Comparison

Panel Planner vs NEC Load Calculator

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

Head to head
About

Panel Planner

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Plan, visualize, and manage your home's electrical system — right from your iPhone. Circuit Breaker Panel is an interactive residential electrical panel simulator that lets you map out every circuit in your home, track real-time current loads, and plan new circuits before you ever call an electrician. BUILD YOUR PANEL Install single-pole (120V) and double-pole (240V) breakers in any configuration. Choose from 15A, 20A, 30A, 40A, 50A, and 60A ratings. Support for 24, 30, and 40-slot panels with 100A, 150A, 200A, and 400A main breakers. ADD YOUR DEVICES Populate each circuit with the real appliances and devices in your home. Choose from 20 common presets — refrigerator, HVAC, EV charger, dryer, and more — or enter any custom wattage. Toggle devices on and off to simulate real-world usage scenarios. LIVE LOAD CALCULATIONS Current draw is calculated automatically for every circuit (Amps = Watts ÷ Voltage). Watch each breaker's load bar update in real time as you switch devices on and off. COLOR-CODED SAFETY STATUS Know at a glance which circuits are safe and which are at risk: Green glow — circuit is within safe range (under 70% load) Yellow glow — load is climbing, approaching capacity (70–90%) Red pulsing glow — circuit is overloaded, breaker would trip (over 90%) SAVE UP TO 10 PANELS Save and restore up to 10 complete panel configurations. Perfect for planning a renovation, comparing layouts, or managing panels across multiple properties. DESIGNED FOR CLARITY A realistic panel enclosure with a center bus bar, physical breaker switches, and load bars on every circuit give you an intuitive feel for your home's electrical system — no electrical engineering degree required. FULLY OFFLINE & PRIVATE No account. No internet connection. No data collection of any kind. Your panel configurations are stored only on your device.

About

NEC Load Calculator

This app performs electrical load calculations based on the NEC 2023 code. It offers modules for residential, commercial, motor, and branch circuit calculations, along with panel scheduling and PDF export. Designed for licensed electricians and contractors.

Highlights
  • NEC 2023 load calculations
  • Residential, commercial, motor, branch circuit modules
  • Panel schedule editor
  • Step-by-step calculation results
  • Panel layout generation
  • PDF export
Features
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NEC Load Calculator answers panel sizing, feeder, motor, branch circuit, and cable tray questions directly from the 2023 NEC — with the article citation and math shown for every result. Built for licensed electricians and contractors, not students. CALCULATION MODULES Residential Dwelling unit service sizing per NEC 220.40–220.55 and 220.82. Standard and optional methods. General lighting, small appliance and laundry circuits, fixed appliances, dryer, cooking equipment, HVAC, and service sizing with 230.79(C) minimums. Commercial Feeder and service load calculations per NEC 220.12, 220.44, 220.60, 430.24. Lighting, receptacles, motors, HVAC units, sign circuits, and demand factors. Supports 220/127V and 440/254V systems alongside standard US voltages, with a built-in reminder to verify against NOM-001-SEDE where applicable. Branch Circuit Conductor and OCPD sizing per NEC 210.19, 310.12, 310.15(B)(1)(a). Continuous load handling, conduit fill derating, ambient temperature correction. Covers 120V through 480V circuits, including 127V, 220V, 254V, and 440V. Motor Conductor, overload, and OCPD sizing per NEC 430.22, 430.32, 430.52. Full motor table lookups by horsepower, voltage, and phase. Panel Schedule Circuit-by-circuit panel editor with phase balance, loading percentage, and imbalance calculations per NEC 220.40 and 220.87. Cable Tray Tray fill and ampacity derating per NEC 392.22(A) and 392.80(A). Ventilated trough and solid-bottom tray types, small-cable fill-area limits, and the 90% width rule for large-cable diameter sums. RESULTS SHOW THE CALCULATION Every result includes the NEC article reference, the demand factor table used, and the step-by-step math — not just a final number. Built to be checked against the code book. PANEL LAYOUT Generate a panel layout directly from a load calculation: circuit numbers, breaker sizes, two-pole spans, and spare spaces, arranged the way a real panelboard is wired. Hand off into the full Panel Schedule editor to adjust circuit labels, phase assignment, or breaker sizes. PDF EXPORT Export any result as a PDF report for permit submission, job documentation, or client records.

Screenshots

Panel Planner4 screens
NEC Load Calculator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: NEC Load Calculator at Free against Panel Planner's $0.99. Panel Planner's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

NEC Load Calculator is free to download; Panel Planner costs $0.99 up front. NEC Load Calculator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Panel Planner asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Panel Planner versus NEC Load Calculator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPanel PlannerNEC Load Calculator
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequency—Every 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJeremy Goldschmidt5660401601V PUGAZHENTHI

In-app purchases

None

Panel Planner

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

NEC Load Calculator

One-time1
  • NEC LOAD PRO$7.99

Questions

Is Panel Planner free?
Panel Planner costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is NEC Load Calculator free?
NEC Load Calculator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Panel Planner or NEC Load Calculator have ads?
Neither Panel Planner nor NEC Load Calculator shows ads.

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