Comparison

Ref Tools vs ARC Facilities Premier

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

Head to head
About

Ref Tools

This app provides HVACR technicians with essential tools and information for field service. It includes refrigerant calculators, troubleshooting guides, product finders, and access to spare parts. Listen to educational podcasts to enhance your knowledge on the go.

Highlights
  • Refrigerant Slider for P/T calculations
  • Solenoid valve coil testing tool
  • Refrigeration system troubleshooting guide
  • Product data finder
  • Spare parts ordering
  • Low-GWP refrigerant comparison
  • TXV Superheat optimization
  • Educational podcasts
Features
Read full description

Get the guidance, support, information, and tools you need—on the job and in the field. Ref Tools is a free, powerful app that contains essential tools every HVACR technician needs in their digital toolbelt. Ref Tools offers a collection of useful air conditioning and refrigeration tools: Refrigerant Slider As a featured part of Ref Tools, you get all the features and functionality that made Refrigerant Slider a hit with millions of installers around the world. Quickly calculate pressure/temperature ratios and find essential information on over 80 refrigerants. Magnetic Tool Test and troubleshoot solenoid valve coils quickly and easily. Troubleshooter Get help diagnosing issues in refrigeration systems, so you can quickly identify symptoms and find recommended solutions. Product Finder Find extensive product-related data in one place. Search by product code number or product category to access and share product specifications, documentation, visuals, and more. Spare Parts Access and order an extensive list of Danfoss spare parts and service kits for air conditioning and refrigeration applications. Low-GWP Tool Find and compare climate-friendly refrigerants for retrofitting by checking compatibility with the TXV. TXV Superheat Tuner Optimize superheat in less than 15 minutes. Using advanced algorithms, TXV Superheat Tuner provides valve-specific adjustment recommendations. Podcasts The workday can be full and the road long, so Ref Tools also provides you with some educational entertainment. You can listen to podcasts, including the popular Chilling with Jens podcast, directly in the app. So, take a break and chill out a bit while learning something new about refrigeration. More about Refrigerant Slider Refrigerant Slider, now a part of Ref Tools, helps you quickly calculate the pressure-to-temperature ratio for more than 80 refrigerants, including natural refrigerants such as ammonia and transcritical CO2. Refrigerant Slider also provides you with information about each refrigerant, including Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP). You can switch between the IPCC AR4 and AR5 values, where AR4 values are used in relation to the European F-Gas regulations. Refrigerant Slider’s P/T calculations use extended curve–fitting models based on Refprop 10 results. You can also see both dew and bubble point for refrigerants with glide. Streamline your workflow Ref Tools goes beyond just providing quick access to helpful tools; it helps you save time by allowing you to track your most visited service sites and save unique settings for each one. Simplify each service call with ease. Feedback Your input matters – we would love to hear it from you. We're committed to continuously improving Ref Tools to meet your needs. If you encounter a bug or have a feature suggestion, please use the in-app feedback function available in Settings. Alternatively, you can reach us via email at coolapp@danfoss.com. Danfoss Climate Solutions At Danfoss Climate Solutions, we engineer energy-efficient solutions to help the world get more out of less. Our innovative products and solutions enable a decarbonized, digital, and more sustainable tomorrow, and our technology supports a cost-efficient transition to renewable energy sources. With a strong foundation in quality, people, and the climate, we drive the energy, refrigerant, and food system transitions needed to achieve climate goals. Read more about us at www.danfoss.com. Terms and Conditions apply for use of the app.

About

ARC Facilities Premier

Access critical building information instantly from your mobile device. Technicians can quickly find As-Builts, shutoffs, equipment details, and emergency data. This app streamlines field operations, saving time and improving response to any situation.

Highlights
  • Instant access to building information
  • Locate As-Builts and shutoffs
  • QR code scanning for equipment details
  • Annotate maps and plans
  • Online and offline document access
  • Cloud synchronization
  • Compliance documentation management
Features
Read full description

ARC Facilities provides instant access to critical facilities information from your mobile device. Technicians can quickly access As-Builts, shutoffs, equipment locations, O&Ms, emergency information, and other important documents with just a few taps. Mobile access from the field enables technicians to respond immediately to any situation and saves hours of lost productivity looking for information. ARC Facilities modules which may be purchased individually or in combination. Expansions to current modules or activation of additional modules are available at any time. Building Plans Quickly locate As-Builts or shutoffs with just a few taps. Visualize the relationship of As-Builts over time with our proprietary As-Builts Map View screen. A layered floorplan view makes it easy to determine which renovations or projects affected each room or space in the building. Simply tap a color-coordinated area to bring up the corresponding As-Built in seconds. Easily locate shutoffs for any building or floor with clickable maps. O&M Documentation While some other systems notify you what needs to be fixed, they doesn’t show you where the equipment is located or how to fix it. With ARC Equipment, teams can use a mobile app to work remotely and quickly locate equipment and the information required to maintain or repair it. Scanning a QR code instantly loads everything the technician needs including O&Ms, service records, pictures, training resources, shutoff procedures and more. Emergency Information Emergency situations develop suddenly and escalate quickly. Instant access to critical building, life safety and equipment information can minimize damage and protect lives. Safely resolving emergency situations requires clear communication and coordinated actions. Use your phone or tablet to annotate maps and plans – highlighting the exact incident location. Share via text message or email to ensure everyone is working from the same data. Hospital Compliance Our digital technology is rapidly transforming how facilities teams prepare for their compliance surveys with an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform that manages your Environment of Care, Life Safety and Emergency Management compliance documentation Features: • Clickable maps quickly locate equipment and other assets • Powerful search with custom tagging and filtering • QR codes instantly access equipment information • Hyperlinked smart navigation of your documents • Markup tools allow detailed, visual annotations • Share files right from your mobile device • Instant access to compliance documents • Customized inspection schedules • Online & offline access ensures connection to critical documents, even without internet • Cloud sync keeps all your devices and team members on the same page • Secure, online document management in the cloud keeps your important information safe

Screenshots

Ref Tools4 screens
ARC Facilities Premier4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ARC Facilities Premier at 5.0 against Ref Tools's 3.9. Ref Tools's advantage is ratings volume (52 vs 8) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ARC Facilities Premier holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ref Tools has 52 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ref Tools ships an update every 5 weeks, ARC Facilities Premier every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ref Tools versus ARC Facilities Premier: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRef ToolsARC Facilities Premier
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (52 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings52 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size98 MB267 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDanfoss A/SARC Document Solutions, LLC

Customer experience

Ref Tools

All ratings52 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral3.8%
Negative23.1%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive57.6%
Neutral7.6%
Negative34.8%

ARC Facilities Premier

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Ref Tools

Reported bugs

27 issues
  • CRASHED instantly on Mac Mini M4
  • App won’t open on iPhone
  • App flashes up and disappears
  • Cannot open app
  • Immediately shuts off since recent release
Show 22 more
  • Crash au lancement since update
  • Will not save to Home Screen
  • Incorrect PT Charting for r134a
  • Information doesn’t slide down
  • Crashes on iOS12.1.4
  • App won’t open since previous update
  • List of refrigerants shifted upwards on iPhone 10
  • Stuck on R134a, needs update for current iOS
  • R744A only goes to 60 psi
  • Scale did not go low enough for deep vacuum
  • Missing R22 on Apple version
  • Missing R717 (Ammonia)
  • Missing R-22
  • Missing R124a
  • No longer lists Ammonia
  • Missing Refrigerants since app update
  • Missing Ammonia and CO2
  • r410a is missing since update
  • Removed r22, 410a, and 407c
  • Refrigerants missing now
  • Removed slider for ammonia
  • Scale doesn't go into vacuum

Requested features

18 requests
  • More residential AC information
  • Troubleshooter for Residential & Commercial
  • Add SP22 refrigerant
  • Add R-11 refrigerant
  • Add R-123 range down to 40 degrees
Show 13 more
  • Add R744 and R744A to 0 psia
  • Scale to go lower for R-123 vacuum
  • Add R410a
  • Add R407c
  • Add R404A
  • Add R22
  • Add R124a
  • Add Ammonia
  • Add CO2
  • Add R717 (Ammonia)
  • Scale going higher on CO2
  • Setting for high altitude
  • Scale to go into vacuum

ARC Facilities Premier

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Ref Tools

No in-app purchases

None

ARC Facilities Premier

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ref Tools free?
Ref Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ARC Facilities Premier free?
ARC Facilities Premier is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ref Tools or ARC Facilities Premier?
ARC Facilities Premier is rated higher. Ref Tools averages 3.9 out of 5 from 52 ratings, while ARC Facilities Premier averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Ref Tools or ARC Facilities Premier have ads?
Neither Ref Tools nor ARC Facilities Premier shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ref Tools or ARC Facilities Premier?
Ref Tools ships an update every 5 weeks, and ARC Facilities Premier every 3 weeks. Most recently, Ref Tools was updated on October 7, 2026 and ARC Facilities Premier on October 12, 2026.

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