Welding Heat Input Calculator vs Welding Reference Pro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Welding Heat Input Calculator
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Welding Heat Input Calculator is a focused engineering utility for welding procedure qualification and production control. Enter arc voltage, current, travel speed, and thermal efficiency to calculate arc power (kW), arc energy (kJ/mm), and net heat input in both kJ/mm and kJ/in. The app is built for practical WPS/PQR verification with decimal-pad data entry, fast keyboard dismissal, and metric/imperial switching.
Welding Reference Pro
This app provides welders with essential tools, including calculators for settings and costs, comprehensive reference guides, and exam preparation modules. It offers offline access to all features, with a one-time purchase unlocking advanced calculators and exam practice.
- Weld setting calculators
- Filler metal estimation
- Unit conversion
- Reference guides
- Training modules
- Exam preparation
- Qualification tracking
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Welding Reference Pro puts every tool a welder needs in one app — calculators, reference guides, training, and QA checklists. No internet required. No subscription. One price, everything unlocked. CALCULATORS (8) Weld Settings — enter your process, material, and thickness to get amperage, voltage, wire speed, and electrode recommendations for MIG, TIG, Stick, and Flux-Core. Wire Feed Speed — convert between wire feed speed and deposition rate across 6 wire diameters. Gas Flow — get shielding gas type and flow rate recommendations by process, material, joint type, and position. Filler Weight Estimator — calculate pounds of filler metal needed for 5 joint types with waste factors. Unit Converter — 7 categories including length, temperature, pressure, flow rate, weight, heat input, and area. Weld Cost Estimator — estimate labor, filler, and gas costs with your own custom rates. Edit every rate in the app. Heat Input (Pro) — calculate joules per inch with process efficiency factors for SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, and SAW. Preheat Calculator (Pro) — input your carbon equivalent elements and thickness to get preheat temperature and crack sensitivity assessment. REFERENCE GUIDES (9) 27 electrodes and filler metals — E6010 through Inconel, searchable by classification, type, or application. Electrode Guide, Welding Symbol Decoder (18 AWS A2.4 symbols), Joint Preparation Guide (13 joints), Weld Defect ID (10 defects with causes and fixes), Gas Reference Chart, Material Properties (18 materials including duplex and nickel alloys), NDE Methods, Heat Treatment Reference, and Pipe Welding schedules. TRAINING ACADEMY 6 study modules with spaced repetition: Welding Fundamentals, Electrode Mastery, Blueprint Reading, Metallurgy, Weld Quality, and Code Awareness. Questions you get wrong come back sooner. Track your streak and progress. EXAM PREP (Pro) Practice for CWI (56 questions), AWS D1.1 (85 questions), ASME Section IX (88 questions), OSHA Welding Safety (56 questions), and Welding Math (45 questions). Timed mode, score history, and category filtering. ENTERPRISE FEATURES Qualification Tracker — track your welding certifications, positions, and expiration dates. Get warned when a cert is expiring. QA Checklists — pre-weld, during-weld, and post-weld inspection checklists with standard templates. Tag by project. Weld Log — attach a photo from your library, tag welding parameters, and save locally. Export to CSV or PDF for QA documentation. Global Search — type "7018" and find the electrode, compatible settings, and defect fixes all at once. Tap any result to copy it to clipboard. Save and name any calculation. Export results as PDF. FREE FEATURES: 6 calculators (Weld Settings, Wire Feed Speed, Gas Flow, Filler Weight, Unit Converter, Weld Cost), all 9 reference guides, Training Academy study modules, qualification tracker, checklists, weld log (up to 15 entries). PRO UNLOCK ($9.99 one-time): Heat Input Calculator, Preheat Calculator, CWI Exam Prep, AWS D1.1 Exam Prep, ASME IX Exam Prep, OSHA Safety Exam Prep, Welding Math practice, WPS Reference templates, Distortion Guide, unlimited weld log entries. No subscription. No ads. No account required. No personal data collected — just anonymous usage diagnostics.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Welding Reference Pro at Free against Welding Heat Input Calculator's $9.99. Welding Reference Pro also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 months) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.2). Welding Heat Input Calculator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On 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
Welding Reference Pro is free to download; Welding Heat Input Calculator costs $9.99 up front. Welding Reference Pro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Welding Heat Input Calculator asks for nothing beyond the download.
Welding Heat Input Calculator ships an update every 6 months, Welding Reference Pro every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Welding Heat Input Calculator | Welding Reference Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Shanghai Sheyuan Network Technology Co., Ltd. | ZIma Logistics LLC |
In-app purchases
Welding Heat Input Calculator
No in-app purchases
Welding Reference Pro
- Pro Tools$9.99





