Comparison

Rafter Help vs RedX Decks

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

RedX Decks

Design and visualize complex deck structures, including roofs and stairs, with automatic framing and structural calculations. Generate professional, permit-ready blueprints and detailed material lists for efficient construction.

Highlights
  • 3D deck and roof design
  • Automatic framing layouts
  • Structural calculations
  • Permit-ready blueprints
  • Material and cut lists
  • 3D visualization and renders
Features
Read full description

Design decks. Add roofs. Generate permit ready blueprints. RedX Decks is powerful deck design software for contractors, designers, and serious DIY builders. Create structurally sound decks, add roof-over-deck systems with beams and posts, and generate professional construction drawings in minutes. Build straight, wraparound, gazebo, L-shaped, U-shaped, freestanding, multi-level, or fully custom decks with automatic framing layouts and structural calculations. Decks With Roof Structures Design: • Roof over deck systems • Post and beam covered decks • Gazebo roofs • Decks with integrated stairs and railings • Multi-level structural framing Create complete deck and roof framing plans including beams, joists, posts, and railing systems. Permit Ready Blueprints Generate professional PDF construction drawings: • Joist and beam layout plans • Elevation blueprints • Framing layouts • Post and railing layouts • Stair stringer plans • Structural load calculations • Detailed material and cut lists Perfect for permit applications, contractor submissions, inspections, and client presentations. Automatic Structural & Framing Layout RedX automatically calculates: • Deck tributary areas • Beam sizing logic • Joist and beam placement • Load distribution • Structural checks Automatically generate: • Beam layouts • Joist layouts • Divider boards • Joist blocking • Post spacing • Stair framing Adjust spacing, deck load, materials, and wood species to match your project requirements. 3D Visualization & High-Quality Renders View your deck and roof structure in realistic 3D. Rotate, zoom, and inspect every component before building. Export high-resolution render images for client presentations, marketing, social media, or permit documentation. Complete Material & Cut Lists Get accurate: • Lumber quantities • Cut lists • Fastener estimates • Material summaries Reduce waste and build with confidence. Built for decks attached to a house or fully freestanding structures — from simple backyard builds to covered roof-over-deck systems. Download RedX Decks and start creating permit ready deck and roof blueprints today. Terms of Use (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ RedX Apps Terms of Service https://www.redxapps.com/terms-of-service In-App Purchases Available Premium Monthly and Yearly subscriptions unlock advanced features. Payment is charged to your iTunes account and renews automatically unless turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage subscriptions in your App Store settings. Current pricing starts at $6.99 USD/month or $59.99 USD/year. Prices may vary by region and are subject to change. Active subscriptions cannot be canceled during the billing period.

Screenshots

Rafter Help4 screens
RedX Decks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RedX Decks at Free against Rafter Help's $1.99. RedX Decks also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 months). Rafter Help's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

RedX Decks is free to download; Rafter Help costs $1.99 up front. RedX Decks sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Rafter Help asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Rafter Help holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 212 and 521 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Rafter Help's written reviews are positive against 31% of RedX Decks's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Rafter Help ships an update every 5 months, RedX Decks every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Rafter Help versus RedX Decks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRafter HelpRedX Decks
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (212 ratings) — better4.3 (521 ratings)
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews — better30.8% of reviews
Number of ratings212521 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB177 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArmchair EngineeringRedX Technology Inc

Customer experience

Rafter Help

All ratings212 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral3.3%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative52.0%

RedX Decks

All ratings521 ratings
Positive82.7%
Neutral3.1%
Negative14.2%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive30.8%
Neutral5.1%
Negative64.1%

In-app purchases

None

Rafter Help

No in-app purchases

9 purchases

RedX Decks

Subscriptions6
  • RedX Decks Pro$6.991 Month
  • RedX Apps Pro++ Monthly$9.991 Month
  • RedX Apps Pro++$59.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • RedX Decks Pro7 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • RedX Decks Pro7 Days trial$119.991 Year
  • RedX Apps Bundle1 Year trial2 variants$179.991 Year
One-time3
  • 20 Render Credits$9.99
  • 100 Render Credits$29.99
  • 200 Render Credits$44.99

Questions

Is Rafter Help free?
Rafter Help costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is RedX Decks free?
RedX Decks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Rafter Help or RedX Decks?
Rafter Help is rated higher. Rafter Help averages 4.5 out of 5 from 212 ratings, while RedX Decks averages 4.3 from 521 ratings.
Do Rafter Help or RedX Decks have ads?
Neither Rafter Help nor RedX Decks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Rafter Help or RedX Decks?
Rafter Help ships an update every 5 months, and RedX Decks every 10 days. Most recently, Rafter Help was updated on October 1, 2026 and RedX Decks on October 1, 2026.

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