Propeller Calc vs Video tachometer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Propeller Calc
This utility calculates propeller performance metrics like pitch, gear ratio, RPM, slip, and speed. Input any four values, and the app computes the fifth, helping users understand the relationship between propeller design and boat performance.
- Calculate pitch, gear ratio, RPM, slip, and speed
- Enter any four variables to find the fifth
- Understand propeller slip and its impact
- Supports iPhone and iPad
- Free to use
Read full descriptionHide full description
This calculator can determine pitch, gear ratio, RPM, propeller slip and speed parameters. Enter any four variables, and it will calculate the fifth. Use the toggle switch to choose which field to calculate. Pitch is the theoretical forward movement for one complete turn of the propeller. Every inch of the boat in contact with the water induces drag. Therefore, the distance travelled differs since the propeller is "slipping" behind the theoretical distance it should travel with each rotation. The difference between theory and reality is called slip. Depending on your application, slip typically ranges between 5% and 20%. A lower number is only sometimes what you are after. Slip of a prop changes with operating conditions and is not a direct measure of efficiency. Please consult professionals for guidance. Happy powerboating
Video tachometer
This app uses slow-motion video to create a strobe light effect, allowing you to measure rotational speeds. It records video with detailed information like frame rate and exposure, and offers customizable text overlays.
- Strobe light effect simulation
- Rotational speed measurement (RPM/Hz)
- Slow-motion video recording
- Customizable text overlays on video
- Adjustable frame rate and exposure
- Records 4K video (if supported)
Read full descriptionHide full description
When the frame rate of a video matches the speed of a particular part, the effect is the same as using a strobe light. In the video, that part freezes. Since the frame rate of a video can be adjusted, this effect can be used to determine the rotational speed of a part. The smartphone must support slow-motion video recording (filming at a high frame rate). This is the case for all smartphones starting with iPhone 5S. The range is as follows: • 0.5—240 Hz (30—14400 RPM), for all phones from iPhone 6 onward • 0.5—120 Hz (30—7200 RPM), for iPhone 5S THE HERTZ (Hz) VALUE IS MORE ACCURATE THAN THE REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE (RPM) VALUE, SINCE REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE ARE CALCULATED FROM HERTZ AND ROUNDING IS DONE. To get a clear image, good lighting is important. The clarity of the image is controlled by the exposure of the video (exposure time and light sensitivity (ISO)). If the exposure time is reduced, the image will increase in clarity, but brightness will lower. To increase the brightness, you need to raise the camera's light sensitivity (ISO), but then the amount of noise increases. You also need to manually adjust the focus of the camera. The app can record video. The video format depends on the selected format in the app settings. If your iPhone supports 4K video format (3840x2160), then you can record 4K video at the frame rate supported by your iPhone. Text with important information is added to the frames of the recorded video: the selected frame rate, exposure duration, ISO, time stamp, time difference between the current and previous frames (Tcurr. − Tprev.), the sequence number of the frame in the recorded video. If you want any other information to be added, then let me know. You can choose to add only part of this information, and you can choose a different text color. You also have the option of not adding any information. You can change the information that is added and the color of the text while recording a video. At high frame rates, frames that do not have time to be processed may be discarded. This does not affect subsequent frames and can be controlled using the time difference between the current frame and the previous frame (Tcurr. − Tprev.). Dropping frames affects the video frame rate displayed in the "Photos" app. But the time interval between frames that were taken one after another and were not discarded will correspond to the selected frame rate. Frames may be dropped even when shooting slow motion video using the "Camera" app. You can check this by looking at the frame rate for slow motion video in the "Photos" app. Video containing the app's interface can be captured using the iOS "Screen Recording" function. The app can take a photo with the measurement result, date, and time written on the photo. The exposure time and ISO settings will be saved in the photo's metadata. To take a photo that shows the app interface, tap the "Pause" button and take a screenshot. It is possible to choose a video format that has the best quality, but has a significantly lower maximum frame rate. The difference between the formats is clearly visible only when using the digital zoom. Also, when using a format with better quality, the Rolling Shutter effect is stronger. Therefore, the best quality format can be used at speeds less than about 2000 rpm. You can turn on hints for easier observation of changes in rotation speed. Hints show how to change the frame rate (decrease or increase) depending on the direction of rotation of the mark. The hints are selected manually, but then you do not need to remember this information. The hints are relevant for frequencies close to the rotation frequency. If the direction of rotation of the impeller is known, hints can be selected in advance. The arrow showing the direction of rotation of the impeller must correspond to the "+" button. The video tachometer measures the rotational speed in exactly the same way a stroboscopic tachometer would.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Video tachometer at 4.6 against Propeller Calc's 3.0. Video tachometer also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 21 months) and ratings volume (84 vs 1). Propeller Calc's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (100% vs 85%). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Video tachometer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Propeller Calc asks for nothing beyond the download.
Video tachometer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Video tachometer has 84 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Propeller Calc's written reviews are positive against 85% of Video tachometer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Propeller Calc ships an update every 21 months, Video tachometer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Propeller Calc | Video tachometer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (1 ratings) | 4.6 (84 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 84.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 84 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 21 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Frode Rørvik | Dmitriy Kharutskiy |
Customer experience
Propeller Calc
Video tachometer
In-app purchases
Propeller Calc
No in-app purchases
Video tachometer
- Full version$2.99
Questions
Is Propeller Calc free?
Is Video tachometer free?
Which has better reviews, Propeller Calc or Video tachometer?
Do Propeller Calc or Video tachometer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Propeller Calc or Video tachometer?
Other comparisons















