Is the Chippy Tools app free, what does Pro cost, and how does MeisterCalc compare?
Published · By Sai Nath
Chippy Tools is a free download with one free calculator, Baluster Spacing; the rest need Pro, a subscription (A$29.99 a year direct) or a one-time purchase (A$129.00 on Australia’s App Store), checked on 1 November 2026. MeisterCalc, which we make, has the same 14 calculators plus Stud Counter, with three free. Chippy Tools has far more users and reviews.
We make MeisterCalc, so read this with that in mind. We have not used Chippy Tools on a job. Every fact about it comes from its own Google Play listing (Australia), its App Store pages (Australia and US) and its website, chippy.tools, as read on 1 November 2026. Prices are as those pages list them: Australian dollars on Google Play Australia (including GST) and the Australian App Store, US dollars on the US App Store. MeisterCalc’s price is set by Google Play in your currency, so none is quoted here. For more apps side by side, see all our comparisons.
What is the Chippy Tools app?
Chippy Tools: Construction is a construction calculator for carpenters, builders and DIY builders, made by Peth Pty Ltd in Brisbane. Its Google Play listing names 14 calculators, from Baluster Spacing and Stairs to Dumpy Level and Asphalt, and says it works completely offline with no ads. It is on Google Play and the App Store, where its reviews go back to 2021 and the page says it is made in Brisbane.
Is the Chippy Tools app free?
Partly. The download is free and so is one calculator, Baluster Spacing. The Google Play listing lists the other 13 as premium features, which need Chippy Tools Pro, and the developer’s reply on that listing (11 August 2026) says Baluster Spacing “is free permanently” and that there is a free trial of Pro.
Its pricing page lists the free version as Baluster Spacing, millimetre, feet and inch support, and light and dark mode, and offers every Pro calculator free for 7 days with no card.
In MeisterCalc, three calculators are free with no time limit and no trial: Concrete, Stairs and Check Square. The other 13, Baluster Spacing among them, unlock with a weekly subscription (3-day free trial) or a one-time lifetime unlock, as our support page sets out.
How much does Chippy Tools Pro cost?
It depends on where you buy it. As listed on 1 November 2026, a year of Pro is A$29.99 direct from chippy.tools (US$19.99 at US prices), and the Australian App Store also sells a One Time Purchase for A$129.00.
| Checked on 1 November 2026, on each page linked in the row | ||
|---|---|---|
| Where you buy | Plans and prices as listed | Source |
| chippy.tools, Australian prices | A$6.99 a week, A$8.99 a month or A$29.99 a year; cancel any time | Pricing page |
| chippy.tools, US prices | US$4.95 a week, US$5.99 a month or US$19.99 a year | Pricing page |
| App Store, Australia | Weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual Pro subscriptions (annual A$29.99), and a One Time Purchase at A$129.00 | App Store (AU) |
| App Store, US | Annual US$19.99, monthly US$5.99, and a One Time Purchase at US$85.00 | App Store (US) |
| Google Play, Australia | In-app items from A$3.99 to A$129.99 per item; the listing does not say which item is which | Google Play (AU) |
The pricing page says Pro unlocks every calculator in the app, adds spoken measurements (hands-free mode) and priority support, and that prices can vary by region, with taxes such as GST added at checkout for a direct subscription. Each subscription is for one user; the same page says a Teams plan is being worked on.
Can you buy Chippy Tools Pro once instead of subscribing?
Yes, on the App Store: it lists a One Time Purchase at A$129.00 in Australia and US$85.00 in the US. On Google Play, the developer’s reply of 11 August 2026 on the listing says you choose “subscription or a single one-time payment”; the listing itself names no plans. The direct plans on chippy.tools are weekly, monthly or yearly.
MeisterCalc sells both as well: a weekly subscription with a 3-day free trial, or a one-time lifetime unlock that its paywall labels “one-time, no renewals”, priced by Google Play in your currency. Our guide to construction calculator apps you pay for once works out when one payment beats a subscription.
What do Chippy Tools’ ratings and reviews show?
On 1 November 2026, Google Play Australia showed 3.9 stars from 215 reviews and 50K+ downloads.
The same day, the Australian App Store showed 4.7 from 952 ratings, and the US App Store 4.5 from 907.
Its own website claims 350,000+ downloads and shows 4.6 from 2,785 App Store ratings and 3.8 from 181 Google Play ratings, which differ from the store pages on the same day. We don’t know why, and don’t guess.
We have not used Chippy Tools on site, so this page is not a review of how it works; those ratings are its users’ verdict. MeisterCalc is new: Google Play showed 100+ downloads and no rating yet on 1 November 2026.
How does Chippy Tools compare with MeisterCalc?
They cover nearly the same jobs. The real differences are what is free, the trial, the drawings, the platforms and how many people use each.
| Checked on 1 November 2026 (Chippy Tools from its own pages, linked in each row; MeisterCalc from the app and its Google Play listing) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chippy Tools | MeisterCalc (ours) | |
| Free calculators | One: Baluster Spacing | Three: Concrete, Stairs and Check Square, no time limit |
| Paying for the rest | Pro by subscription or a one-time purchase; plans differ by store and region | Weekly subscription or a one-time lifetime unlock; price set by Google Play in your currency |
| Free trial | 7 days of every Pro calculator, no card | 3 days, on the weekly subscription |
| Calculators | 14 named on Google Play, all among MeisterCalc’s 16; its website also lists Diagonal, Fence Picket and Wainscoting | 15, including Stud Counter |
| Diagrams | Not described on Google Play; App Store release notes mention a triangle diagram and diagram export | A live diagram on every calculator, redrawn as you type |
| Units | mm, cm, m, ft, in and fractional inches, switched instantly | Millimetres by default (mm or m); feet, inches and fractions in Settings |
| Offline | “Works completely offline” | Every calculation runs on the phone |
| Ads | None (“completely ad-free”) | None |
| Spoken measurements | Pro: speak measurements aloud (hands-free mode) | A Speak button on Baluster Spacing and Running Measurements |
| Platforms | Google Play; App Store for iPhone and iPad (iOS 16.0 or later), also Mac (Apple M1 or later) and Apple Vision | Android 7.0 or later, on Google Play |
| Languages | English and 11 more (App Store) | English |
| Downloads and rating | 50K+, 3.9 from 215 reviews (Google Play AU); 4.7 from 952 ratings (App Store AU) | 100+, no rating yet (Google Play) |
“Not described” means the page we read does not say, not that the app lacks it.
Which calculators are free in each app?
In Chippy Tools, Baluster Spacing; in MeisterCalc, Concrete, Stairs and Check Square. The rest are paid in both. Chippy Tools’ column follows the free and premium lists on its Google Play listing; “Paid” in MeisterCalc’s column means the weekly subscription or the lifetime unlock.
| Checked on 1 November 2026 (Chippy Tools: its Google Play listing, and its website for the last row) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calculator | Chippy Tools | MeisterCalc (ours) |
| Concrete (slabs and post holes) | Pro | Free |
| Stairs | Pro | Free |
| Check Square | Pro | Free |
| Baluster Spacing | Free | Paid |
| Pitch | Pro | Paid |
| Running Measurements | Pro | Paid |
| Equal Spacings | Pro (“Equal Spacing”) | Paid |
| Decking | Pro | Paid |
| Raked Walls | Pro (“Raked Wall”) | Paid |
| Triangles | Pro (“Triangle”) | Paid |
| Dumpy Level | Pro | Paid |
| Gravel | Pro | Paid |
| Soil | Pro (“Soil Volume”) | Paid |
| Asphalt | Pro | Paid |
| Stud Counter | Not named on the listing | Paid |
| Diagonal, Fence Picket, Wainscoting | In its website’s features menu; not named on Google Play | Not in the app |
So the two lists match on 14 calculators. MeisterCalc adds Stud Counter, which counts the studs in a wall from its length and centres and gives the lineal metres (worked through in how many studs you need for a wall). Chippy Tools’ website lists three guides MeisterCalc doesn’t have.
Where is Chippy Tools ahead?
On users, platforms, track record and the length of its trial.
- Far more users and reviews. 50K+ downloads and 215 reviews on Google Play, and 952 ratings on the Australian App Store, against MeisterCalc’s 100+ downloads and no rating yet.
- On iPhone and iPad now, as well as Android. The App Store lists iPhone and iPad (iOS 16.0 or later), and also Mac with Apple M1 or later and Apple Vision.
- A longer track record. Reviews on its App Store page go back to October 2021, and the app is at version 8.41 there.
- A longer trial. Every Pro calculator free for 7 days with no card, per its website; MeisterCalc’s trial is 3 days.
- More languages. English and 11 more on the App Store; MeisterCalc is in English.
- Direct billing with tax invoices. Subscribe on chippy.tools and download a tax invoice for every payment.
- More on its website. chippy.tools has building-code pages for 14 countries and guides for Diagonal, Fence Picket and Wainscoting calculators.
Where is MeisterCalc ahead?
On what is free, on Stud Counter and on the drawing.
- Three free calculators, not one. Concrete, Stairs and Check Square, with no time limit and no trial to start. Chippy Tools’ free calculator is Baluster Spacing, per its Google Play listing.
- Stud Counter. Studs for a wall from its length and centres, with the lineal metres and an optional price per stud. Chippy Tools’ listing doesn’t name one.
- A live diagram on every calculator. All 16 draw the job and redraw it as you type, labelled with your numbers. Chippy Tools’ Google Play listing doesn’t describe diagrams; its App Store release notes mention a triangle diagram and diagram export, so it draws at least some.
- Metric first. MeisterCalc opens in millimetres, with feet, inches and fractions under Settings ▸ Units ▸ Default units. Chippy Tools lists metric and imperial with an instant switch, so both work in millimetres; the difference is which you start in. More on that in a construction calculator app that works in millimetres.
Both work offline and neither shows ads, as their listings say.
What should the diagonals of a 4800 × 3600 mm deck frame read?
6000 mm each, and it works the same way in both apps’ Check Square. Here it is by hand first.
- Inputs: length 4800 mm, width 3600 mm, outside corner to outside corner.
- Formula: diagonal = √(length² + width²) = √(4800² + 3600²) = √(23,040,000 + 12,960,000) = √36,000,000 = 6000 mm.
- Check with 3-4-5 (by hand): 3600 = 3 × 1200 and 4800 = 4 × 1200, so the diagonal is 5 × 1200 = 6000 mm.
- If it is out: say the diagonals read 6008 mm and 5992 mm. The racking gap is 6008 − 5992 = 16 mm, and their average is 6000 mm, so the sides are right and the frame is racked. Push the two corners at the ends of the long diagonal towards each other until both read 6000 mm: the long one comes in by 16 ÷ 2 = 8 mm.
In MeisterCalc, Check Square is free. Target Diagonal shows Diagonal 6000.0 mm for these sides, and Is It Square? with 6008 and 5992 shows Avg Measured 6000.0 mm and Racking gap 16.0 mm.
In Chippy Tools, Check Square is a Pro calculator, and its listing says it verifies that “your deck, slab, or framing is perfectly square using the 3-4-5 method”. We have not run it, so we don’t show its screen or its result.
The whole method, with how far is too far out, is in how to check if a frame is square.
Which should you choose?
Choose Chippy Tools if you want it on an iPhone or iPad, or a long track record with thousands of ratings (both on its App Store page), or a 7-day trial of every calculator and direct billing with tax invoices (its pricing page). Choose MeisterCalc if you want Concrete, Stairs and Check Square free with no trial, a Stud Counter, and a live diagram on every calculator, in millimetres from the start. If you’re still weighing a wider field, see the best construction calculator apps for Android, or which construction calculator apps are free.
Questions people ask
Is the Chippy Tools app free?
Partly. The download and Baluster Spacing are free; the other calculators need Pro after a 7-day trial (Google Play listing and chippy.tools, 1 November 2026).
How much does the Chippy Tools app cost?
A$29.99 a year direct (US$19.99), or a One Time Purchase of A$129.00 on the Australian App Store (US$85.00 in the US), as listed on 1 November 2026 on its pricing page and App Store page.
What is Chippy Tools Pro?
The paid tier: every calculator, spoken measurements and priority support, per the pricing page.
Is there a Chippy Tools promo code?
None of the pages we read lists one. The free way in is the 7-day trial with no card on chippy.tools.
Is Chippy Tools on iPhone?
Yes. The App Store lists it for iPhone and iPad with iOS 16.0 or later.
Where should I download Chippy Tools?
From Google Play or the App Store. Get apps from the stores, not from APK sites.
Does MeisterCalc have Baluster Spacing?
Yes, in the paid set. It gives the number of balusters, the gap between them and a running table of marks, with a Speak button that reads the marks out. Our page on the maximum gap between balusters in Australia covers the rule you are spacing to.
What are the limits of this comparison?
- We did not install or time Chippy Tools. Everything about it is what its own pages, such as its Google Play listing, said on 1 November 2026.
- Prices differ by store, country and channel, and they change. Check the store or the app before you pay.
- Google Play shows download bands, not counts.
- Whatever you pick, an app is a calculator, not an inspector. Rules are set by the National Construction Code (NCC) in Australia, the NZ Building Code in New Zealand, your drawings and your council. No app makes work compliant.
Facts about Chippy Tools on this page were checked on 1 November 2026 against its Google Play listing (Australia), its App Store pages (Australia and US) and chippy.tools. MeisterCalc’s facts come from the app itself and its Google Play listing, read the same day. Spotted something out of date? Write to meruappsdev@gmail.com.
How do you try MeisterCalc?
Install it from Google Play. Concrete, Stairs and Check Square work straight away, with no trial and no account; the other 13 unlock with the weekly subscription (3-day free trial) or the one-time lifetime unlock. It runs on Android 7.0 or later. For feet-inch sums in a browser, our free page with all the construction calculators needs no app.