ScanPlan vs ThermoForge HX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ScanPlan
This app uses LiDAR to create 3D floor plans and perform HVAC load calculations. It helps size equipment, analyze energy impact, and find rebates for residential projects. Reports and project files can be shared with clients.
- LiDAR 3D floor plan creation
- Automated room detection
- Manual J load calculations
- Equipment sizing and energy analysis
- Rebate and financing finder
- Shareable 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. **AI-Powered Manual J® Report Import** Import existing Manual J reports using AI to extract heating and cooling load data for use within ScanPlanHVAC. ScanPlanHVAC is not ACCA-approved Manual J calculation software. 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.
ThermoForge HX
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ThermoForge HX is the pocket engineering suite for shell & tube heat exchangers. Built for process engineers, thermal designers, EPC contractors, plant maintenance teams, and chemical/mechanical engineering students
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ThermoForge HX at none against ScanPlan's 3. ThermoForge HX also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). ScanPlan's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). 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. ScanPlan sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. ThermoForge HX asks for nothing beyond the download.
ScanPlan ships an update every 5 days, ThermoForge HX every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ScanPlan | ThermoForge HX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 284 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | DAVID C ROSS | Cosimo Gioia |
In-app purchases
ScanPlan
- ScanPlan Pro$19.991 Year
- Scanplan Pro Monthly$24.991 Month
- ScanPlanHVAC Pro Unlock$5.99
ThermoForge HX
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ScanPlan free?
Is ThermoForge HX free?
Do ScanPlan or ThermoForge HX have ads?
Which is updated more often, ScanPlan or ThermoForge HX?
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