Comparison

Pool Math by TroubleFreePool vs Pool Balance

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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/

About

Pool Balance

This app helps maintain clear pool or spa water by providing precise chemical dosing recommendations. It offers multiple input methods, personalized maintenance schedules, and an AI-powered repair assistant. Track your progress with visual charts and receive weather-smart tips.

Highlights
  • Precise chemical calculations
  • Multiple input methods (manual, strip, scanner)
  • Personalized maintenance schedules
  • AI-powered repair assistant
  • Progress tracking with charts
  • Weather-smart recommendations
  • Supply store locator
Features
Read full description

Keep your pool or spa crystal clear with Pool Balance — the smart pool chemistry calculator trusted by homeowners and pool professionals alike. PRECISE CHEMICAL CALCULATIONS Enter your water test results and instantly receive exact dosing recommendations for chlorine, pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, and stabilizer. Works for pools and spas of any size. MULTIPLE INPUT METHODS - Manual entry for quick calculations - Color test strip comparison tool - Test strip scanner for instant readings MAINTENANCE MADE SIMPLE Get personalized daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance schedules based on your filter type (sand, cartridge, or DE) and water type. AI-POWERED REPAIR ASSISTANT Diagnose equipment issues with our intelligent repair assistant. Get step-by-step DIY guidance, safety tips, and helpful video tutorials. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS Monitor chlorine and pH trends over time with visual charts. Keep a complete history of all your water readings synced to the cloud. WEATHER-SMART RECOMMENDATIONS Receive pool care tips based on your local weather conditions, including UV index alerts and storm preparation. FIND SUPPLIES NEARBY Locate pool supply stores in your area with our built-in store locator. FREE FEATURES INCLUDED: - Unlimited chemical calculations - Pool volume calculator - Last 3 readings history - Maintenance schedules WORKS FOR SALTWATER POOLS TOO Get accurate dosing whether you run chlorine, salt, or a hybrid system. STABILIZER & CYANURIC ACID TRACKING Monitor cyanuric acid (stabilizer) levels to keep chlorine effective and avoid over-stabilization. CLARIFIER GUIDANCE Get recommendations for using a clarifier when water looks cloudy, for a faster path back to crystal clear. Subscription Options: • Pool Pro Monthly: $2.99/month • Pool Pro Yearly: $19.99/year Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://poolbalance.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://poolbalance.app/privacy

Screenshots

Pool Math by TroubleFreePool4 screens
Pool Balance3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pool Balance at 5.0 against Pool Math by TroubleFreePool's 3.6. Pool Math by TroubleFreePool's advantage is ratings volume (287 vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Pool Math by TroubleFreePool sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per year and Pool Balance sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pool Balance holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pool Math by TroubleFreePool has 287 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pool Math by TroubleFreePool ships an update fortnightly, Pool Balance every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Pool Math by TroubleFreePool versus Pool Balance: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPool Math by TroubleFreePoolPool Balance
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (287 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings287 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size314 MB92 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTroubleFreePoolPool Balance LLC

Customer experience

Pool Math by TroubleFreePool

All ratings262 ratings
Positive66.0%
Neutral7.3%
Negative26.7%
Written reviews128 reviews
Positive63.3%
Neutral10.9%
Negative25.8%

Pool Balance

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Pool Balance

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Pool Math by TroubleFreePool

Subscriptions1
  • Pool Math Premium Subscription$7.991 Year
2 purchases

Pool Balance

Subscriptions2
  • Pool Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Pool Pro Yearly$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Pool Math by TroubleFreePool free?
Pool Math by TroubleFreePool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pool Balance free?
Pool Balance is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pool Math by TroubleFreePool or Pool Balance?
Pool Balance is rated higher. Pool Math by TroubleFreePool averages 3.6 out of 5 from 287 ratings, while Pool Balance averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Pool Math by TroubleFreePool or Pool Balance have ads?
Neither Pool Math by TroubleFreePool nor Pool Balance shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pool Math by TroubleFreePool or Pool Balance?
Pool Math by TroubleFreePool ships an update fortnightly, and Pool Balance every 2 months. Most recently, Pool Math by TroubleFreePool was updated on November 4, 2026 and Pool Balance on November 5, 2026.

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