Banca is the most beautiful currency converter for iOS
Banca is a currency converter available universally for iPhone and iPad. It supports a virtually endless list of currencies and converts amounts on the fly. It's also highly customizable with various theme and font options, plus the ability to add or remove currencies so you always have the ones you use most often handy. Banca is US$1.99 and requires iOS 7.1 or later.
Banca is dead simple to use. It's divided into two columns. On your left is the currency you're using and on the right, separated by a single arrow, is the currency you want to convert to. Longer lists of currencies accompany both. Just scroll through these to change the conversion live. Typing on the keypad converts the currency in real time as well, even for currencies in the lists when you aren't even using them.
By default, Banca enables the following currencies on both sides of the equation: USD, GBP, EUR, CHF, CAD, AUD, JPY, SGD and HKD. Tapping the Currencies button at the top right brings up this list and allows for rearranging, removing and adding new ones. The app supports every single currency in the world that isn't obsolete, so if you want to add more to your list, you certainly won't have a problem finding what you need. The search bar might help too for finding currency names or countries. The entire process is slick.
Slick describes two aspects of Banca: its conversion function and its design, too. Simply put, this is the most beautiful currency converter available for iPhone or iPad. It's super intuitive to use and the UI successfully embodies everything iOS stands for. More than a few tweaks are available for adjustment in the settings too, from typography to color scheme, all of which also update in real time as you make changes.
If one thing is clear, it's that Banca caters toward people who care about design. The developers put great effort into making this the best currency conversion app they could possibly develop and that's apparent from the moment you tap the icon on your device's home screen.
With iOS 8 came app bundles and Banca is part of one. For $4.99, you get both Banca and Unitica which is a unit converter that carries a similar design. Separately, the two add up to $5.98 with Unitica being the more expensive app at $3.99.
One downside to Banca is unfortunately price, especially when you consider the bundle. For around five bucks, chances are you could have found a single app that does both unit and currency conversions for less money or even free. Convert, from the makers of Camera+, is one example that comes to mind and sells for only $1.99.
To truly appreciate Banca, you have to be willing to pay for top-notch quality and design. It's a terrific app and I really can't find anything to penalize it for, but despite Banca in all of its glory, it's a tad to justify the price given the less expensive competition. If money is no object, there's no question that Banca is the App Store's go-to currency converter.
