plus complex numbers, quaternions, matrices and lists, and it adds a grapher, a bit-level inspector for developers and a small TeX equation generator. Chalk is free with optional donations and its source is published under the CeCILL licence. It runs only on macOS (10.9 or later). Development is slow: the most recent release listed on its site dates from late 2023, so treat it as a stable, finished tool rather than an actively growing one.
Best for: Mac users, scientists and developers who want a precise calculator instead of Apple's Calculator app.
Pros and cons
What works
- Tracks uncertainty and shows only digits it knows are correct
- Handles huge numbers, complex numbers, quaternions and matrices
- Bit inspector is handy for low-level programming work
- Free, with source code available
Why people leave
- macOS only; no Windows, Linux or mobile version
- Last release listed on the site is from October 2023
- Interface only in English, French and Greek
Top Chalk alternatives
See all 3- 1
GeoGebra68.8Free graphing and algebra tool that runs everywhere, including the web and phones, with a large teaching community.
- 2
Desmos64.8Free browser-based graphing calculator that works on any device, better for plotting than for precise number work.
- 3
Symbolab61.8Web and mobile solver that shows step-by-step working, useful if you want explanations rather than raw results.
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Chalk: common questions
Is Chalk free?
Yes. Chalk is free, open-source software.
Is Chalk open source?
Yes.
What platforms does Chalk run on?
Chalk is available for macOS.
What are the best alternatives to Chalk?
The highest-ranked Chalk alternatives right now are GeoGebra, Desmos and Symbolab. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.