# HVAC Decoder vs RTUBlue

The clearest difference is price: RTUBlue at Free against HVAC Decoder's $9.99. HVAC Decoder's advantage is chart position (#170 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

RTUBlue is free to download; HVAC Decoder costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HVAC Decoder ships an update every 3 months, RTUBlue every 5 months. Both last shipped on October 7, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | HVAC Decoder | RTUBlue |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.0 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hvac-decoder/id1355543096/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **28** | — |
| Positive reviews | 68.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#170** | — |
| Size | 6 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Charles Cope](https://appshunter.io/developer/1355543095) | [Enetics, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1778715029) |

## What reviewers say

### HVAC Decoder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hvac-decoder/id1355543096)

**Currently charting:** #170 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

Decode HVAC model and serial numbers from major brands. This utility app provides thousands of model numbers and can email search results. It supports a wide range of HVAC equipment and offers close matches for unknown numbers.

**Highlights:** Decode HVAC model numbers, Decode HVAC serial numbers, Supports major HVAC brands, Thousands of model numbers, Email search results, Close match functionality, Report missing data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### RTUBlue

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rtublue/id6737986411)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HVAC Decoder free?

HVAC Decoder costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is RTUBlue free?

RTUBlue is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do HVAC Decoder or RTUBlue have ads?

Neither HVAC Decoder nor RTUBlue shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HVAC Decoder or RTUBlue?

HVAC Decoder ships an update every 3 months, and RTUBlue every 5 months. Most recently, HVAC Decoder was updated on October 7, 2026 and RTUBlue on October 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*