# Plumbing Formulator vs iManifoldCR

The clearest difference is rating: Plumbing Formulator at 4.6 against iManifoldCR's 3.8. iManifoldCR's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 9%) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Plumbing Formulator sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. iManifoldCR asks for nothing beyond the download.

Plumbing Formulator holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 11 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 9% of Plumbing Formulator's written reviews are positive against 50% of iManifoldCR's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plumbing Formulator | iManifoldCR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plumbing-formulator/id303497783/reviews)** | [3.8 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imanifoldcr/id1394856536/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **11** |
| Positive reviews | 9.1% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 123 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Historycentral.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/1744330560) | [North Park Innovations Group, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/595381427) |

## What reviewers say

### Plumbing Formulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plumbing-formulator/id303497783)

This professional calculator app provides over 200 formulas, calculators, and reference materials for plumbers, HVAC technicians, and mechanical contractors. It covers a wide range of calculations for water flow, piping, drainage, water heaters, pumps, and more, all in one pocket-sized tool.

**Highlights:** Over 200 formulas and calculators, Water flow and supply calculations, Pipe and piping calculations, Drainage and venting calculations, Water heater and pump calculations, Reference charts and code books, Pipe cut list optimizer

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Version | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pro Purchase | $3.99 | one-time |
| Starter | $5.99 | one-time |
| Growth | $9.99 | one-time |


### iManifoldCR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imanifoldcr/id1394856536)

This app helps HVAC/R professionals calculate system performance and troubleshoot issues. It supports over 40 refrigerants and offers equipment profiling for various common systems.

**Highlights:** HVAC/R system performance calculation, Troubleshoot system problems, User inputs and live system data, Over 40 selectable refrigerants, Equipment profiling options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plumbing Formulator free?

Plumbing Formulator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is iManifoldCR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Plumbing Formulator or iManifoldCR?

Plumbing Formulator is rated higher. Plumbing Formulator averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while iManifoldCR averages 3.8 from 11 ratings.

### Do Plumbing Formulator or iManifoldCR have ads?

Neither Plumbing Formulator nor iManifoldCR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Plumbing Formulator or iManifoldCR?

Plumbing Formulator ships an update every 2 months, and iManifoldCR every 2 months. Most recently, Plumbing Formulator was updated on October 31, 2026 and iManifoldCR on October 24, 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.*