Rafter Help vs Chippy Tools
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Rafter Help
This app simplifies roof construction by calculating rafter lengths and related measurements. It supports various input formats for pitch and length, offering both quick calculations for gable roofs and advanced control for more complex needs.
- Calculate rafter length and associated values
- Determine roof pitch, rafter lengths, and ridge height
- Supports gable roofs
- Advanced calculation options
- Multiple input formats for pitch (radians, degrees, DMS, rise/run)
- Flexible length units (mm, cm, inches, feet)
- Customizable decimal places
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Rafter Help is the easiest way to calculate rafter length and associated values when building! Quickly find roof pitch, rafter lengths and ridge height for gable roofs, based on room and ridge width. Or calculate length values with more control from the Advanced tab. Features Include: - Accurately solve rafter equations - Enter pitch steepness in radians, decimal degrees or degrees, minutes, seconds (DMS) or rise/run (e.g. 8/12) - Enter lengths in mm, cm, inches or feet - Select your preferred number of decimal places
Chippy Tools
This app simplifies complex calculations for construction professionals. It offers a variety of tools for tasks like spacing, measurements, and material estimation, helping to reduce errors and save time on job sites. Available on iPhone and iPad, it aims to be an essential tool for tradespeople.
- Baluster spacing calculator
- Flat run attached baluster calculator
- Square calculator
- Concrete calculator
- Stair calculator
- Supports millimeters, feet, and inches
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Chippy Tools is the must-have calculator for carpenters and handy folks looking to simplify math on the job. Whether you're on your iPhone or iPad, Chippy Tools is for you. Its user-friendly design lets you focus on carpentry while the app handles the math. Perfect for architects, builders, carpenters, construction workers, contractors, designers, engineers, tradespeople, and woodworkers of all kinds, Chippy Tools speeds up common calculations with precision. Save time and cut costs by reducing site errors. WHAT IS A CHIPPY? In Australia, carpenters are often called Chippy. WHY CHIPPY TOOLS? Our mission at Chippy Tools is to redefine top-notch apps for carpenters. We aim to develop a sustainable business model, adding new calculations to keep saving you time and money. FEATURES • Baluster spacing calculator - Quickly calculate spacing for flat runs. • Flat run attached baluster calculator - Simple, fast calculations for attached balusters. • Supports millimeters, feet, and inches. PREMIUM FEATURES (Requires Subscription) • Square calculator - Ensure structures are perfectly square. • Concrete calculator - Calculate concrete needed for slabs and posts. • Dumpy level calculator - Find relative level from benchmarks. • Equal spacing calculator - Calculate even spacing effortlessly. • Gravel calculator - Determine gravel volume needed. • Pitch calculator - Calculate pitch with rise and run. • Raked wall calculator - Measure raked walls using height or pitch. • Running calculations - Enter start number and interval. • Soil calculator - Find soil volume for landscaping. • Stair calculator - Calculate going, stringer, and rise for stairs. • Triangle calculator - Solve triangle measurements with ease. FEEDBACK Want a new calculator? Email us at feedback@chippy.tools. NO ADS EVER We promise no ads in Chippy Tools. Enjoy the best experience for your purchase. SUPPORT Got questions or feedback? Contact us for free tech support at support@chippy.tools. If Chippy Tools aids you, please leave an App Store review to help others find it. Subscription Terms of Service: https://chippy.tools/terms/ Proudly made in Brisbane, Australia.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Chippy Tools at Free against Rafter Help's $1.99. Chippy Tools also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (55% vs 40%). Rafter Help's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 16.0). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Chippy Tools is free to download; Rafter Help costs $1.99 up front. Chippy Tools sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Rafter Help asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Rafter Help against 4.5 for Chippy Tools. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 214 and 905 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of Rafter Help's written reviews are positive against 55% of Chippy Tools's.
Rafter Help ships an update every 5 months, Chippy Tools every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Rafter Help | Chippy Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (214 ratings) — better | 4.5 (905 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | 55.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 214 | 905 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Armchair Engineering | Peth Pty Ltd |
Customer experience
Rafter Help
Chippy Tools
User reviews
Rafter Help
From 214 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to understand
- 👍 Accurate measurements
- 👍 Gives rafter length with deduction
- 👍 Useful for setting out measurements
- 👍 First class, use it all the time
Room to improve
- 👎 Cannot add 1/4 inch
- 👎 Inaccurate and unconvincing
- 👎 Really limited functionality
- 👎 Doesn’t give cut angles, only lengths
- 👎 Doesn’t give necessary measurements for rafters
Chippy Tools
From 905 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Quick and efficient
- 💡 Useful construction tools
- 🙌 Great for DIY projects
Room to improve
- 🤔 Confusing interface
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Inaccurate calculations
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
Bugs and requests
Rafter Help
Reported bugs
4 issues- Cannot add 1/4 inch
- Missing decimal point on keypad
- Major error in basic gable drawing
- App won't open, says 'waiting'
Requested features
8 requests- Add 1/4 inch input
- Provide cut angles
- Include decimal point on keypad
- Support hip rafters
- Correct drawing error for basic gable
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Include HAP calculation
- Include rafter width
- Accept angles in degrees and pitch-in-12
Chippy Tools
Reported bugs
2 issues- Square check feature not working
- Measurements disappear after partial use
Requested features
4 requests- Add more construction-related calculators
- Improve stair and rafter tools
- Include material quantity estimations
- Add support for metric and imperial units
In-app purchases
Rafter Help
No in-app purchases
Chippy Tools
- Chippy Tools Pro - Weekly1 Month trial$2.997 Days
- Chippy Tools Pro - Weekly3 Days trial$3.997 Days
- Chippy Tools Pro - Quarterly3 Months trial$4.993 Months
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Chippy Tools Pro - Monthly$5.991 Month
- Chippy Tools Pro - Monthly1 Month trial$5.991 Month
- Chippy Tools Pro - Annual3 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Chippy Tools Pro - Annual1 Year trial$19.991 Year
- Chippy Tools Pro - Annual$19.991 Year
- One Time Purchase2 variants$85.00
Questions
Is Rafter Help free?
Is Chippy Tools free?
Which has better reviews, Rafter Help or Chippy Tools?
Do Rafter Help or Chippy Tools have ads?
Which is updated more often, Rafter Help or Chippy Tools?
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