# Material Estimator Calculator vs Builder's Helper MAX

Material Estimator Calculator and Builder's Helper MAX both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 73% of Builder's Helper MAX's written reviews are positive against 41% of Material Estimator Calculator's. Builder's Helper MAX also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Material Estimator Calculator sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Builder's Helper MAX sells 10 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 — 4.8 for Material Estimator Calculator against 4.7 for Builder's Helper MAX. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.1K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Material Estimator Calculator's written reviews are positive against 73% of Builder's Helper MAX's.

Material Estimator Calculator ships an update every 6 weeks, Builder's Helper MAX monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Material Estimator Calculator | Builder's Helper MAX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/material-estimator-calculator/id376071081/reviews)** | [4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/builders-helper-max/id835030206/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.1K** | 1.7K |
| Positive reviews | 41.4% of reviews | **72.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 57 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Calculated Industries](https://appshunter.io/developer/370406449) | [My Pie Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/312734327) |

## What reviewers say

### Material Estimator Calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/material-estimator-calculator/id376071081)

This app helps contractors and DIYers accurately estimate material costs and quantities for construction projects. It features dimensional measurement tools, unit conversions, and a material database to optimize budgeting and ordering.

**Highlights:** Precise cost and percentage calculations, Integrated material size database, Advanced dimensional measurement tools, Comprehensive unit conversion, Efficient material requirement determination, Board feet and cost estimation, Digital record keeping

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Full Access | $3.99 | per month |
| 3 Months Full Access | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year Full Access | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
- 🚀 Extremely helpful for daily use
- 👍 Works as expected for over 12 years

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription model instead of one-time purchase
- 💰 Expensive compared to physical calculator
- 🔒 Requires internet connection to function
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs after recent updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes repeatedly on launch
- Subscription screen keeps appearing even after purchase

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support
- Metric unit support
- Offline functionality


### Builder's Helper MAX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/builders-helper-max/id835030206)

This comprehensive construction app offers advanced calculation tools for linear, square, and cubic measurements in both imperial and metric units. It includes features for roof pitch, stair lengths, and a memory bank for storing values. Manage projects with detailed lists, store documents and images, and utilize quick job calculators for various construction tasks.

**Highlights:** Advanced construction calculator (imperial/metric), Roof pitch and rafter length calculations, Project management with data lists, Document and image storage for projects, Quick job calculators for various tasks, Notepad with PDF export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quick-Job: Drywall | $0.99 | one-time |
| Quick-Job: Fencing | $0.99 | one-time |
| Quick-Job: Roofing | $0.99 | one-time |
| Quick-Job: Decking | $0.99 | one-time |
| Quick-Job: Wall Framing | $0.99 | one-time |
| Construction Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Estimating Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Project Management | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pro Calculator | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pro Pack | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔥 Best construction calculator
- 👍 Very easy to use
- 💻 Convenient to have on all devices
- ⏱️ Saves time and reduces errors
- 🧮 Excellent fractional calculator

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and display issues
- 🚫 No updates or support from developer
- 💰 One-time purchase not working as expected
- 📱 Works better on phones than tablets

**Reported bugs**

- Fractions not displaying properly
- App crashing when using certain features
- Compatibility issues with newer macOS versions

**Requested features**

- Getting started guide or help section
- Ability to group related tasks under one project
- Expand note-taking capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Material Estimator Calculator free?

Material Estimator Calculator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Builder's Helper MAX free?

Builder's Helper MAX is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Material Estimator Calculator or Builder's Helper MAX?

Material Estimator Calculator is rated higher. Material Estimator Calculator averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.1K ratings, while Builder's Helper MAX averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Material Estimator Calculator or Builder's Helper MAX have ads?

Neither Material Estimator Calculator nor Builder's Helper MAX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Material Estimator Calculator or Builder's Helper MAX?

Material Estimator Calculator ships an update every 6 weeks, and Builder's Helper MAX monthly. Most recently, Material Estimator Calculator was updated on October 24, 2026 and Builder's Helper MAX on October 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*