Comparison

Spa Calc vs Orenda for Hot Tubs

Orenda's free app is a respected pool calculator: LSI water balance and chemical doses, with lots of free training. Some hot tub owners search for it because they've heard of the LSI. Its listing and app page describe pool use, and we didn't find a hot tub mode described. Spa Calc is made only for hot tubs.

The short answer

Orenda is a strong free pool calculator. For a hot tub, an app built for tubs will serve you better: Spa Calc covers soaking, bromine, small doses and drain day, free for one tub.

At a glance

From each app's own App Store page and website, checked on 28 October 2026. "Not listed" means we found no mention of it there, not that the feature is missing.
FeatureSpa CalcOrenda
Price Free for one tub Free
Made for Hot tubs, swim spas, plunge tubs, inflatables Pools
Water balance Yes CSI using tub temperature Yes LSI
Dosing Yes Teaspoons, grams or your own scoop Yes Pool dosing calculator
"Ready to soak?" check Yes Not listed
Bromine Yes Not listed
Dichlor then bleach tracker Yes Not listed
MPS shock with wait timer Yes Not listed
Post-soak top-up Yes Not listed
Drain and refill countdown Yes Not listed
Inflatable presets Yes Not listed
Saved test history Yes Not listed
Reminders Yes Test, filter and drain Not listed
Training videos and courses No Yes
Platforms iPhone (iOS 18 or later) iPhone, iPad, Apple silicon Mac; Android per Orenda

Pricing

Our app

Spa Calc

  • Free$0Every feature for one tub, inflatables included.
  • Plus$1.99 a month, $14.99 a year or $39.99 onceUp to 10 tubs plus the host and pro tools. 1-week free trial on the yearly plan.
  • Pro$9.99 a month or $79.99 a yearUnlimited tubs plus the host and pro tools. 1-month free trial on the yearly plan.

Prices on the App Store at launch. Pricing is per person, not per tub.

Pool LSI and dosing calculator

Orenda

  • Orenda appFreePool chemical dosing and LSI calculator, pool volume estimator, videos and Orenda Academy content.

Free on the App Store. No in-app purchases listed.

Prices as listed on 28 October 2026. Source

Both are free for one body of water. Spa Calc is paid only for more than one tub.

Balance at hot tub temperature

Spa Calc's CSI gauge uses your tub's temperature, because hot water pushes water toward scale. It sits next to the soak check, so you see both whether it's safe to soak and whether the water is balanced.

Hot tub routines

Spa Calc logs soaks with how many people and how long, gives a top-up after each one, tracks filter rinses on inflatable-length schedules, and counts down to drain day from your tub's size and use.

A log for the tub

Every test, dose, soak, drain and filter rinse goes into Spa Calc's log, with charts up to a year, free for one tub.

What Orenda Users Complain About

Paraphrased from public reviews. Each one links to where it was posted and gives the month it was written.

We found no Orenda App Store reviews about hot tubs to report. For its pool use, a 2023 reviewer asked for saved customer history and a field for chemical prices (App Store review, October 2023).

Spa Calc approach: every tub keeps its full history, and container prices give the cost of each dose.

When Orenda is the better choice

  • You have a pool and want a free, well-regarded LSI calculator.
  • You want Orenda's training and Academy content.
  • You use Orenda products.

Questions people ask

Can I use the Orenda app for a hot tub?

Orenda's App Store listing and its own app page describe a pool chemical dosing and LSI calculator with a pool volume estimator. Neither describes a hot tub mode (checked 28 October 2026). You can enter a small volume, but hot tub topics such as bromine, soak readiness and drain intervals aren't described.

Does water balance matter in a hot tub?

Yes. Hot water makes scale more likely, so pH, alkalinity and calcium matter. Spa Calc's CSI gauge uses your tub's temperature.

Is there a free hot tub chemistry app?

Spa Calc gives one hot tub every feature free, inflatables included. It is on the App Store at launch.

More comparisons

All comparisons

References

  1. Orenda on the US App Store (rating, price, description, review: Oct 2023), checked 2026-10-28
  2. Orenda: How to Use the Orenda App (features), checked 2026-10-28