Pool Math by TroubleFreePool vs RUN
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pool Math by TroubleFreePool
Easily manage your swimming pool's water chemistry by tracking key levels like chlorine and pH. This app calculates the precise amounts of chemicals needed to maintain clear, algae-free water, offering a cost-effective alternative to pool store advice.
- Chemical level calculators (pH, Chlorine, Alkalinity, etc.)
- Track pool maintenance tasks
- Log chemical additions
- Weather condition tracking
- Chemical addition effect calculations
- Bleach price comparison
- Data backup and export
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PoolMath makes swimming pool care, maintenance and management easy by tracking chlorine, pH, alkalinity and other levels to help calculate how much salt, bleach and other chemicals to add. Keep swimming in your TroubleFreePool with Pool Math. Crystal clear algae free pool water is what Trouble Free Pool Math is committed to. Pool Math performs all the calculations you need to keep your chlorine, pH, calcium, alkalinity, and stabilizer levels balanced. Why choose Pool Math over the others? Other apps claim to make testing easy by using test strips and your phone's camera. Unfortunately, this is simply too good to be true. Test strips are notoriously inaccurate and end up costing you much more money in both chemicals and the tests themselves in the long run. Trouble Free Pool believes using a proper test kit is much easier, effective, and economical in the long run. By following these calculations the pool owner achieves and maintains crystal clear water without reliance on the often unproductive advice and unneeded expense from pool stores. Pool Math's great features include: • Calculators for pH, Free Chlorine, Calcium Hardness, Salt, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness, Borates, CSI • Track Maintenance: Backwashing, Vacuuming, Filter Cleaning, Filter Pressure, SWG Cell %, Flow Rate • Track Chemical Additions • Track Weather conditions with your logs • Calculate the Effects of Adding chemicals to your pool • Bleach Price Calculator - Find the best deals on bleach easily • Summary page to see an overview of test results and chemical additions • Data backup / Export Premium Subscribers get access to these additional features: • Unlimited Test Log History Storage • Maintenance Reminders • Cloud Sync/Backup • Sync across multiple devices • Unlimited Pool / Spa Configurations • Test Log CSV Import / Export Pool Math Premium Subscription details: • Auto-renewable subscription • 1 year for $7.99 USD • Your subscription will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew (at the duration of 1 year) unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Current subscription may not be cancelled during the active subscription period; however, you can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renewal by visiting your iTunes Account Settings after purchase. • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use: http://poolmathapp.com/privacy/
RUN
Control and optimize your automated chicken coop door. Set custom timers or sync with sunrise for automatic opening and closing. Monitor door status for flock safety and convenience.
- Configure door opening/closing
- Set custom timers
- Sync with sunrise
- Built-in GPS feature
- Overview of door statuses
- User-friendly interface
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Enhance the functionality of your RUN-CHICKEN door with our sophisticated mobile app, designed for discerning poultry keepers. This application grants users the ability to configure the door’s opening and closing mechanisms, either by setting specific timers or synchronizing with natural events such as sunrise, with a built-in GPS Feature. In addition, the app provides overview of door statuses. With a secure connection and user-friendly interface, the RUN-CHICKEN Door Controller App ensures both optimal performance and the utmost safety for your flock. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pool Math by TroubleFreePool at 63% against RUN's 21%. RUN's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.7) and monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Pool Math by TroubleFreePool sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per year and RUN sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
RUN holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 272 and 968 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of Pool Math by TroubleFreePool's written reviews are positive against 21% of RUN's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Pool Math by TroubleFreePool ships an update fortnightly, RUN every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pool Math by TroubleFreePool | RUN |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (272 ratings) | 4.2 (968 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.4% of reviews — better | 20.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 272 | 968 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 314 MB | 116 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | TroubleFreePool | RUN-TIGER |
Customer experience
Pool Math by TroubleFreePool
RUN
User reviews
Pool Math by TroubleFreePool
From 272 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💎 Excellent for maintaining a clean, balanced pool
- 🔍 Comprehensive tracking of test results and chemical additions
- 🧠 Helpful recommendations for chemical adjustments
- ⚙️ Useful features like SLAM mode and timeline
- 🤖 Automatic weather data logging
Room to improve
- 🐛 Issues with data syncing and backup
- 🤔 Unintuitive interface and navigation
- 💰 Subscription model and lack of one-time purchase
- 🚫 Limited support for non-chlorine sanitizers and spa-specific options
- 🔄 Bugs with chemical addition logging and target value retention
RUN
From 968 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy installation and setup (for some)
- 👍 Reliable operation (for some)
- 👍 Keeps chickens safe at night
- 👍 Convenient automatic open/close
- 👍 Works with older models (with workaround)
Room to improve
- 🐛 App connectivity issues
- 🐛 Bluetooth connection problems
- 🐛 App updates breaking functionality
- 🐛 Incompatibility with older/non-Bluetooth models
- 🐛 Loss of manual control/buttons
Bugs and requests
Pool Math by TroubleFreePool
Reported bugs
4 issues- Subscription issues and inability to restore purchases
- App crashes and freezes on certain actions
- Incorrect chemical recommendations and calculations
- Disappearing historical data after updates
Requested features
5 requests- Custom target ranges and alerts
- Ability to log non-standard chemical additions
- Export options for data analysis
- Apple Watch integration
- Improved user guidance and on-boarding
RUN
Reported bugs
27 issues- Bluetooth not connecting
- App not detecting doors after update
- Door resets and stays open after update
- Non-Bluetooth doors incompatible with new app
- App locks up and doesn't respond
Show 22 moreShow fewer
- Door doesn't close automatically
- App requires Bluetooth for non-Bluetooth models
- Door closing in the middle of the day
- App not taking chosen settings
- App unusable for older doors after update
- Forcing Bluetooth for T50, disabling light sensor programming
- Cannot program timer after battery replacement
- App crashes on opening
- Door malfunctions after app installation
- App disconnects from Bluetooth frequently
- App requires email/account login
- New app doesn't have same functionality as old app
- GPS mode not working, door opens randomly at night
- App doesn't show door status
- Cannot manually open/close door via app
- App doesn't work to change settings
- App doesn't work with iOS 26
- Door stops working
- App requires phone to be next to device for function
- Firmware updates break door
- App sends ads despite being turned off
- Newer models lack physical buttons for manual operation
Requested features
12 requests- Bring back physical buttons
- Allow programming without internet
- Add remote open/close functionality
- Show door status (open/closed/stuck)
- Improve app stability
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Add dark mode
- Allow programming older models easily
- Add option to delay closing
- Remove ads from app
- Improve customer support responsiveness
- Add WiFi connectivity option
- Allow programming from website
In-app purchases
Pool Math by TroubleFreePool
- Pool Math Premium Subscription$7.991 Year
RUN
- Premium - Monthly1 Month trial$3.991 Month
- Premium - Yearly1 Month trial$39.991 Year
Questions
Is Pool Math by TroubleFreePool free?
Is RUN free?
Which has better reviews, Pool Math by TroubleFreePool or RUN?
Do Pool Math by TroubleFreePool or RUN have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pool Math by TroubleFreePool or RUN?
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