# Home Builder Pocket Reference vs eCode Search

The clearest difference is price: eCode Search at Free against Home Builder Pocket Reference's $2.99. eCode Search also leads on ratings volume (691 vs 103). Home Builder Pocket Reference's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 36%) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 13.4). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

eCode Search is free to download; Home Builder Pocket Reference costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Home Builder Pocket Reference against 4.7 for eCode Search. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: eCode Search has 691 ratings behind it against 103, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Home Builder Pocket Reference's written reviews are positive against 36% of eCode Search's.

Home Builder Pocket Reference ships an update every 5 months, eCode Search every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and July 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Home Builder Pocket Reference | eCode Search |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (103 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-builder-pocket-reference/id475502299/reviews)** | [4.7 (691 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecode-search/id576872284/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 103 | **691** |
| Positive reviews | **78.3% of reviews** | 35.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 220 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.3** | 13.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Calculated Industries](https://appshunter.io/developer/370406449) | [General Code, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/576872287) |

## What reviewers say

### Home Builder Pocket Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-builder-pocket-reference/id475502299)

Access essential home construction information with over 1,500 illustrations and 100 guides for energy-efficient building. Includes 30 calculators for understanding and applying construction principles, covering topics from concrete to finishing.

**Highlights:** 1,500+ illustrations, 100 energy-efficient building guides, 30 construction calculators, Woodworking tools and materials, Concrete and masonry guides, Estimating and scheduling tools, Bonus project management sections

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### eCode Search

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecode-search/id576872284)

Access municipal codes from over 3500 local governments directly on your mobile device. This app offers quick search functionality for fast and accurate results, making it easy to find the information you need.

**Highlights:** Access to over 3500 municipal codes, Convenient mobile access, Quick code location, Easy search capability, Fast and accurate results

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚀 Quick lookup and timesaver
- 📚 Comprehensive town code database
- ✅ Works well via table of contents browsing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Search function frequently crashes with network errors
- 🐛 Content cuts off and doesn't fit screen properly
- 🔍 Imprecise search results returning similar words instead of exact matches
- ⌨️ Keyboard won't stay open during use
- 🐛 Statutes disappear after briefly displaying

**Reported bugs**

- Network error alerts blocking search functionality
- Statute content disappearing after display
- Keyboard closing unexpectedly
- Text and sentences being cut off by screen boundaries
- App unable to recognize valid zip codes and city names

**Requested features**

- Improved search algorithm for exact term matching
- Better screen fitting and text display optimization
- Persistent keyboard functionality
- Expanded geographic coverage for more areas


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Home Builder Pocket Reference free?

Home Builder Pocket Reference costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is eCode Search free?

eCode Search is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Home Builder Pocket Reference or eCode Search?

Home Builder Pocket Reference is rated higher. Home Builder Pocket Reference averages 4.7 out of 5 from 103 ratings, while eCode Search averages 4.7 from 691 ratings.

### Do Home Builder Pocket Reference or eCode Search have ads?

Neither Home Builder Pocket Reference nor eCode Search shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Home Builder Pocket Reference or eCode Search?

Home Builder Pocket Reference ships an update every 5 months, and eCode Search every 4 months. Most recently, Home Builder Pocket Reference was updated on September 30, 2026 and eCode Search on July 5, 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.*