HVAC Pipe Sizer vs HydroCalc Plus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HVAC Pipe Sizer
Calculate gas piping systems for low and high pressure. Input flow, pressure, or diameter to find pipe sizes, velocity, and equivalent lengths. Supports English and metric units, with extensive pipe fitting data.
- Low and high pressure gas pipe sizing
- Calculate flow, pressure drop, diameter, and velocity
- Universal app for iPhone and iPad
- English and metric unit support
- Built-in pipe fitting equivalent length tables
- Slider controls for quick adjustments
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The "HVAC Pipe Sizer - Gas Plus" application allows you to quickly size a simple low (less than or equal to 1.5 psi) and/or high (greater than 1.5 psi) pressure gas piping system by inputting a number of piping and gas properties. This application combines the functionality of our popular "HVAC Pipe Sizer - Gas Low" and "HVAC Pipe Sizer - Gas High" applications. This app is now a universal app meaning that it works on both the iPhone and iPad and adjusts its screen size accordingly. For low pressure gas piping, you can specify the total gas flow in ft3/hr (m3/hr) and one of either pressure drop (in. wg or Pa), pipe internal diameter (inches) or gas velocity (ft/s) parameters. The results include both the exact and nominal pipe diameters and the calculated velocity and total pipe equivalent length. If you are analyzing an existing pipe system, there is an option to input the existing pipe internal diameter and one of either pressure drop or gas velocity parameters to derive the calculated gas flow and other remaining properties. For high pressure gas piping, you can specify the total gas flow in ft3/hr (m3/hr), the upstream pressure (psig or kPa), and one of either downstream pressure (psig or kPa), pipe internal diameter (inches) or gas velocity (ft/s) parameters. The results include both the exact and nominal pipe diameters and the calculated velocity and total pipe equivalent length. If you are analyzing an existing pipe system, there is an option to input the existing pipe internal diameter, the upstream pressure, and one of either downstream pressure or gas velocity parameters to derive the calculated gas flow and other remaining properties. You can specify additional parameters such as the type of gas, various properties of the gas, 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. This app now includes the HVAC Equipment Locator. Click here for details: http://bit.ly/1yTq539 The "HVAC Pipe Sizer - Gas Plus" application was designed by Carmel Software Corporation, a leader in HVAC design software since 1995. In fact, Autodesk (the makers of AutoCAD) acquired our load calculation software and incorporated it into their leading 3D modeling software called Revit. In addition, we developed a number of customized apps for ASHRAE, DNV GL, and other organizations. We also offer the following additional apps for the iPhone and iPad: 1. HVAC Residential Load Calcs for iPhone and iPad 2. HVAC Quick Load Plus 3. HVAC Quick Load 4. HVAC Toolkit 5. HVAC Pipe Sizer – Gas Low Pressure 6. HVAC Pipe Sizer - Gas High Pressure 7. HVAC Pipe Sizer – Liquid 8. HVAC Pipe Sizer – Steam 9. Steam Tables 10. Psychrometric Plus 11. Psychrometric LT 12. HVAC Pipe Sizer Plus 13. HVAC Pipe Sizer Gas Plus 14. HVAC Toolkit Ultimate 15. HVAC Equipment Locator 16. HVAC ResLoad-J 17. HVAC Psych HD
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.
- 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)
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: HydroCalc Plus at every 3 weeks against HVAC Pipe Sizer's every 12 months. HydroCalc Plus also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%) and price ($3.99 vs $7.99). On rating, ratings volume, 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
HVAC Pipe Sizer costs $7.99 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for HVAC Pipe Sizer against 5.0 for HydroCalc Plus. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of HVAC Pipe Sizer's written reviews are positive against 100% of HydroCalc Plus's.
HVAC Pipe Sizer ships an update every 12 months, HydroCalc Plus every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HVAC Pipe Sizer | HydroCalc Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7.99 | $3.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Carmel Software Corporation | Transparent Blue Water LLC |
Customer experience
HVAC Pipe Sizer
HydroCalc Plus
In-app purchases
HVAC Pipe Sizer
- HVAC Equipment Locator$9.99
HydroCalc Plus
- Pump Power Calculator$1.99
- System Curve Generator$1.99
- Pipe Database$1.99
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- Industrial Fluids Pack$2.99
Questions
Is HVAC Pipe Sizer free?
Is HydroCalc Plus free?
Which has better reviews, HVAC Pipe Sizer or HydroCalc Plus?
Do HVAC Pipe Sizer or HydroCalc Plus have ads?
Which is updated more often, HVAC Pipe Sizer or HydroCalc Plus?
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