Comparison

A4Calc vs AC Control

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

Head to head
About

A4Calc

Features
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A4 Small Format Interchangeable Core Calculator (sister app of A2Calc and A3Calc) ---Programmed by a Locksmith, for Locksmiths--- Automatically calculates the pinning chart for A4 SFIC. Built for 6 or 7 pin systems, however, less can be achieved by using a decimal to erase a chamber. Minimum of a control and master key are required to make a chart. Additional change key available for all devices; 2 change keys available for 16:9 screen devices. Randomize function will generate completely random charts each time it is triggered. "Lock/Unlock" toggle disables/enables all inputs and functions to prevent unwanted/lost changes. Control Finder is an added bonus by reverse engineering a core to determine the control key's bitting. This is perfect when needing to remove multiple cores in a building when the control key has been lost. There are two methods for achieving the control key: 1. using the master, control, and bottom pins, or 2. using only the top/driver pins. Up to 16 different projects can be saved at any one given time. All projects are encrypted and protected with a passcode when stored on your device. All projects can be exported via AirPrint and Email. Compatibility: iPhone / iPod touch on iOS 8.0 or later and iPad on iOS 12.0 or later. Found a bug? Something not working? Have a suggestion? Feel free to contact me via email: farren@phoxlocks.com

About

AC Control

Features
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One remote for every smart air conditioner in your home. AC Control discovers and operates Wi-Fi air conditioners on your local network without forcing you to install a separate app for every brand. Open the app, tap Scan, and the units around you appear in seconds โ€” sorted by protocol, ready to control. The app reads accessories already paired in your Apple Home, listens for Matter announcements, polls Daikin BRP069 adapters via REST, and watches the standard broadcast ports used by Tuya, Midea, and Gree. No cloud round-trip. No login. No tracking. DETECTS - HomeKit accessories (mDNS _hap._tcp) โ€” Apple-certified ACs and thermostats - Matter 1.2+ devices (mDNS _matter._tcp + _matterc._udp) โ€” Room Air Conditioner cluster, Thermostat, Fan - Daikin BRP069A/B/C adapters (mDNS _dkapi._tcp + HTTP REST) โ€” native Daikin local API - Tuya / Smart Life devices (UDP broadcast 6666 / 6667) โ€” Midea, Hisense, TCL, Pioneer, Kelvinator and 500+ rebrands - Midea V3 native protocol (UDP broadcast 6445) โ€” Comfee, Toshiba Wi-Fi adapter, Senville, Inventor - Gree EWPE Smart (UDP broadcast 7000) โ€” Gree-branded ACs and global rebadges - Bluetooth Low Energy peripherals โ€” Matter commissioning, HomeKit Accessory Protocol BLE FEATURES - Live temperature dial with mode-aware color (cool / heat / dry / fan / auto) - Temperature controls with min and max limits read from each device - Mode selector โ€” auto, cool, heat, dry, fan - Fan speed picker โ€” auto, low, medium, high, turbo - Swing โ€” off, vertical, horizontal, both - Power toggle with sensory feedback - Per-protocol color-coded badges and capability chips - Pull-to-refresh scan - Empty state with clear next steps - Designed for iOS 26 with Liquid Glass effects and Dynamic Type - VoiceOver labels on every interactive element PRIVACY AC Control does not require an account. There is no signup, no profile, no cloud login. Every byte of discovery and control traffic stays inside your home network โ€” the app never sends your AC list, IP addresses, or commands to any server owned by us. - No third-party analytics SDKs - No advertising identifiers (IDFA, ATT) - No telemetry, no crash reporting, no fingerprinting - HomeKit framework data is read-only and used in-process - Local Network and Bluetooth permissions are used only for AC discovery - UserDefaults stores UI preferences only (selected tab, scan toggle) - Keychain stores Tuya local key credentials when you pair a Tuya AC, used solely for LAN control INDIE-BUILT, NO STRINGS AC Control is hand-built by an indie developer. No upsells, no nags, no tier system. Honest about what it does and what it doesn't โ€” Tuya, Midea, and Gree LAN scan requires Apple's multicast networking entitlement, which is approved per-app; the in-app banner makes the status visible. LINKS Privacy Policy: https://legal.ingenieria.dev/ac-control/privacy-policy.html Terms of Use: https://legal.ingenieria.dev/ac-control/terms-of-use.html Support: https://legal.ingenieria.dev/ac-control/support.html License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

A4Calc4 screens
AC Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: AC Control at every 2 months against A4Calc's every 8 months. A4Calc's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

A4Calc costs $4.99 and AC Control $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

A4Calc ships an update every 8 months, AC Control every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
A4Calc versus AC Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterA4CalcAC Control
Price$4.99$4.99
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 2 months โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPod โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 โ€” better26.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size2 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFarren DomeniciChristian Irack Flores Maldonado

In-app purchases

None

A4Calc

No in-app purchases

None

AC Control

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is A4Calc free?
A4Calc costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is AC Control free?
AC Control costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do A4Calc or AC Control have ads?
Neither A4Calc nor AC Control shows ads.
Which is updated more often, A4Calc or AC Control?
A4Calc ships an update every 8 months, and AC Control every 2 months. Most recently, A4Calc was updated on September 30, 2026 and AC Control on October 12, 2026.

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