# Piping Abacus vs Pipe Guide Calculator

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Piping Abacus at 92% against Pipe Guide Calculator's 0%. Piping Abacus also leads on rating (3.9 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 12 months). Pipe Guide Calculator's advantage is price (Free vs $9.99). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Pipe Guide Calculator is free to download; Piping Abacus costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Piping Abacus holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Piping Abacus's written reviews are positive against 0% of Pipe Guide Calculator's.

Piping Abacus ships an update every 4 weeks, Pipe Guide Calculator every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Piping Abacus | Pipe Guide Calculator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.9 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piping-abacus/id421739105/reviews)** | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pipe-guide-calculator/id1076615988/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **92.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 5 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jean-Paul Lanaux](https://appshunter.io/developer/306486995) | [IT Welding Sweden AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/1076615987) |

## What reviewers say

### Piping Abacus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piping-abacus/id421739105)

This app serves as a comprehensive mobile reference for piping information, acting as a digital "Blue Book" for pipe fitters and related professionals. It includes a built-in calculator for on-the-fly computations and offers multiple interfaces for accessing detailed data, quick references, and browsing pipe schedules.

**Highlights:** Comprehensive piping reference database, Integrated calculator for on-the-fly computations, Catalog, Chart, and Wheels interfaces, Detailed fitting and valve information, Support for various units (Imperial/Metric, Decimal/Fraction), Educational information on fitting types and standards

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Wealth of information
- 🚀 Quick access to data
- 👍 Eliminates need for books/charts
- 👍 Useful calculator
- 👍 Easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Lacks some information
- 👎 Some data not in database
- 👎 Some items in free apps also
- 👎 Calculator store/recall not working
- 👎 Clear button clears everything

**Reported bugs**

- Calculator store and recall functions not working
- Clear button clears everything instead of last input
- Notes display truncated data ('...')
- Background grid lines too visible after update
- Calculator can be glitchy

**Requested features**

- Remove background grid lines
- Update app to remove background grid lines
- Add rolling offset chart
- Add saddle layout
- Add U-BOLT DIMENSIONS


### Pipe Guide Calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pipe-guide-calculator/id1076615988)

This utility app provides essential calculations for pipe fitting, eliminating the need for reference tables. Designed by a welder for welders, it aims to save time and streamline work processes.

**Highlights:** All necessary computations in one place, Useful calculations for pipe fitting, Eliminates the need for tables, Saves time on the job, Designed for welders

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Piping Abacus free?

Piping Abacus costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pipe Guide Calculator free?

Pipe Guide Calculator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Piping Abacus or Pipe Guide Calculator?

Piping Abacus is rated higher. Piping Abacus averages 3.9 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Pipe Guide Calculator averages 3.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Piping Abacus or Pipe Guide Calculator have ads?

Neither Piping Abacus nor Pipe Guide Calculator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Piping Abacus or Pipe Guide Calculator?

Piping Abacus ships an update every 4 weeks, and Pipe Guide Calculator every 12 months. Most recently, Piping Abacus was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pipe Guide Calculator on October 24, 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.*