Comparison

HVAC Pipe Sizer vs HydroCalc Plus

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

Head to head
About

HVAC Pipe Sizer

Calculate pipe sizes for liquid systems, including hot and chilled water. Input flow rate, head loss, diameter, or velocity to determine other properties. Supports various liquids, pipe materials, and fittings, with English or metric units.

Highlights
  • Liquid pipe sizing
  • Hydronic system calculations
  • Input flow, head loss, diameter, or velocity
  • Calculate fluid flow and head loss
  • Supports various liquids and pipe materials
  • English and metric unit options
  • Email results
Features
Read full description

The "HVAC Pipe Sizer - Liquid" application allows you to quickly size a simple pipe system by inputting a number of piping and liquid properties, including hot and chilled water (hydronic). This app is a universal app that works on both the iPhone and iPad and adjusts its screen size accordingly. This app now includes the HVAC Equipment Locator. Click here for details: http://bit.ly/1yTq539 You can specify the total fluid flow in GPM (or L/s) and one of either unit head loss (ft/100ft), pipe internal diameter (inches) or fluid velocity (ft/s) parameters. The results include both the exact and nominal pipe diameters and the calculated velocity and total head loss. If you are analyzing an existing pipe system, there is an option to input the existing pipe internal diameter and one of either unit head loss or fluid velocity parameters to derive the calculated fluid flow and other remaining properties. You can specify additional parameters such as the type of liquid, various properties of the liquid, the pipe material type, the total length of pipe, quantities for up to 11 different types of pipe fittings, and much more. You can also choose to display values in either english or metric units. This application includes built-in pipe fitting equivalent length and nominal pipe sizing tables for a wide variety of pipe material types and diameters. This application uses slider controls that allow you to quickly increment or decrement the input values and immediately observe the calculated results. You can also manually input exact values. The app allows you to email inputs and results once you have completed an analysis. This app now includes the HVAC Equipment Locator. Click here for details: http://bit.ly/1yTq539 We also offer the following additional applications for the iPhone/iPad: 1. HVAC Duct Sizer 2. HVAC Pipe Sizer – Gas Low Pressure 3. HVAC Pipe Sizer - Gas High Pressure 4. HVAC Pipe Sizer – Liquid 5. HVAC Pipe Sizer – Steam 6. Steam Tables 7. Psychrometric Plus 8. Psychrometric LT 9. HVAC Pipe Sizer Plus 10. HVAC Pipe Sizer Gas Plus 11. HVAC Toolkit 12. HVAC Toolkit Ultimate 13. HVAC Residential Load Calcs 14. HVAC Load Plus 15. HVAC Equipment Locator 16. ASHRAE Duct Fitting Database 17. ASHRAE 62.1 Ventilation Load Calcs 18. HVAC Psych HD 19. HVAC ResLoad-J 20. HVAC Residential Load Calcs HD

About

HydroCalc Plus

A professional tool for hydraulic engineers to calculate pressure losses in piping systems. It supports US and SI units, offers an extensive pipe material and fittings database, and includes inverse calculations for design optimization.

Highlights
  • Friction head loss calculation (Hazen-Williams)
  • US and SI unit support
  • Extensive pipe material library
  • Fittings and valves database
  • Inverse calculation mode
  • Real-time results (velocity, losses)
Features
Read full description

Professional hydraulic engineering tool for calculating pressure losses in piping systems. Essential for engineers, plumbers, and contractors designing water distribution networks. Key Features: Calculate friction head losses using industry-standard Hazen-Williams equation Support for both US (ft, gpm, psi) and SI (m, lps, bar) units Extensive pipe material library with pre-defined roughness coefficients (C-factors) Complete fittings and valves database including elbows, tees, valves, contractions, and expansions Inverse calculations to determine optimal pipe diameter, flow rate, or length for target head loss Real-time results showing velocity, friction loss, minor losses, and total system head loss What Sets Pro Apart: Unlike basic calculators, HydroCalc Pro accounts for both major losses (pipe friction) and minor losses (fittings and valves). The app includes a comprehensive database of K-factors for various components, allowing accurate total system pressure loss calculations. Perfect For: Water supply system design Irrigation network planning HVAC piping calculations Fire protection systems Industrial fluid transport Educational purposes in hydraulic engineering Technical Capabilities: The app considers all critical factors affecting pressure loss: flow velocity, pipe diameter, internal roughness, pipe length, and fitting configurations. Materials include PVC, polyethylene, steel, cast iron, concrete, and more with accurate C-factors ranging from 120-150. Inverse Calculation Mode: Unique feature allowing backward calculations - determine required pipe size for allowable head loss, maximum flow capacity, or optimal pipe length for your system constraints. Simple, intuitive interface with instant results. No internet connection required. Professional-grade calculations in your pocket. Note: Premium modules are available in English and Spanish.

Screenshots

HVAC Pipe Sizer4 screens
HydroCalc Plus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: HydroCalc Plus at every 3 weeks against HVAC Pipe Sizer's every 6 months. HydroCalc Plus also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 71%) and price ($3.99 vs $4.99). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

HVAC Pipe Sizer costs $4.99 and HydroCalc Plus $3.99 up front. HVAC Pipe Sizer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and HydroCalc Plus sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HVAC Pipe Sizer ships an update every 6 months, HydroCalc Plus every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 27, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HVAC Pipe Sizer versus HydroCalc Plus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHVAC Pipe SizerHydroCalc Plus
Price$4.99$3.99 — better
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCarmel Software CorporationTransparent Blue Water LLC

Customer experience

HVAC Pipe Sizer

Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%

HydroCalc Plus

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

HVAC Pipe Sizer

One-time1
  • HVAC Equipment Locator$9.99
4 purchases

HydroCalc Plus

One-time4
  • Pump Power Calculator$1.99
  • System Curve Generator$1.99
  • Pipe Database$1.99
Show 1 more
  • Industrial Fluids Pack$2.99

Questions

Is HVAC Pipe Sizer free?
HVAC Pipe Sizer costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is HydroCalc Plus free?
HydroCalc Plus costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Do HVAC Pipe Sizer or HydroCalc Plus have ads?
Neither HVAC Pipe Sizer nor HydroCalc Plus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HVAC Pipe Sizer or HydroCalc Plus?
HVAC Pipe Sizer ships an update every 6 months, and HydroCalc Plus every 3 weeks. Most recently, HVAC Pipe Sizer was updated on August 27, 2026 and HydroCalc Plus on August 31, 2026.

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