Cool Calc alternative: when you've outgrown Manual J

Cool Calc is a fast, browser-based Manual J tool. For commercial loads, 62.1 ventilation, and duct sizing, see when to switch and what to use instead.

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Last updated October 28, 2026

TL;DR: Cool Calc is browser-based residential HVAC design software for ACCA Manual J loads, Manual S equipment selection, and Manual D ducts. It's on ACCA's approved software list, takes input from a LiDAR scan, a floor-plan upload, a satellite trace, or a sketch, and costs $45 per project or $50 per user per month for unlimited projects. For homes, it's hard to beat on convenience. For commercial buildings, Cool Calc's own support article says Manual J applies only to homes of three stories or less, so you need a commercial method: ACCA Manual N, or ASHRAE methods under ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 183 in tools such as Wrightsoft's Right-CommLoad, Elite Chvac, Carrier HAP, Trane TRACE, or HVAKR.

What Cool Calc does well

If you do residential replacements and new homes and you want a fast, ACCA-listed Manual J you can run from a tablet in the customer's living room, stay with Cool Calc.

Give it credit. Cool Calc made Manual J easy to start in a browser:[1]

ACCA Manual J, S, and D in one web app. ACCA's approved software page lists "Cool Calc Manual J" for full residential load calculation (noting LiDAR-capable devices) and "Cool Calc" for residential duct design.[2]
Four ways to enter a house. LiDAR scan with the free Cool Calc Scan app on an iPhone 12 Pro or newer or an iPad Pro, floor-plan upload for new construction, satellite trace for quick block loads, and free-draw. Cool Calc says it also supports custom API integrations.
Pricing that fits small jobs. $45 per project, or $50 per user per month for unlimited Manual J, S, and D. You can build a project before you pay and unlock the results when you're ready.
Works on anything with a browser, and projects can be shared inside your organization or with outside people such as a HERS rater.
Scale. Cool Calc reports more than 150,000 users and more than 1 million projects created. (Vendor figures.)

Where Cool Calc stops

It's a residential tool. Cool Calc is built on ACCA's residential manuals. Its support article says Manual J "only pertains to residential homes that are three stories or less" and that commercial buildings need a different program "due to commercial fresh air requirements and potentially large internal loads."[3] Cool Calc's site doesn't list Manual N or an ASHRAE commercial load method.
Ventilation. Commercial outdoor air comes from ASHRAE 62.1 (or the local mechanical code) by occupancy category, with zone air distribution effectiveness and system-level corrections. Cool Calc's site doesn't describe a 62.1 calculation.
Systems. Multi-zone VAV, dedicated outdoor air systems, and system-level outdoor air rollups are outside what a Manual J tool is built to model.
Business features are still coming. The $250 per user per month tier with a proposal builder, CRM, API integrations, and automation was still listed as "Coming in Q2" on October 28, 2026, with no year given.

HVAKR vs Cool Calc

	Cool Calc	Wrightsoft RSU + COMM Tools	HVAKR
Built for	Residential contractors, energy auditors, instructors, homeowners	Residential shops that also do light commercial	Commercial mechanical engineers and contractors
Load method (per vendor)	ACCA Manual J (block or room-by-room)	Manual J; ASHRAE RTS or CLTD; ACCA Manual N	ASHRAE RTS under ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA 183
On ACCA's approved software page	Yes (Manual J, residential duct design)	Yes (Right-J8, Right-D)	No (commercial tool)
Equipment and ducts	Manual S, Manual D	Manual S, Right-D, Right-CommDuct	Central and terminal unit configuration; duct layout and sizing
Commercial outdoor air	Not described on Cool Calc's site	"ASHRAE 62 methods" (Right-CommLoad)	ASHRAE 62.1 Ventilation Rate Procedure by space type; multiple-zone Vot = Vou / Ev
Input	LiDAR scan, floor-plan upload, satellite trace, free-draw	Right-Draw, tracing, Right-CAD add-on for CAD files	Multi-page PDF or DXF sheets; HVAKR AI proposes spaces per level, engineer reviews
Platform	Any browser; iPhone/iPad scan app	Windows 10+	Browser; macOS app
Collaboration	Share projects in and outside your organization	Not described	Several engineers editing one live project
Published price (Oct 28, 2026)	$45/project or $50/user/mo	$900 + $500/user/yr	Per-seat plans with a free trial; see pricing

As of October 28, 2026.

Sources for the table: coolcalc.com, Cool Calc support, ACCA approved software, Wrightsoft store and COMM Tools, HVAKR docs. All checked Oct 28, 2026.

Stay with Cool Calc if

Your work is single-family and low-rise residential, and your permit office wants an ACCA-listed Manual J.
You size equipment in the home and like scanning rooms with a phone.
You do a handful of load calcs a month and pay-per-project beats a subscription.
You teach Manual J. Cool Calc offers academic credits for instructors and trade schools.

Switch, or add a commercial tool, if

You're getting asked for restaurants, offices, clinics, retail, or multifamily common areas, and the reviewer expects ASHRAE methods and 62.1 outdoor air.
The job has multiple systems or zones, VAV boxes, or a DOAS, and you need outdoor air rolled up per system.
You need duct sizing against commercial criteria (velocity and friction-rate limits per duct type) and a register schedule per space.
Engineers and contractors need to review the same model at the same time.

What's different about a commercial load in HVAKR

Most residential shops that pick up commercial work keep Cool Calc for homes and add a commercial tool. That's a reasonable answer.

The building comes from the drawing set. Upload the architect's multi-page PDF (or DXF). HVAKR reads sheet numbers, scales, ceiling heights, and levels where it's confident, places sheets on levels, and HVAKR AI proposes spaces you include or exclude level by level.[4][5]
Loads use ASHRAE RTS. HVAKR runs 24 hours for a design day in each month (288 points) and reports the peak month and hour, with sensible and latent separated.[6]
Outdoor air is per space type. Each space type carries ASHRAE 62.1 people and area rates and an Ez value; systems roll it up as a sum of spaces or with the multiple-zone equation.[7]
Ducts are sized to your criteria. Each duct type sets a max velocity and max pressure drop per 100 ft; HVAKR grows each duct from 6 in. round until it meets both.[8]

Mechanical Engineers On Tap

HVAKR is more than software. Every plan includes support from mechanical engineers who design HVAC for a living, so when a hard load-calc or system-selection question comes up, you get an answer from someone who has solved it before. Where other tools offer software support, HVAKR offers engineering support.

Talk to a real engineer

Stuck on a load calculation, a system selection, or a tricky space? Our mechanical engineers help with the actual engineering, not just which button to press.

Answers in hours, not days

Fast, human product support and onboarding that gets your whole team productive in a day.

Expertise included

Mechanical engineering help comes with your subscription: no consulting contract and no extra fee.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cool Calc good software?

For residential work, yes. Cool Calc runs ACCA Manual J, Manual S, and Manual D in any web browser, is on ACCA's approved software list, and lets you enter a house by LiDAR scan, floor-plan upload, satellite trace, or sketch.

Can Cool Calc do commercial load calculations?

Cool Calc is a residential tool built on ACCA's Manual J, S, and D. Its support documentation says Manual J applies only to residential homes of three stories or less and that commercial buildings need a different program because of commercial fresh air requirements and large internal loads.

How much does Cool Calc cost?

On October 28, 2026, Cool Calc listed $45 per project or $50 per user per month for unlimited Manual J, S, and D, including its LiDAR scan app. A $250 per user per month tier with a proposal builder, CRM, and API integrations was listed as "Coming in Q2," with no year given.

What is the best Cool Calc alternative?

For residential Manual J, other ACCA-listed tools such as Wrightsoft Right-Suite Universal and Elite RHVAC. For commercial buildings, use a commercial load tool: Wrightsoft with Right-CommLoad or Right-N, Elite Chvac, Carrier HAP, Trane TRACE, or HVAKR.

Does HVAKR do Manual J?

No. HVAKR doesn't do residential Manual J. It's built for commercial load calculations under ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 183. For a residential permit that requires an ACCA-listed Manual J, use a listed tool such as Cool Calc.

Can I upload a floor plan to HVAKR like I do in Cool Calc?

Yes. HVAKR takes multi-page PDF or DXF sheets, reads scale and levels where it can, and HVAKR AI proposes spaces on each level. You review every space before it drives a calculation.

Sources

Cool Calc home page (features, inputs, pricing, user counts, LiDAR device requirements): coolcalc.com (checked October 28, 2026)
Cool Calc platform chooser (redesigned vs legacy platform): coolcalc.com/landing.php (checked October 28, 2026)
Cool Calc support, "Creating a New Project" (Manual J scope note): support.coolcalc.com (checked October 28, 2026)
ACCA approved software: acca.org; ACCA Manual N: acca.org (checked October 28, 2026)
Wrightsoft store and COMM Tools: wrightsoft.com/store, wrightsoft.com (checked October 28, 2026)
HVAKR docs: sheet library, AI space takeoff, cooling loads, ventilation, configuration, duct layout; ASHRAE 183 compliance; pricing (checked October 28, 2026)