Comparison

HVAC Formulator vs ICM X Ref

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

Head to head
About

HVAC Formulator

This app provides HVAC professionals with over 900 essential formulas and calculations for load calculations and system design. It supports both US and Metric units, offers instant switching, and includes 23 calculator categories and over 460 unit conversions. Designed for field use, it works offline and allows users to save and share results.

Highlights
  • Over 900 formulas and calculations
  • US & Metric unit support
  • 23 calculator categories
  • 460+ unit conversions
  • 8 temperature scales
  • Offline functionality
  • Save and share results
Features
Read full description

HVAC FORMULATOR is the essential tool for Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning professionals. With over 900 formulas and calculations, it covers everything from basic load calculations to advanced system design — all in your pocket. US & METRIC SUPPORT — Switch instantly between US (Imperial) and Metric (SI) units. Results display in both systems so you always have the value you need. Input labels and conversions update automatically. 23 CALCULATOR CATEGORIES including: - Cooling Load — Sensible, latent, and total cooling calculations, tons, EER, COP, and sensible heat ratio - Fan Laws — Speed and diameter affinity laws for CFM, pressure, and horsepower - Duct Sizing — Velocity, round and rectangular sizing, equivalent diameter, aspect ratio - Ventilation Rate — ASHRAE 62.1 breathing zone, air changes per hour, exhaust fan sizing - Electrical — Ohm's Law, single and three-phase power, motor FLA, watts to BTU/h - Gas Laws — Boyle's, Charles's, Gay-Lussac's, Combined, and Ideal Gas Law - Psychrometrics — Bypass factor, mixed air temperature, percent outside air, dew point - Hydronic Formulas — Heat transfer, flow rate, pipe velocity, expansion tank, Cv coefficient - Boiler — Efficiency calculations, BTU output, heat absorption - Refrigeration — Tonnage output, compression ratio, mass flow rate, COP - Ductwork — Velocity, velocity pressure, total pressure, equivalent round - Airside — Sensible heat, latent heat, total heat (US and Metric) - Piping — Pipe area, weight, friction loss, expansion, Hazen-Williams, 70+ formulas - Steam — Condensate loads, fuel calculations, steam flow - Pump Laws — Break horsepower, suction head, pump affinity laws - Energy — Fuel values for oil, gas, coal, propane, ethanol, and more - Heating Design — Electric heating, baseboard, radiant ceiling, boiler capacity, hydronic snow melting - Heating Requirement — Insulation-based load calculations - Humidity — Specific humidity, relative humidity, sensible and latent heat - Loads — Temperature loads, heat gains from lights, equipment, and machines - Temperature — Mixed air, liquid mixing, final temperature calculations - Waterside System — Total heat, evaporator and condenser flow rates - Air Change Rate — Air changes per hour, air flow rate 460+ UNIT CONVERSIONS across 16 categories: Metric, Pressures, BTU, Linear, Square, Cubic, Liquid Measures, Weights, Flows, Power, Horsepower, Watts, Hydraulic, Ft-Lbs, Sand/Volume, and HVAC-specific conversions. 8 TEMPERATURE SCALES — Convert between Celsius, Fahrenheit, Kelvin, Rankine, Reaumur, Newton, Delisle, and Romer. BUILT FOR PROFESSIONALS: - Search across all 900+ formulas instantly - Mark favorites for quick access - Save calculation history with full breakdown - Share and export results - Clean, fast interface designed for field use - Works offline — no internet required HVAC FORMULATOR is a professional-grade tool built for HVAC technicians, engineers, contractors, and students. New formulas and features are added regularly.

About

ICM X Ref

This application allows users to search for ICM part numbers as aftermarket replacements for OEM products. It also helps locate nearby distributors and provides direct access to ICM technical support.

Highlights
  • Search ICM part numbers
  • Find aftermarket replacements
  • Locate distributors
  • Contact technical support
Features
Read full description

ICM Product Cross Reference App: Use this app to look up ICM part number as the aftermarket replacement for your OEM product. Use this app to find a distributor near you. Use this app to contact ICM technical support.

Screenshots

HVAC Formulator4 screens
ICM X Ref4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ICM X Ref at Free against HVAC Formulator's $4.99. ICM X Ref also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ratings volume, update cadence, 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

ICM X Ref is free to download; HVAC Formulator costs $4.99 up front. HVAC Formulator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ICM X Ref asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ICM X Ref holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
HVAC Formulator versus ICM X Ref: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHVAC FormulatorICM X Ref
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating2.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews9.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.69.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHistorycentral.comICM controls corp

Customer experience

HVAC Formulator

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive9.1%
Neutral18.2%
Negative72.7%

ICM X Ref

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

In-app purchases

1 purchases

HVAC Formulator

One-time1
  • HVAC Pro$3.99
None

ICM X Ref

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HVAC Formulator free?
HVAC Formulator costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is ICM X Ref free?
ICM X Ref is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HVAC Formulator or ICM X Ref?
ICM X Ref is rated higher. HVAC Formulator averages 2.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while ICM X Ref averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do HVAC Formulator or ICM X Ref have ads?
Neither HVAC Formulator nor ICM X Ref shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HVAC Formulator or ICM X Ref?
HVAC Formulator ships an update every 2 months, and ICM X Ref every 2 months. Most recently, HVAC Formulator was updated on October 18, 2026 and ICM X Ref on October 14, 2026.

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