Comparison

Delux Stairs Construction calc vs Chippy Tools

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

Head to head
About

Delux Stairs Construction calc

Easily design ideal staircases with a single measurement. This app calculates all necessary dimensions, accounts for flooring thickness, and provides detailed blueprints. It includes unique features like a headroom clearance tool for professional, code-compliant results.

Highlights
  • Calculate total run, pitch, unit rise, and unit run
  • Adjust for flooring and tread thickness
  • Headroom clearance tool
  • Printable and emailable PDF blueprints
  • Graphical interface with visual feedback
  • Imperial or Metric system support
Features
Read full description

Create an ideal staircase with one simple measurement. Fine-tune the stairs to fit your space with an easy to use and understand, graphical interface. Enter the total rise, and the app calculates total run (base length or overall run), pitch (angle or slope), unit run (goings or tread), unit rise (rise or step height), and all other measurements. You can then adjust the total run to fit your available space or preferred tread materials. A feature unique to Delux Stairs fine-tunes the stringer to accommodate for differences in flooring thicknesses such as the tread thickness and upper and lower finished flooring. This ensures every step is identical, which is the difference between clumsy, dangerous, amateur stairs and professional-quality, comfortable, code-compliant stairs. Additional stair details, such as nosing, riser thickness and stringer dimensions are also calculated and adjustable. Blueprint plans can be directly printed or emailed in PDF which include platform position options, stringer peak positions, bottom step rise adjustments, top step run adjustments, and more. The headroom clearance tool is also unique to Delux Stairs and not only shows you top floor opening requirements with adjustable floor thicknesses, but also continuous headroom obstruction clearance from the top to the bottom of the stairs. ◎ No ads, notifications, permission, subscriptions or in-app purchases. ◎ Direct visual graphic feedback for quick, easy to understand design. ◎ Diagrams & info screens make the sometimes cryptic terms clear. ◎ Email the finished blueprints to the client or to yourself. ◎ Print finished blueprints on any AirPrint-compatible printer. ◎ Takes flooring and tread thickness differences into account to ensure each step is identical to comply with building codes. ◎ Presets for Outdoor (decking), Indoor (plywood or hardwood) or Masonry (concrete) stairs. ◎ Perfect for open stringer and concrete designs & a great starting point for housed and box stairs. ◎ Headroom Clearance tool for determining top floor opening as well as continuous overhead obstruction clearance. ◎ High contrast, large text screens can be seen in bright sunlight at the job site. Settings include: - Imperial or Metric systems - Specify Preferred Target Unit Run - Specify Preferred Target Unit Rise - Select point where inches > ft or mm > meters - Customize Minimum Headroom

About

Chippy Tools

This app simplifies complex calculations for construction professionals. It offers a variety of tools for tasks like spacing, measurements, and material estimation, helping to reduce errors and save time on job sites. Available on iPhone and iPad, it aims to be an essential tool for tradespeople.

Highlights
  • Baluster spacing calculator
  • Flat run attached baluster calculator
  • Square calculator
  • Concrete calculator
  • Stair calculator
  • Supports millimeters, feet, and inches
Features
Read full description

Chippy Tools is the must-have calculator for carpenters and handy folks looking to simplify math on the job. Whether you're on your iPhone or iPad, Chippy Tools is for you. Its user-friendly design lets you focus on carpentry while the app handles the math. Perfect for architects, builders, carpenters, construction workers, contractors, designers, engineers, tradespeople, and woodworkers of all kinds, Chippy Tools speeds up common calculations with precision. Save time and cut costs by reducing site errors. WHAT IS A CHIPPY? In Australia, carpenters are often called Chippy. WHY CHIPPY TOOLS? Our mission at Chippy Tools is to redefine top-notch apps for carpenters. We aim to develop a sustainable business model, adding new calculations to keep saving you time and money. FEATURES • Baluster spacing calculator - Quickly calculate spacing for flat runs. • Flat run attached baluster calculator - Simple, fast calculations for attached balusters. • Supports millimeters, feet, and inches. PREMIUM FEATURES (Requires Subscription) • Square calculator - Ensure structures are perfectly square. • Concrete calculator - Calculate concrete needed for slabs and posts. • Dumpy level calculator - Find relative level from benchmarks. • Equal spacing calculator - Calculate even spacing effortlessly. • Gravel calculator - Determine gravel volume needed. • Pitch calculator - Calculate pitch with rise and run. • Raked wall calculator - Measure raked walls using height or pitch. • Running calculations - Enter start number and interval. • Soil calculator - Find soil volume for landscaping. • Stair calculator - Calculate going, stringer, and rise for stairs. • Triangle calculator - Solve triangle measurements with ease. FEEDBACK Want a new calculator? Email us at feedback@chippy.tools. NO ADS EVER We promise no ads in Chippy Tools. Enjoy the best experience for your purchase. SUPPORT Got questions or feedback? Contact us for free tech support at support@chippy.tools. If Chippy Tools aids you, please leave an App Store review to help others find it. Subscription Terms of Service: https://chippy.tools/terms/ Proudly made in Brisbane, Australia.

Screenshots

Delux Stairs Construction calc4 screens
Chippy Tools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Chippy Tools at Free against Delux Stairs Construction calc's $4.99. Chippy Tools also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 6 weeks). Delux Stairs Construction calc's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and review sentiment (68% vs 55%). On ads 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

Chippy Tools is free to download; Delux Stairs Construction calc costs $4.99 up front. Chippy Tools sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Delux Stairs Construction calc asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chippy Tools holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chippy Tools has 907 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Delux Stairs Construction calc's written reviews are positive against 55% of Chippy Tools's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Delux Stairs Construction calc ships an update every 6 weeks, Chippy Tools every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Delux Stairs Construction calc versus Chippy Tools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDelux Stairs Construction calcChippy Tools
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating3.4 (18 ratings)4.5 (907 ratings) — better
Positive reviews68.4% of reviews — better54.8% of reviews
Number of ratings18907 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDeluxPeth Pty Ltd

Customer experience

Delux Stairs Construction calc

All ratings18 ratings
Positive55.6%
Neutral5.6%
Negative38.9%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive68.4%
Neutral6.6%
Negative25.0%

Chippy Tools

All ratings907 ratings
Positive88.5%
Neutral3.0%
Negative8.5%
Written reviews62 reviews
Positive54.8%
Neutral4.8%
Negative40.3%

User reviews

Delux Stairs Construction calc

From 18 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Fast calculations
  • ✅ Accurate results
  • 💡 Helpful for DIYers
  • 💰 Good value for money

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashing issues
  • ❌ Limited customization
  • ❌ Not for all stair types
  • ❌ No free trial
  • ❌ Poor support/contact options

Chippy Tools

From 907 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Quick and efficient
  • 💡 Useful construction tools
  • 🙌 Great for DIY projects

Room to improve

  • 🤔 Confusing interface
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🐛 Inaccurate calculations
  • 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription

Bugs and requests

Delux Stairs Construction calc

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes when emailing plans
  • App crashes when trying to email
  • PDF files are unreadable
  • Email function not working
  • Measurements on blueprint layout are wrong
Show 5 more
  • Headroom tool is incorrect
  • App loses value on iPad
  • Emailing last stair worked on, not current
  • App not optimized for iPad
  • Application crashes

Requested features

17 requests
  • Support for winder stairs
  • Ability to test before buying
  • Print button within the app
  • Support for steel stringers
  • Ability to compile multiple stair plans
Show 12 more
  • Option for 'Final Tread At Elevation'
  • Adjustments for riser thickness
  • More customization for tread thickness
  • Landscape mode
  • More layout options
  • Support for spiral staircases
  • Support for multiple landings
  • Option to start at level top or one step down
  • Ability to change run distance
  • Ability to change headroom
  • Ability to make own default settings
  • iPad optimization

Chippy Tools

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Square check feature not working
  • Measurements disappear after partial use

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more construction-related calculators
  • Improve stair and rafter tools
  • Include material quantity estimations
  • Add support for metric and imperial units

In-app purchases

None

Delux Stairs Construction calc

No in-app purchases

9 purchases

Chippy Tools

Subscriptions8
  • Chippy Tools Pro - Weekly1 Month trial$2.997 Days
  • Chippy Tools Pro - Weekly3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Chippy Tools Pro - Quarterly3 Months trial$4.993 Months
Show 5 more
  • Chippy Tools Pro - Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Chippy Tools Pro - Monthly1 Month trial$5.991 Month
  • Chippy Tools Pro - Annual3 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Chippy Tools Pro - Annual1 Year trial$19.991 Year
  • Chippy Tools Pro - Annual$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • One Time Purchase2 variants$85.00

Questions

Is Delux Stairs Construction calc free?
Delux Stairs Construction calc costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chippy Tools free?
Chippy Tools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Delux Stairs Construction calc or Chippy Tools?
Chippy Tools is rated higher. Delux Stairs Construction calc averages 3.4 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Chippy Tools averages 4.5 from 907 ratings.
Do Delux Stairs Construction calc or Chippy Tools have ads?
Neither Delux Stairs Construction calc nor Chippy Tools shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Delux Stairs Construction calc or Chippy Tools?
Delux Stairs Construction calc ships an update every 6 weeks, and Chippy Tools every 8 days. Most recently, Delux Stairs Construction calc was updated on November 1, 2026 and Chippy Tools on November 3, 2026.

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