Comparison

Pool Doctor vs Pool Time ClearPool Expert™

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

Head to head
About

Pool Doctor

This powerful digital tool helps pool professionals and enthusiasts maintain their pools. Input your chemical readings, and it will provide precise instructions on what chemicals to add and why, supporting various pool types and units of measurement.

Highlights
  • Chemical level adjustment (chlorine, pH, alkalinity, etc.)
  • Supports regular, salt-water, and bromine pools
  • Multiple unit of measurement options
  • Customizable ideal ranges and chemicals
  • Saves reading and treatment records
  • Langelier Index calculation
  • Shock calculator
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Thousands of professionals across the world already use Pool Doctor to keep their pools blue... you should too! This app is not for total beginners -- It is a powerful digital tool for professionals or enthusiasts. But don't worry! Instructions are constantly scrolling across the screen. Just enter whatever chemical readings you prefer using any test kit you own, and Pool Doctor will tell you exactly what chemicals to put into your pool and why. With Pool Doctor, you can adjust the chlorine, bromine, salt, pH, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and even the cyanuric acid levels in all of your pools. You can even configure the ideal ranges and chemicals used to treat the pools (see screenshots). Pool Doctor gives all results and explanations in pounds, ounces, grams, kilograms, liters, gallons, or even in the number of scoops (you can enter custom scoop sizes); and changing units is as easy as pressing a button! This app supports regular, salt-water, or even bromine pools. Pool Doctor now saves basic reading and treatment records for all of your pools! Pool Doctor only shows you readings that apply to your pool type, so there is no unnecessary confusion! Pool Doctor will now calculate the Langelier Index automatically if you take all of the required readings! Pool Doctor now includes a shock calculator! Just enter the free and total chlorine levels, and Pool Doctor will automatically calculate how much of your preferred shock chemical is necessary to bring your pool to breakpoint chlorination.

About

Pool Time ClearPool Expert™

This app provides expert water analysis for your swimming pool using test strips or kits. It offers personalized maintenance plans, reminders, and troubleshooting tips to keep your pool clean and swim-ready. You can also add recommended products to a shopping cart for purchase.

Highlights
  • Expert water analysis with test strips or kits
  • Personalized pool maintenance plans
  • Maintenance reminders
  • Water analysis history
  • Troubleshooting common pool problems
  • Add products to shopping cart
Features
Read full description

The Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ Water Testing app helps you keep your pool swim-ready all season long! Features include: • FREE Rapid expert water analysis when - Testing with ClearPool Expert™ 6-Way Test Strips - Testing with any reagent Liquid or DPD test kit - Troubleshooting common water problems • Add products to shopping cart and checkout at Homedepot.com • Easy to read Water Analysis History in graph form • Personalized Pool Plan that calculates seasonal, monthly and weekly product needs • Personalized Maintenance Reminders to help you keep your pool balanced & pristine • Reference information on general Pool Maintenance • Tips on how to treat or prevent Common Problems • Text, Email or Print Treatment Plan and Shopping List PLEASE NOTE: This Pool Time ClearPool™ Expert App is only compatible with the Pool Time™ ClearPool Expert™ Test Strips, which can be purchased at your local Home Depot®. To find your nearest Home Depot®, visit PoolTime.com If you have questions or problems with the app or your water analysis, contact us at 1-800-252-POOL for help.

Screenshots

Pool Doctor4 screens
Pool Time ClearPool Expert™4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ at Free against Pool Doctor's $19.99. Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (5.3K vs 134). Pool Doctor's advantage is review sentiment (68% vs 42%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ is free to download; Pool Doctor costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ has 5.3K ratings behind it against 134, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Pool Doctor's written reviews are positive against 42% of Pool Time ClearPool Expert™'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pool Doctor ships an update every 2 months, Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ every 8 months. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Pool Doctor versus Pool Time ClearPool Expert™: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPool DoctorPool Time ClearPool Expert™
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (134 ratings)4.7 (5.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.8% of reviews — better42.4% of reviews
Number of ratings1345.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#184 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.011.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGazzini VenturesBioLab, Inc.

Customer experience

Pool Doctor

All ratings134 ratings
Positive86.6%
Neutral3.0%
Negative10.4%
Written reviews90 reviews
Positive67.8%
Neutral6.7%
Negative25.6%

Pool Time ClearPool Expert™

All ratings5,257 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.4%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews85 reviews
Positive42.4%
Neutral5.9%
Negative51.8%

User reviews

Pool Doctor

From 134 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
  • 🎯 Accurate chemical calculations and recommendations
  • 💡 Customizable pool parameters and chemical selection
  • 📊 Helpful for pool maintenance beginners
  • 🔄 Multiple unit conversions (lbs, oz, kg, metric)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes frequently
  • ❌ Email functionality doesn't work
  • ⚠️ Inaccurate recommendations for some pool types
  • 🔧 Settings don't persist or sync across devices
  • 💸 Price increased from free to $20

Pool Time ClearPool Expert™

From 5.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Convenient and easy to use
  • 🚀 Accurate water testing and recommendations
  • 💡 Helpful for pool maintenance
  • 🔑 Customized pool profile
  • 🔍 Detailed water analysis

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and freezes frequently
  • 🔍 Inaccurate test results and recommendations
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with required account creation
  • 🚫 Doesn't work well for smaller pools/spas
  • 💸 Expensive chemicals compared to other options

Bugs and requests

Pool Doctor

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App crashes after entering readings
  • Phone keyboard won't close, preventing navigation
  • Entered values change automatically (pH decreases, chlorine increases)
  • Chemical settings don't save or remember user preferences
  • Recommendations ignore user-specified chemical concentrations
Show 4 more
  • Metric calculations don't work properly
  • App requires internet connection despite being offline-capable
  • Support page/links no longer available
  • Inconsistent shock chemical recommendations despite selection changes

Requested features

13 requests
  • Customizable input field order to match test kit order
  • Support for Baquacil pool products
  • Cyanuric acid reading support
  • Ability to select specific chemical types (liquid vs powdered chlorine)
  • Salt level adjustment based on salt water generator (SWG) ranges
Show 8 more
  • Support for additional chemicals like Borax for pH adjustment
  • Water temperature and wind data tracking
  • Graphing and historical data visualization
  • Multi-user sync for shared pool maintenance
  • Pool volume estimator tool
  • Support for hot tubs and spas
  • Metric-only interface for non-US users
  • More detailed information on calcium hardness and other parameters

Pool Time ClearPool Expert™

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues and inability to create an account
  • Troubleshooting feature not working
  • Inability to input pool volume on mobile
  • Incompatibility with certain devices and OS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Camera feature to automatically read test strips
  • Ability to manually enter test results
  • More customization options for pool size and type
  • Ability to view past test history and recommendations

In-app purchases

None

Pool Doctor

No in-app purchases

None

Pool Time ClearPool Expert™

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pool Doctor free?
Pool Doctor costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ free?
Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pool Doctor or Pool Time ClearPool Expert™?
Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ is rated higher. Pool Doctor averages 4.4 out of 5 from 134 ratings, while Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ averages 4.7 from 5.3K ratings.
Do Pool Doctor or Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ have ads?
Neither Pool Doctor nor Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pool Doctor or Pool Time ClearPool Expert™?
Pool Doctor ships an update every 2 months, and Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ every 8 months. Most recently, Pool Doctor was updated on September 23, 2026 and Pool Time ClearPool Expert™ on September 23, 2026.

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