Comparison

NEC Load Calculator vs VoltRef Pro

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

Head to head
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
Read full description

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.

About

VoltRef Pro

Features
Read full description

VoltRef Pro is a calculator and reference set for electricians, built around the National Electrical Code. Every result cites the article it comes from and shows the steps behind it — so you can check the work instead of trusting a black box. NINE CALCULATORS • Wire Size — conductor size from load, run length, ambient temperature and bundling, checked against both ampacity and voltage drop • Voltage Drop — drop in volts and percent, with the smallest conductor that meets your target • Conduit Fill — raceway fill against the Chapter 9 limits, with the next trade size when you are over • Ampacity — Table 310.16 after ambient correction, bundling adjustment and termination temperature limits • Box Fill — required box volume tallied item by item, the way an inspector counts it • Motor Circuit — conductors at 125 %, the overload window, and the short-circuit device • Grounding — equipment grounding conductor from the device rating, grounding electrode conductor from the service • Conduit Bending — offset bend marks, multiplier and shrink • Ohm's Law — volts, amps, ohms and watts from any two SEVEN REFERENCE TABLES Ampacity (Table 310.16), conductor properties and DC resistance, raceway areas, insulated conductor areas, box fill volumes, equipment grounding, and motor full-load currents. Searchable, with copper and aluminium columns where the Code has both. SHOWS ITS WORK Derating is where branch circuits go wrong. Every ampacity result spells out the table value, the ambient correction, the bundling adjustment and the termination limit as separate lines — and the wire size result tells you which of the three actually decided the conductor. WORKS WHERE YOU DO Everything runs on device. No signal needed in a basement, a shaft, or a slab pour. High-contrast display for daylight and gloves. Save calculations to history, mark the ones you reuse as favourites, and share any result as text. FREE AND PRO Wire Size and Ohm's Law are free to use. Pro unlocks the remaining seven calculators, the full reference library and unlimited history. Pro is an auto-renewing subscription: VoltRef Pro Weekly at $1.99 per week or VoltRef Pro Yearly at $19.99 per year, each with a free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of that period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://voltrefpro.volvoxmobile.com/voltrefpro/privacy IMPORTANT For planning and estimation only. Values follow the NEC as published; local amendments, the authority having jurisdiction, and equipment listings govern the installation. Always verify against the current code book before wiring. Not affiliated with, authorised by, or endorsed by the NFPA.

Screenshots

NEC Load Calculator4 screens
VoltRef Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

NEC Load Calculator and VoltRef Pro are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

Both are free to download. NEC Load Calculator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and VoltRef Pro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
NEC Load Calculator versus VoltRef Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNEC Load CalculatorVoltRef Pro
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperV PUGAZHENTHIErsel Tarhan

In-app purchases

1 purchases

NEC Load Calculator

One-time1
  • NEC LOAD PRO$7.99
2 purchases

VoltRef Pro

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Premium7 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Annual Premium1 Month trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is NEC Load Calculator free?
NEC Load Calculator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is VoltRef Pro free?
VoltRef Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do NEC Load Calculator or VoltRef Pro have ads?
Neither NEC Load Calculator nor VoltRef Pro shows ads.

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