Comparison

BalusterPro vs Construction Calculator

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

Head to head
About

BalusterPro

This app simplifies the calculation of baluster spacing for handrails and other projects requiring equal spacing. It allows users to input dimensions and adjust the number of balusters to meet code requirements, displaying precise measurements on one screen.

Highlights
  • Calculate baluster spacing
  • Input handrail dimensions
  • Adjust balusters needed slider
  • View spacing between balusters
  • Display centers and edges
  • Select measurement precision (1/16, 1/32, metric, 1/64)
  • Audio output of measurements
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

***Named one of the top 100 new home products for 2011 in This Old House magazine*** BalusterPro is a unique and handy tool designed for carpenters and woodworkers, but useful for do-it-yourselfers and homeowners alike. BalusterPro makes the chore of calculating spacing of handrail balusters a quick and elementary task.  It can also be used for any job requiring equal spacing between boards or slats.  Use for picket fences, bench/chair backs,decking or column flutes. ____________________________________ What users are saying: Punch in staircase and handrail dimensions, choose the configuration, and this app saves you the tedium of calculating baluster spacing. Hallelujah. This Old House Magazine BalusterPro is an awesome app and can be used for a multitude of layout tasks, at your desk, on the job, in your car—wherever your phone goes, and it only costs a few bucks. Gary Katz - Master finish carpenter and publisher of THISiscarpentry.com BalusterPro makes building that stairway more heavenly homefixated.com ____________________________________ Instructions for Use: BalusterPro offers calculations for six different common handrail situations which you may encounter.  First, tap the settings button to select your measurement input method, then select the desired type of baluster installation. Use the keypad or sliders to enter your measurements for ‘Run Length’ (distance between the newel posts) and the ‘Baluster Width.’  Finally, just drag the ‘Balusters Needed’ slider to see your required number of balusters. As you adjust the ‘Balusters Needed’ slider, the “Spacing Between Balusters” will simultaneously update. Stop when your ‘Spacing Between Balusters’ meets your specific code requirements. Tap the view button to see a list of all the centers and edges of the balusters. No longer will you need to keep pressing the add button on your traditional calculator to list your centers....they are all shown on one screen! It’s just that simple! You can display your measurements by selecting 1/16, 1/32, or metric on the main screen to determine your precision level. If desired you can also display your result down to 1/64. To do this, once you have done your calculation, simply tap the 'Spacing Between Balusters' result and if possible it will be further reduced down to 1/64 and displayed for 5 seconds. This is handy if you want to cut all your fillets at once as it nearly eliminates cumulative error. Tap the speak buttons at the bottoms of the list columns to have the app speak your measurements. ____________________________________________________________________ Check out my other construction related apps...StairBuilderPro for a stair stringer layout tool & TilePro for a simple tile layout tool. ____________________________________________________________________ Check out the video demo at my website to see BalusterPro in action.

About

Construction Calculator

This app provides a comprehensive suite of tools for construction professionals and DIY enthusiasts. It offers precise calculations for decking, roofing, stairs, concrete, and more, with support for both metric and imperial units. Designed for jobsite use, it works offline and provides clear visuals for accurate on-site measurements.

Highlights
  • Decking and flooring calculations
  • Roofing material and coverage estimators
  • Stair and stringer rise/run calculations
  • Concrete, asphalt, and gravel volume estimators
  • Slope, pitch, and angle framing helpers
  • Unit converter with mixed-unit support
  • Offline functionality
Read full description

Build faster, measure smarter. Pro² is a complete construction calculator for decking, roofing, concrete, stairs, framing and precise on-site measurements. It’s made for builders, carpenters, contractors and serious DIY who need accurate answers in seconds. DECKING & FLOORING • Area, board runs, spacing and waste allowance • Material takeoff for boards and joists ROOFING (METAL & TILE) • Coverage and sheet/tile counts • Overhangs, pitch, angle and rafter length helpers STAIRS & STRINGERS • Rise/run, slope %, angle (°) and stringer length • Clear breakdowns and step-by-step visuals BALUSTERS, RAILING & EVEN SPACING • Perfect marks from 0 to full length • Spacing tables for clean, consistent layouts CONCRETE, ASPHALT, GRAVEL & SOIL • Volume estimators for slabs, pads, footings and fills • Smart rounding for real-world quantities SLOPE, PITCH & ANGLES • Fast framing helpers for cuts and layout • Metric and imperial support in every tool UNIT CONVERTER • Length, area, volume, density and weight • Built for mixed-unit jobs (mm, ft, inches) QUICK CALCULATOR • Running history with one-tap copy/share MADE FOR THE JOBSITE • Fraction support and practical defaults • Works fully offline—no signal required • Clean visuals that stay readable outdoors WHY PROS USE PRO² • One app instead of juggling multiple separate tools • Accurate results, simple inputs and clear diagrams • New tools and improvements arrive regularly based on user feedback Pro² is built for professional construction, carpentry, decking, roofing and framing work—yet intuitive enough for DIY home projects. Upgrade to unlock additional tools and advanced features when you’re ready to grow your toolkit. SUBSCRIPTION TERMS • Carpenter Pro is an optional auto-renewing subscription with Weekly and Annual plans. • A 3-day free trial is available on the Annual plan. • Payment is charged to your Apple ID and subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. • You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. • Lifetime is a one-time purchase and does not auto-renew. • The localized price is shown in-app before you confirm. Terms of Use (Apple EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://shapkin.dev/apps/carpenter/privacy.html

Screenshots

BalusterPro4 screens
Construction Calculator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Construction Calculator at Free against BalusterPro's $2.99. Construction Calculator also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.2) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). BalusterPro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and chart position (#184 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads and device support 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

Construction Calculator is free to download; BalusterPro costs $2.99 up front. Construction Calculator sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. BalusterPro asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Construction Calculator holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of BalusterPro's written reviews are positive against 100% of Construction Calculator's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BalusterPro ships an update every 2 months, Construction Calculator fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
BalusterPro versus Construction Calculator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBalusterProConstruction Calculator
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (17 ratings)4.8 (19 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1719 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#184 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGreg GabrioShapkin Dev

Customer experience

BalusterPro

All ratings17 ratings
Positive76.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative17.6%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive83.1%
Neutral5.1%
Negative11.9%

Construction Calculator

All ratings19 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

BalusterPro

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App kicks you out randomly
  • App crashes when tapping view tab
  • App crashes when clicking on flat run balisters attached

Requested features

18 requests
  • Allow angles past 40 degrees
  • Loosen angle tolerance
  • Update the app
  • Add visualization tool
  • Option to start with a center baluster
Show 13 more
  • Improve metric input (decimals)
  • Fix crashing when tapping view tab
  • Allow input with keypad instead of sliders
  • Compute longer runs
  • Allow setting measurements with keypad
  • Allow input of actual parameters of existing conditions
  • Input fields for precise measurements/placements of Posts
  • Allow in-field measurements for angles of rise & run
  • Allow input of spacing per local code to calculate baluster count
  • Fix baluster count recalculation
  • Automatically add baluster width to run measurement
  • Improve slider controls for better precision
  • Add dark mode option

Construction Calculator

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

BalusterPro

No in-app purchases

12 purchases

Construction Calculator

Subscriptions2
  • Carpenter PRO - Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Carpenter PRO — Annual3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time10
  • RL Level & Benchmark Calculator$3.99
  • Gravel Volume Calculator$3.99
  • Stair Stringer & Rise Run Calc$3.99
Show 7 more
  • Soil Excavation Volume Calculator$3.99
  • Asphalt Tonnage Calculator$3.99
  • Right Triangle & Pitch Calculator$3.99
  • Running Measurements Calculator$3.99
  • Unit Converter: Feet & Metric$3.99
  • Paint Area Coverage Estimator$3.99
  • Lifetime Access$39.99

Questions

Is BalusterPro free?
BalusterPro costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Construction Calculator free?
Construction Calculator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BalusterPro or Construction Calculator?
Construction Calculator is rated higher. BalusterPro averages 4.2 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Construction Calculator averages 4.8 from 19 ratings.
Do BalusterPro or Construction Calculator have ads?
Neither BalusterPro nor Construction Calculator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BalusterPro or Construction Calculator?
BalusterPro ships an update every 2 months, and Construction Calculator fortnightly. Most recently, BalusterPro was updated on September 23, 2026 and Construction Calculator on September 11, 2026.

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