Welding Reference Pro vs WelderCalc
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
WelderCalc
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The welding calculator that picks amperage on the first shot — TIG, MIG, stick, flux-core — heat input, travel speed, electrode sizing, all offline. Tired of dialing in by feel? Tired of running test beads on scrap to find your settings? WelderCalc gives you amperage, heat input, travel speed, and electrode sizing for any process and any thickness, in seconds. WHAT'S INSIDE • Amperage — TIG, MIG, stick, flux-core; by thickness and process • Heat Input — joules per inch, per process, per pass • Travel Speed — IPM and meters/min, by deposition rate • Electrode Sizing — TIG tungsten, stick rod, MIG wire by joint • Gas Flow — CFH for argon, CO2, mixes • Filler Calculation — rod count by joint, length, deposition rate • Fillet Weld Strength — leg size, throat, allowable load • Bead Reference — root, fill, cap by passes • Code Reference — common WPS limits (informational) WHO IT'S FOR Pipefitters, structural welders, fab shop guys, mobile welders, welding students prepping for the AWS test. Anyone who'd rather lay good bead than burn rod figuring out settings. FREE vs PRO Free forever: amperage, heat input, travel speed, gas flow. Pro unlocks filler calculation, electrode sizing, fillet weld strength, code reference. One-time or subscription. Subscriptions auto-renew until cancelled. Manage in your Apple ID Subscription Settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://doublevision.company/privacy OFFLINE. NO ACCOUNT. NO ADS. Works in plant shutdowns, on rigs, on remote job sites. Everything runs locally.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: WelderCalc at 16.0 against Welding Reference Pro's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Welding Reference Pro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and WelderCalc sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Welding Reference Pro | WelderCalc |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 4 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ZIma Logistics LLC | Double Vision USA LLC |
In-app purchases
Welding Reference Pro
- Pro Tools$9.99
WelderCalc
- Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- Pro Yearly$28.991 Year
- Pro Unlock$19.99
Questions
Is Welding Reference Pro free?
Is WelderCalc free?
Do Welding Reference Pro or WelderCalc have ads?
Which is updated more often, Welding Reference Pro or WelderCalc?
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