Comparison

Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop vs HydroCalc Basic

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

Head to head
About

Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop

This app calculates friction and fitting losses in liquid flow systems using the Darcy-Weisbach equation. It offers extensive databases for fluids, pipes, and fittings, with customizable units and reporting options. Verified against published data, it's designed for engineers needing accurate pressure drop calculations.

Highlights
  • Friction and fitting loss calculations
  • Darcy-Weisbach equation with Colebrook-White
  • Integrated databases for fluids, pipes, and fittings
  • User-definable custom data
  • Imperial and Metric unit support
  • Professional Excel and PDF reports
  • Results verification against published data
Features
Read full description

Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop is a pressure loss calculator app from Pipe Flow Software that calculates friction loss and fitting loss results. It uses the Darcy-Weisbach equation with Colebrook-White friction factors, together with K values for fittings, to provide accurate calculations. Pipe Flow Software applications are used by engineers in over 100 countries worldwide. The Pressure Drop App has an intuitive user interface that allows for easy entry of the input data, including changes in elevation, and selection of valves & fittings. Comprehensive results include Reynolds number, friction factor, flow type (laminar or turbulent), friction losses, fitting losses, fluid velocities and more. Each result is clearly displayed using expandable sections that reveal further information as needed. Users can select pipe materials, pipe diameters, pipe fittings (k factors) and liquids from the integrated databases, and these can also be extended with user specific data for custom pipe materials, diameters, fittings, and liquids. The App can operate in Imperial or Metric units and each individual field can be further customised to use a specific unit. Results values can be displayed to a specified number of decimal places. Pipe Flow Pressure Drop calculation results have been verified against multiple cases of published results from well known sources. The results of these calculations are included in the Results Verification PDF document which can be accessed from within the App. Engineers can easily perform their pressure drop calculations in the office or on site. Professional Excel and PDF reports can easily be shared with others. Results can also be saved to the library within the App. The Pipe Flow Pressure Drop software has unrivalled functions and features that aren't often found in other pressure loss calculator apps: - Liquid properties database for water, oils, acids, and other fluids. - Pipe material database for various Steel, Aluminium, Copper, HDPE, and other pipes. - Fitting database for standard valves and bends, with associated K factor values. - User definable custom materials, fluids and fittings. - Professional Excel and PDF reports showing calculation results. - Results verification against published data to provide confidence in the calculation results. - Configurable post decimal places for display on screen and in reports. - Automatic conversion between a wide range of units. - Compatibility with Pipe Flow Wizard files for iOS, macOS and Windows. - Calculation engine based on the same reliable calculation engine that is used by Pipe Flow Software's premier Pipe Flow Expert software, which is trusted by users in over 100 countries worldwide. - High quality, reliable software, and unrivalled customer support. Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop is offered as a free trial download and can be purchased for a one-time fee within the App. Terms of Use: https://www.pipeflow.com/pipe-flow-mobile-software/pipe-flow-mobile-software-license-terms

About

HydroCalc Basic

Features
Read full description

Pipe Headloss Calculator provides engineers, designers, and students with powerful tools for pipeline hydraulic analysis — without the hassle of complex manual computations. Whether you’re sizing new pipelines or analyzing existing systems, the app delivers rapid, accurate results. Key Features Automatic Unit Conversion – Seamlessly switch between US Customary and SI units for length, flow, and diameter. Pipeline-Specific Inputs – Enter pipeline length, flow rate, internal diameter, and pipe material. Powerful Inverse Calculator – Set a target head loss and calculate the required diameter, flow, or length. Instantly view flow velocity, friction head loss, fitting losses, and full system curve data. With a clean interface and fast performance, this app is designed to save time and improve accuracy in hydraulic calculations — from the classroom to the field.

Screenshots

Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop4 screens
HydroCalc Basic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop at 11.0 against HydroCalc Basic's 15.1. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and HydroCalc Basic sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop ships an update fortnightly, HydroCalc Basic every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop versus HydroCalc Basic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPipe Flow Liquid Pressure DropHydroCalc Basic
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (12 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings12 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPipe Flow SoftwareTransparent Blue Water LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop

One-time1
  • Pipe Flow Pressure Drop$4.99
1 purchases

HydroCalc Basic

One-time1
  • Premium - Flow Units & Ad-Free$1.99

Questions

Is Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop free?
Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HydroCalc Basic free?
HydroCalc Basic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop or HydroCalc Basic have ads?
Neither Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop nor HydroCalc Basic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop or HydroCalc Basic?
Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop ships an update fortnightly, and HydroCalc Basic every 11 days. Most recently, Pipe Flow Liquid Pressure Drop was updated on September 22, 2026 and HydroCalc Basic on September 8, 2026.

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