Comparison

ArchitectScaler vs PanHandler

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

Head to head
About

ArchitectScaler

Features
Read full description

ArchitectScaler turns your iPhone and iPad into a scale ruler, a drafting calculator, and the small toolbox of conversions architects, designers, and students actually reach for. No triangular ruler, no clunky calculator, no "calculate" button - you type, and the answer is already there. Version 2.0 opens on a Home screen of tools. Tap one and you are working. THE CONVERTER Set a scale once, then keep a live ledger of dimensions. Type a real-world length to get the drawing length, or type a drawing measurement to get the real thing - both directions, instantly. Name any row ("North wall", "Door", "Site") so a list of numbers reads as a list of things. Your rows, scale, and units are saved between launches. FEET AND INCHES, PROPERLY Type 12'-6 1/2" the way you would write it. Scales like 1/4" = 1'-0" are first-class, and a keyboard row puts the ' " - and / marks one tap away. Change a unit and the app converts the value rather than re-reading the same digits. THE TOOLS Find scale from a drawing - measure any labeled dimension on a print and get the ratio back, with the nearest named scale offered as a one-tap match. Slope and pitch - convert between 1:20, percent, degrees, and roof pitch, and get the fall over a run. Area and volume - scale squared and cubed, from square millimeters through hectares and square inches through acres, plus cubic meters, feet, and yards. Rescale and print - the copier percentage that takes a drawing from one scale to another, and what a line measures after the change. Sheet fit - whether a plan fits a sheet inside its margins, and the largest named scale that would. ISO A0 to A4, ANSI A to E, and Arch A to E1. Feet and inches - add and subtract lengths in drafting notation without converting to decimal first. Scale bar - generate a printable graphic scale and share it straight into a drawing. Model making - turn a real wall thickness into the nearest card, foam board, or acrylic sheet, and see how far off that substitution puts you. BUILT FOR THE WAY YOU WORK Metric and imperial: mm, cm, m, km, in, ft. Metric, architect, and engineering scale presets, or type any ratio you like - 1:48 and 1:37.5 are both fine. iPhone and iPad. Light and dark, following your system appearance. No account, no ads, no tracking, no data collection. Every calculation stays on your device. Built by an architect, for architects, interior designers, engineers, students, model makers, and anyone who works from a scaled drawing.

About

PanHandler

Transform your phone into a professional measurement tool using just your camera and a coin. Measure distances, angles, circles, rectangles, and custom shapes with high accuracy. Export reports and save annotated photos.

Highlights
  • Measure distance, angles, circles, and rectangles
  • Freehand tracing for custom shapes
  • Calibrate with 650+ coins from 130+ countries
  • Known Scale and Verbal Scale modes
  • Auto-level capture and session memory
  • Email reports and high-quality photo exports
  • Customizable labels for measurements
Features
Read full description

PROFESSIONAL MEASUREMENTS WITH JUST YOUR PHONE AND A COIN Transform your iPhone into a CAD-grade measurement tool. No expensive lasers, no subscriptions - just your camera and a coin from your pocket. WHAT YOU CAN MEASURE - Distance - Straight-line measurements between any two points - Angles - Three-point angle measurements with azimuth bearing - Circles - Radius, diameter, area, circumference, and volume - Rectangles - Length, width, area, and volume calculations - Freehand - Trace custom shapes for area and volume POWERFUL CALIBRATION OPTIONS 650+ Coins Supported - From over 130 countries worldwide. Quarter, penny, euro, yen - if you have it, we support it. Known Scale Mode - Perfect for aerial photos, blueprints, floor plans, and engineering drawings. Measure a known distance and enter its real-world size. Verbal Scale Mode - Ideal for maps with scale notation. Enter scales like "1 inch = 10 miles" or "1 cm = 100 meters" and PanHandler calculates everything automatically. HOW IT WORKS 1. Take a Photo - Hold your camera perpendicular to the subject using the built-in bubble level 2. Calibrate with a Coin - Search for your coin, place it in the photo, and align the circle 3. Measure Anything - Choose your tool, tap to place points, get instant measurements 4. Export & Share - Email reports or save annotated photos to your library PROFESSIONAL FEATURES - Auto-Level Capture - Hold steady for automatic capture - Session Memory - Calibration remembered throughout your session - Email Reports - Professionally formatted measurement reports - High-Quality Exports - Save annotated photos to your library - Custom Labels - Name and organize your measurements FROM A CAN OF COKE TO AN OCEAN Calculate volumes from tiny objects to massive spaces. Draw freehand lines, distance lines, squares, circles, and polygons - all displaying precise area measurements. Whether you're a contractor measuring job sites, a DIY enthusiast planning projects, an engineer reviewing blueprints, or a student learning CAD, PanHandler gives you professional-grade measurements without professional-grade costs. COMPLETELY FREE - No subscriptions - No in-app purchases - No feature limitations - Unlimited measurements and exports - All tools included Built by makers, for makers. Created by Snail, a 3D designer on a mission to make CAD designing faster, easier, and more accurate for everyone. PERFECT FOR - CAD design reference photos - Contractors & builders - Engineers & architects - DIY enthusiasts - Real estate professionals - Interior designers - Students & educators - Anyone who needs to measure things Start measuring professionally today - no hardware required.

Screenshots

ArchitectScaler4 screens
PanHandler4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ArchitectScaler at Free against PanHandler's $2.99. PanHandler's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 14 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). On ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ArchitectScaler is free to download; PanHandler costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ArchitectScaler ships an update every 14 months, PanHandler every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ArchitectScaler versus PanHandler: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArchitectScalerPanHandler
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB34 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperPratheek BalakrishnaEric Woodard

In-app purchases

None

ArchitectScaler

No in-app purchases

None

PanHandler

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ArchitectScaler free?
ArchitectScaler is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PanHandler free?
PanHandler costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do ArchitectScaler or PanHandler have ads?
Neither ArchitectScaler nor PanHandler shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ArchitectScaler or PanHandler?
ArchitectScaler ships an update every 14 months, and PanHandler every 5 days. Most recently, ArchitectScaler was updated on September 30, 2026 and PanHandler on September 29, 2026.

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