A dependable, genuinely free equity tool for Windows — the arithmetic layer of a study routine, nothing more.
This review is based on official product information from PokerStrategy.com and verified third-party software documentation as of 2 November 2026. No hands-on testing was performed for this article.
Review summary
Equilab is a long-standing, free equity calculator from PokerStrategy.com. It calculates the mathematical probability that a hand or range of hands wins against another hand or range — the core arithmetic of poker decision-making. It is a lightweight, heads-up-focused utility: not a modern app, not a solver, and not a tracker.
It suits players who want a simple, free, no-nonsense way to check equity and work through pot-odds decisions on Windows. Its strengths are exactly its simplicity: zero cost, tiny footprint, instant answers. Its drawbacks are equally clear: a dated interface, Windows only, and no strategy output of any kind.
Verdict: a dependable, genuinely free equity tool — in any browser as well as Windows — the arithmetic layer of a study routine, nothing more.
Quick facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Software name | Equilab (The PokerStrategy.com Equilab) |
| Developer | PokerStrategy.com |
| Product category | Poker equity calculator |
| Official website | pokerstrategy.com — Equilab |
| Windows compatibility | Yes |
| macOS compatibility | Yes — via Equilab Online (free in any browser) |
| Linux compatibility | Yes — via Equilab Online (free in any browser) |
| Mobile support | Yes — Equilab Online runs on phones and tablets |
| Supported poker variants | Texas Hold’em |
| Main functions | Hand/range equity calculation, Scenario Analyser, Equity Trainer, pot-odds checks |
| Free version or trial | Free |
| Pricing model | Free |
| Current price (verified 2 Nov 2026) | Free |
| Latest version | Equilab Online (free web version) + Equilab Classic (Windows, v1.2-generation build) |
| Last verified date | 2 November 2026 |
What is Equilab?
Equity is the portion of the pot a hand is mathematically entitled to, based on its chance of winning at showdown: if you win 60% of the time, your equity in a £100 pot is £60. Equilab exists to compute those numbers.
You give it hands — a single holding, or a range, which is the set of hands a player could plausibly hold in a situation — plus any board cards, and it works out each side’s winning percentage. That is the whole product. It is a calculator for probability, not a guide for decisions: it tells you the 35%, not whether to fold.
PokerStrategy now offers two free flavours: Equilab Online, a browser-based version that runs on computers, smartphones and tablets with no installation, and Equilab Classic, the original Windows download (v1.2 generation, refreshed in a 2026 build). Both share the same equity calculator, Scenario Analyser and Equity Trainer (official page, verified 2 November 2026).
Who should use it?
Beginners use it as an education device: seeing the actual percentages behind “I feel like I’m behind” builds the number sense that everything else in study assumes.
Intermediate players use it to check range interactions — how a holding or a group of holdings fares against an assumed opponent range on a given board.
Advanced players and coaches reach for it as a quick check: it is too simple to replace a solver, but fast enough to verify a calculation in seconds.
Cash and tournament players both benefit: in cash games it underpins pot-odds decisions (is the price of the call cheaper than your equity?); in all-in tournament spots it prices the confrontation directly.
Main features
Core equity calculation. Input your hand, your opponent’s hand or range, and the board; read each side’s percentage. This is what Equilab does, and it does it instantly.
Range handling. You can build ranges — collections of hands — and compare range against hand or range against range, which is how real postflop decisions are actually structured.
Lightweight by design. It is a small program that runs on modest hardware, offline, with no account and no licence.
What it is not. No HUD, no hand tracking, no database, no solver, no strategy output, no GTO analysis. It is the arithmetic layer only.
Ease of use
The interface is a classic Windows utility: input fields, card selection, results tables. There is nothing to admire and almost nothing to learn. If you can use a spreadsheet, you can use Equilab.
The workflow is logical — define the hands, set the board, read the numbers — and because the tool is so focused, there are almost no menus to get lost in. Players expecting a modern visual experience should manage expectations: the information is there, plainly, and that is the point.
Practical examples
Scenario 1: The all-in call. In a tournament you hold a flush draw on the flop and face an all-in bet. You need two numbers: your equity, and the price you are being offered. Equilab gives you the equity in seconds; compare it with the pot odds (the pot size against the call price) and the call decision becomes arithmetic instead of instinct.
Scenario 2: Range checking. You want to know how a group of semi-bluffing hands — draws with some backup — fares against a standard calling range on a coordinated board. Put your range on one side, the assumed calling range on the other, and read the aggregate equity. That single number frames how much of your range can profitably continue.
Performance and system requirements
Equilab is a lightweight Windows program; no formal specification is published, and none is needed — it runs on modest hardware and works fully offline. Calculations return immediately for typical hand and range sizes. There is no macOS, Linux or mobile version.
Pricing and value
Equilab is completely free: no account, no licence key, no time limit, no feature gates. In a market where comparable tools charge subscriptions or $25–$299, a genuinely free equity calculator remains one of the best value-for-money items in poker software.
One clarification: PokerStrategy also sells Power-Equilab, a separate, paid product (14-day trial) aimed at more advanced analysis. It is not part of free Equilab, and this review is about the free tool only.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- Completely free, forever — no account or licence.
- Instant equity for hands, ranges and boards.
- Tiny and fast; runs on old hardware, offline.
- A stable, well-known tool in the community.
Disadvantages
- Windows only; no Mac, Linux or mobile.
- Dated, minimal interface.
- No strategy output — it is a calculator, not a coach.
- Heads-up oriented; no multiway equity, no visual range breakdowns.
Comparison with alternatives
- Flopzilla is the modern step up: visual range-versus-board analysis, instant recalculation, multiway equity up to 14 players, and a $25 lifetime licence that unlocks the full product. Same developer family as GTO+.
- PokerStove is the other free classic — equally minimal, equally free, with a different interface. Choose by feel.
- PokerNews Odds Calculator is the no-install option: free in the browser, on any device.
- Solvers — GTO Wizard, PioSolver and the rest — answer a different question (“how should I play?”) and cost far more. Build the equity foundation first.
The wider picture is in our Best Poker Equity Calculators guide.
Poker room rules and restrictions
Equilab is study equipment. Using any calculator to inform decisions while a hand is live is Real-Time Assistance (RTA) — prohibited at essentially every major room, with bans and fund forfeiture as the standard consequence.
Use it between sessions to check the arithmetic of the spots you played, and check your room’s software policy for its exact rules.
Final verdict
Equilab is dependable, free and honest about what it is: a number machine for equity and pot odds. It will not coach you, it will not run on your Mac, and its interface will not impress you — and it does not need to.
Choose Equilab if: you want a free, fast equity check on Windows, and you know the number is all it owes you.
Avoid Equilab if: you need multiway or visual range work (Flopzilla), zero-install convenience (PokerNews), or strategy answers (a solver).
FAQs
Is Equilab really free? Yes — completely, with no account, licence or subscription for the standard version.
Does it work on a Mac or phone? No. It is a Windows program only.
Does it tell me what to do? No. It gives you the winning probability of a hand or range; the decision is yours, informed by the number.
Is it a solver? No. Solvers compute balanced strategy for a spot. Equilab computes equity. Different tools.
What is Power-Equilab? A separate paid PokerStrategy product (14-day trial) for more advanced analysis — not part of free Equilab.
Is it still maintained? The classic Windows tool is a mature v1.2-generation build: stable rather than rapidly evolving. The new Equilab Online web version (free, any device, no install) keeps the tool current, and the classic download remains available for free from the official PokerStrategy page (verified 2 November 2026).
