HVACsim vs ScanPlan
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HVACsim
This app offers interactive learning and real-world data analysis to help HVAC professionals diagnose and troubleshoot systems. It provides personalized training plans, skill assessments, and team management tools for contractors.
- Technical Knowledge Evaluator
- Individualized Learning Plans
- Real-World Data Analysis
- Team Management Tools
- Continuous Learning Library
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Master HVAC Skills with the HVAC Simulator App! The HVAC Simulator app revolutionizes training by combining real-world data analysis with interactive learning. Designed for technicians, contractors, and educators, this app helps you build confidence in diagnosing and troubleshooting HVAC systems efficiently. Key Features Technical Knowledge Evaluator Assess your HVAC skills through realistic scenarios. Identify gaps in understanding and get targeted recommendations. Individualized Learning Plans (ILP) Personalized training paths tailored to your specific needs. Evolve and reassess as you progress, ensuring continuous improvement. Real-World Practice Analyze system data like electrical readings, pressures, and temperatures. Simulate real-life scenarios in a risk-free environment. Team Management Tools (for Contractors) Assess and track your team’s technical knowledge. Create custom in-house training programs based on performance data. Continuous Learning Stay updated with new HVAC technologies and techniques. Access a library of courses covering both basics and advanced topics. Why Choose HVAC Simulator? Build diagnostic accuracy with data-driven learning. Strengthen critical thinking and troubleshooting skills. Reduce callbacks with more efficient team training. Interactive and engaging simulations for practical learning. For Technicians: Boost your confidence and master HVAC diagnostics through hands-on scenarios. For Contractors: Empower your team with tools to create stronger, more skilled technicians. For Educators: Enhance classroom learning with real-world-focused training resources. Download HVAC Simulator Now and Start Your Journey to HVAC Mastery! Transform the way you learn, train, and excel in the HVAC industry today!
ScanPlan
This app transforms your iPhone or iPad Pro into a comprehensive HVAC design toolkit. It allows for on-site room scanning with LiDAR, calculation of heating and cooling loads, duct and equipment sizing, and generation of professional PDF reports.
- LiDAR room scanning
- Manual J load calculations
- Duct and equipment sizing
- Heat pump selection
- Domestic hot water sizing
- Gas piping sizing
- AI-powered tools
- Professional PDF reports
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ScanPlan HVAC — LiDAR Scanning, Manual J Loads, and Equipment Sizing for HVAC Pros ScanPlan HVAC turns an iPhone or iPad LiDAR scan into a complete residential HVAC design package — room geometry, heating and cooling loads, equipment sizing, energy analysis, and a shareable client report, all in one app. Built for HVAC contractors, energy auditors, and sales reps, with a simplified mode for homeowners exploring a heat pump upgrade. Scan, Don't Measure • Walk through a home with LiDAR and capture room dimensions, walls, windows, and doors in 3D — no tape measure required. • Automatically detect and split rooms from a single scan, or place windows, doors, and skylights manually on a 2D floor plan. • Start a project instead from an existing floor plan or heat-loss report — AI reads the PDF or photo and builds your rooms automatically. • Organize multi-story homes by floor level, each with its own ceiling and foundation defaults. Accurate Load Calculations • Room-by-room and whole-building heating and cooling loads, powered by the Ross Energy Performance Model. • Design conditions pulled automatically from local weather data for your project's exact address, with IECC climate zone shown separately as a clear fallback estimate. • Blower-door test (CFM50) or natural infiltration modeling, humidity and latent load tracking, and dehumidifier sizing. Size the Right Equipment • Heat pumps: Mitsubishi M-Series and Ecodan air-to-water, Viessmann Vitocal monobloc, Gradient window units, and GeoStar geothermal — sized against your actual loads and manufacturer performance curves, not generic estimates. • Domestic hot water systems, hydronic panel radiators, condensing boilers with outdoor reset, gas piping (natural gas and propane, longest-length method), and residential duct sizing with AR duct measurement. • Track existing installed equipment — scan a nameplate with the camera and let AI log the model and specs. Know the Energy Impact • Building Energy Intelligence models multi-year energy use and cost from real historical weather, with a Comfort Performance dashboard scoring humidity and temperature control room by room. • Compare existing equipment against proposed upgrades: operating cost, ROI and payback period, and side-by-side efficiency ratings. • Energy Savings Lab lets you test what-if upgrades — insulation, air sealing, new equipment — in a sandbox that never changes your saved project. Rebates and Financing • Find federal, state, and utility heat-pump rebates and financing options for the project's address, and auto-fill state rebate claim forms. • Generate polished, shareable PDF reports for every analysis — load calculations, equipment selection, energy savings, and more. • Export and share full projects — including 3D scans — with clients or other ScanPlan users. AI Assistance, Built In ScanPlan AI answers technical questions from manufacturer documentation, reads equipment nameplates and spec sheets, imports floor plans and heat-loss reports, and helps classify existing equipment — all from within your project. Whether you're a contractor sizing a replacement system, an auditor documenting a retrofit, or a homeowner deciding on a heat pump, ScanPlan HVAC replaces guesswork and rules-of-thumb with real building data.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ScanPlan at 5.0 against HVACsim's 2.6. ScanPlan also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). HVACsim's advantage is ratings volume (10 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. HVACsim sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ScanPlan sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ScanPlan holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HVACsim has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
HVACsim ships an update every 2 months, ScanPlan every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HVACsim | ScanPlan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.6 (10 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 255 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nauman Innovation Group LLC | DAVID C ROSS |
Customer experience
HVACsim
ScanPlan
In-app purchases
HVACsim
- Full Access$29.99
ScanPlan
- ScanPlan Pro$19.991 Year
- Scanplan Pro Monthly$24.991 Month
- ScanPlanHVAC Pro Unlock$5.99









