# Span Calc vs Rafter Help

The clearest difference is price: Span Calc at Free against Rafter Help's $1.99. Span Calc also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 months). Rafter Help's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 2.9) and ratings volume (212 vs 15). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Span Calc is free to download; Rafter Help costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Rafter Help holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rafter Help has 212 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Span Calc's written reviews are positive against 40% of Rafter Help's.

Span Calc ships an update every 10 days, Rafter Help every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Span Calc | Rafter Help |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [2.9 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/span-calc/id380481343/reviews) | **[4.5 (212 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rafter-help/id1006188060/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 15 | **212** |
| Positive reviews | 29.6% of reviews | **40.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 168 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.2 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [American Wood Council](https://appshunter.io/developer/380481346) | [Armchair Engineering](https://appshunter.io/developer/398901339) |

## What reviewers say

### Span Calc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/span-calc/id380481343)

Calculate maximum horizontal spans for wood joists and rafters using various lumber species and grades. Compares multiple options for common loading conditions based on NDS® standards.

**Highlights:** Calculates joist and rafter spans, Supports all softwood and hardwood lumber, Uses 2021 NDS® for Wood Construction, Compares multiple species and grades, Handles common loading conditions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Rafter Help

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rafter-help/id1006188060)

This app simplifies roof construction by calculating rafter lengths and related measurements. It supports various input formats for pitch and length, offering both quick calculations for gable roofs and advanced control for more complex needs.

**Highlights:** Calculate rafter length and associated values, Determine roof pitch, rafter lengths, and ridge height, Supports gable roofs, Advanced calculation options, Multiple input formats for pitch (radians, degrees, DMS, rise/run), Flexible length units (mm, cm, inches, feet), Customizable decimal places

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Span Calc free?

Span Calc is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Rafter Help free?

Rafter Help costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Span Calc or Rafter Help?

Rafter Help is rated higher. Span Calc averages 2.9 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Rafter Help averages 4.5 from 212 ratings.

### Do Span Calc or Rafter Help have ads?

Neither Span Calc nor Rafter Help shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Span Calc or Rafter Help?

Span Calc ships an update every 10 days, and Rafter Help every 5 months. Most recently, Span Calc was updated on September 29, 2026 and Rafter Help on October 1, 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.*