About NumWorks
NumWorks is a Paris, France company founded in 2016 by Romain Goyet, a former Apple software engineer, to build a graphing calculator around modern, open hardware rather than the closed, decades-old designs that still dominate the category. The company released its first calculator in 2017, and its defining choice was to open-source the device end to end: the hardware schematics are published under a Creative Commons license and the on-device operating system, Epsilon, is source-available. It was also the first graphing calculator built around Python as its native programming language, running the same MicroPython scripts on the handheld, a free browser-based simulator, and a companion mobile app.
The launch drew coverage from hardware and technology press, including Engadget and ST Microelectronics' own engineering blog, which detailed the ARM-based processor powering the device. In our own testing, the calculator backs that reputation up: full approval for the SAT, ACT, AP, and IB exams, USB-C charging in a segment still full of legacy mini-USB and AAA-battery designs, and a review base approaching 8,700 ratings at a 4.7 average, a remarkable depth of validation for a company competing against decades-old incumbents.
Brand website: numworks.com
What NumWorks makes
NumWorks's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
NumWorks Graphing Calculator
the company's single flagship hardware line, Python-first and exam-approved — featured on DeskRated
Web simulator
free browser-based version of the calculator for practice and classroom demos
Companion mobile app
iOS and Android app mirroring the calculator's interface
Built-in Python editor
on-device MicroPython environment shared across calculator, simulator, and app
Protective cover
ABS shell designed around the calculator's keys and screen
Why we recognized NumWorks
The DeskRated Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our hands-on category reviews. NumWorks earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: bought, used at a real desk, and judged on merit.
NumWorks products we rated highly
NumWorks Graphing Calculator
Reviewers consistently rate it the easiest graphing calculator to learn, thanks to a clean, icon-driven interface that reads like a modern app rather than a decades-old menu tree. It is Python-first by design, running the same MicroPython scripts on the handheld, the free web simulator, and the companion app, charges over USB-C, and carries full approval for the SAT, ACT, AP, and IB exams backed by a review base approaching 8,700 ratings, remarkably deep for a challenger brand in this category.
Read the 8 Best Graphing Calculators of 2026 guide →What earned NumWorks the recognition
- Open hardware and software — schematics released under a Creative Commons license and the Epsilon operating system source-available, a level of transparency unusual for a calculator maker.
- Python-first design — the first graphing calculator built around Python rather than a proprietary scripting language, with MicroPython running natively on the device.
- Full US exam clearance — approved for the SAT, ACT, AP, and IB programs.
- Modern hardware choices — USB-C charging and a high-resolution color display, in a category still dominated by legacy mini-USB ports and monochrome screens.
- Deep review validation for a challenger brand — nearly 8,700 verified ratings at a 4.7 average on the page where we've reviewed it.