PokerStove Alternative (2026): Free Online Equity Calculator
PokerStove was the legendary equity calculator that defined the genre: first released in 2003, used by every serious online player in the 2000s. Andrew Prock's tool was free and it worked. But development stopped in 2008. If you searched for a PokerStove download and landed here instead: the math you want is free in your browser, no install needed.
PokerStove's math is still correct, but the project has been unmaintained since 2008: it's a discontinued Windows-only app with no Omaha or Pineapple support and no mobile. PokerPro is browser-based, supports Hold'em + Pineapple + Omaha PLO, includes AI hand analysis, and is actively developed (last update July 2026). If you're trying to download PokerStove today, just use the free odds calculator instead.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | PokerPro | PokerStove |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Hold'em equity | ||
| Range vs range calculator | ||
| Omaha (PLO) equity | ||
| 3-Card Hold'em / Pineapple | ||
| Platforms | Any browser (Windows, Mac, Linux, mobile) | Windows only |
| Install required | None | Windows installer |
| AI Hand Reviewer | ||
| GTO trainer + preflop charts | ||
| Active development | Yes (July 2026) | No, discontinued 2008 |
| Reliable download / access | Just open the URL | Installer on its author's GitHub |
| Free |
Where PokerStove wins
Honest take: PokerStove is genuinely better for these use cases.
- →Historical credibility: used by virtually every winning online player from 2003-2010
- →Andrew Prock's algorithm was groundbreaking and the math is still correct
- →If you have it installed, it still runs without internet
- →The original: many tutorials and forum posts reference it specifically
Where PokerPro wins
- Actively developed: last update July 2026 (PokerStove last update: 2008, 18 years ago)
- Browser-based: works on Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, mobile. PokerStove is Windows-only. Start with the free odds calculator.
- Multi-variant: Hold'em + Pineapple + Omaha PLO. PokerStove is Hold'em only.
- AI Hand Reviewer: Claude-powered hand analysis. Didn't exist in 2008.
- 57 other free tools: pot odds, ICM, push/fold, variance simulator, GTO trainer, hand replayer, etc.
- Easy to access: open the URL, start calculating. No hunting forums for a working installer.
Why PokerStove was abandoned
Andrew Prock, PokerStove's creator, focused on the commercial successor 'PokerStove Pro' which evolved into other tools. The free version stopped getting updates around 2008. Prock later open-sourced its core libraries on GitHub. The original installer still works on Windows, and his GitHub repository hosts it.
Is PokerStove still useful in 2026?
If you have a working install, the math is still correct: Hold'em equity calculation hasn't changed. But you're missing:
- •Omaha PLO support (Hold'em-only)
- •Pineapple variant
- •Range vs range against curated preflop ranges
- •Mobile / Mac / Linux compatibility
- •AI features (didn't exist in 2008)
- •Active bug fixes or feature additions
- •Modern UI conventions (dark mode, responsive design, keyboard nav)
Why a modern replacement matters
Poker theory has evolved significantly since 2008. Modern players study with solvers (PioSolver, GTO+), AI-powered hand analysis, and tools that weren't possible in the 2000s. PokerPro is built around these modern workflows: AI Hand Reviewer for instant feedback, GTO Trainer for drilling spots, range library for solver-derived ranges, and the 18-lesson Poker 101 course for beginners. PokerStove was state-of-the-art in 2008.
Migration: from PokerStove to PokerPro
If you're a long-time PokerStove user transitioning to a modern tool, the workflow translates almost directly:
- •Card selection: Same 13×13 grid layout, click hands to add to ranges.
- •Range editing: Same paradigm. Click cells, see live combo count.
- •Equity output: Same percentages, within a small sampling margin (PokerStove counted every board of a heads-up preflop matchup; PokerPro samples).
- •Board input: Same. Click flop/turn/river to fix the runout.
- •Practical learning curve: 3-5 minutes to feel at home.
Other PokerStove successors compared
PokerPro isn't the only option, and the right pick depends on what you used PokerStove for:
- •Equilab alternative: Equilab is the closest spiritual successor to PokerStove, a free Windows desktop equity calculator. Our comparison covers where it still holds up and where it's aging the same way PokerStove did.
- •GTO Wizard alternative: if you've outgrown pure equity math and want solver-based study, GTO Wizard is the modern high end ($39–$229+/mo). That comparison covers what a free stack can and can't replace.
- •Free odds calculator: the direct PokerStove replacement on this site: hand against hand equity in your browser. Ranges have their own range equity calculator.
The honest verdict
- You can't find a working PokerStove installer (most common reason)
- You're on Mac, Linux, or mobile
- You want Omaha PLO or Pineapple support
- You want AI-powered hand analysis
- You want active development and modern features
- You have a working PokerStove install on Windows and don't need new features
- You explicitly want the original 2008 tool for historical/study reasons
- You only care about Hold'em equity math and nothing else
No signup, no download, runs in your browser.
Frequently asked
Is PokerStove still available for download in 2026?
Yes, for Windows: its author keeps the final installer in his PokerStove repository on GitHub. Andrew Prock's original site is no longer maintained. Some forums still host the installer but legitimacy varies and downloading from unofficial sources carries malware risk. PokerPro avoids this entirely: it's a browser-based tool, no download needed.
Is PokerStove math still accurate?
Yes. Equity calculation math (enumerating every board, hand evaluation algorithms) hasn't changed. PokerStove's numbers are still correct. The issue is everything around the calculator: the project hasn't kept up with new variants (PLO, Pineapple), new platforms (Mac, mobile), or new features (AI analysis). The math is fine; the package is dated.
Why did PokerStove development stop?
Around 2008, Andrew Prock pivoted to commercial pro-grade tools (Poker Stove Pro, eventually parts of the modern ProPokerTools ecosystem). The free PokerStove wasn't updated after that. He later open-sourced its core libraries on GitHub, where anyone can fork them.
What's the closest modern equivalent to PokerStove?
Equilab and PokerPro are the two most direct successors in the free tier. Equilab is more like the original PokerStove philosophy (Windows desktop, no AI, calculator-first) but is also dated. PokerPro is more modern and broader (browser-based, multi-variant, AI features) but goes beyond pure equity calculation. For a calculator-only experience that mirrors PokerStove's original simplicity, Equilab is closer; for a complete modern training platform, PokerPro.
Is using PokerPro safer than downloading PokerStove from a forum?
Yes. Browser-based tools don't carry malware risk in the same way executables do. Downloading PokerStove from an unofficial source means trusting whoever uploaded the installer didn't tamper with it, which is risky in 2026. PokerPro runs in your browser sandbox; the worst case is a buggy webpage, not a compromised system.
See also our full alternatives index, all 58 free tools, and the free Poker 101 course.
Run PokerStove-style range equity online
Pick a range for each player on the 13×13 grid, add board cards if you like, and deal: the job PokerStove did, in your browser, with nothing to install. A deal samples 30,000 random runouts and prints its ± margin beside the answer, about ±0.57 points when the two ranges are close to even.
Example filled in: the biggest pairs and ace-king suited, against the next pairs down with ace-king and ace-queen. Change anything.
Step 1: Which hands are in the first group?
The hands one player could hold here, all at once: a range. Tap hands on the grid, or start from a quick group below. Ranges for each seat are in the range library.
Step 2: Which hands are in the second group?
Step 3: Any cards on the board yet?
Optional, 0/5. Leave it empty for before the flop.
You changed a group. Deal the runouts to see how they do.
Why
The reasons appear once the runouts are dealt.
What this number is, and is not
Each runout deals one hand from each group at random, then a full board; ties count as half. This is all-in showdown equity, not expected value: position and betting are not modelled.
A group's size is counted in card combinations: a pair can be dealt 6 ways, a suited hand 4 and an offsuit hand 12, out of 1,326 two-card hands. That is why a group of a few pairs is a smaller share of the hands you are dealt than the same number of offsuit hands.
How the runouts are dealt: 30,000 each time
30,000-trial Monte Carlo per calculation · ties counted as half-wins. A deal where the two hands share a card is drawn again; a group that cannot be dealt against the other at all gives no number. The ± is the 95% margin of the sample, which shrinks as the runouts grow.
The board cards you fix are on every runout; the cards still to come are dealt at random.
Classic PokerStove matchups, counted exactly
For a heads-up preflop matchup PokerStove enumerated every board: for one hand against another its output reads 1,712,304 games. An exact count of the same matchup gives the same numbers, and that is what each row below is: all 1,712,304 boards for every way the two hands' suits can fall, with a tie counted as half a win.
| Matchup | First hand | Second hand |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs KK | AA 81.95% | KK 18.05% |
| AK vs QQ | AK 43.94% | QQ 56.06% |
| AK vs JJ | AK 43.85% | JJ 56.15% |
| AK vs TT | AK 43.83% | TT 56.17% |
| 22 vs AK | 22 52.01% | AK 47.99% |
| AK vs AQ | AK 73.60% | AQ 26.40% |
| AA vs AK | AA 91.84% | AK 8.16% |
| KK vs QQ | KK 81.93% | QQ 18.07% |
| AA vs 72o | AA 88.20% | 72o 11.80% |
Each matchup links to its own page, which splits it by suits. The range box above samples instead, which is why it prints a ± margin and these rows do not.
PokerStove on Mac, Linux and phones
The PokerStove program is Windows only. Its author later open-sourced its core evaluation libraries on GitHub: they build on Mac and Linux as command-line tools, and the repository carries an Android demo, but there is no maintained Mac or Linux version of the program. Nothing here needs installing: the range box above runs in any browser, on a Mac, on Linux and on phones.