The big market comparison
Have you already considered using an online BaZi calculator to quickly, reliably and easily transform a Western date into a Chinese date, for example to create personality analyses using BaZi, the Chinese astrology?
We analyzed the current market and compared the most popular online BaZi calculators. We focused on genuine software producers and excluded providers that merely repackage existing solutions.
For the sake of transparency, it should be mentioned that the author of this market comparison is himself one of the aforementioned BaZi calculator producers.
Product #1
BaZi Calculator
www.bazi-calculator.com
Right from the start, the enormous range of methods is striking: in addition to a BaZi calculator, a Tong Shu, Flying Stars and Qi Men Dunja calculator are also offered.
The BaZi calculator gets straight to the point and entices you to enter the standard parameters. Entering the place of birth and longitude is a little tricky. The search is only included in Premium. The premium price plan allows additional options, although it’s not always clear what these are.
I select the beginner mode and display the BaZi diagram. The 4 pillars are clearly visible, albeit peppered with a lot of technical terms. There is also talk of ghosts and demons and an incomprehensible list of interactions lines my reading path.
The graphics about the element strengths are quite pleasing. However, there is no clear indication of the underlying rules as to how the result was arrived at. So I’m in the dark and can’t understand anything. Rather a feeling of powerlessness.
Prices range from free to 89 US dollars for a Gold annual subscription.
For lovers of Excel-like spreadsheets, that’s just fine.
It’s nice that the manufacturer can be contacted directly. That creates trust.
Functionality 2/5
Ease of use 2/5
Pricing 4/5
Overall rank 2
Product #2
AstroDNA BaZi Calculator
www.astrodnabazicalculator.com
The eye-catching, modern design is kept in dark colors.
A demo version invites me to test the BaZi calculator without obligation.
I decide to sign up for a free account. A tidy dashboard welcomes me and prompts me to enter my first profile.
The various input options when creating the profile, such as a supported place of birth search, twin details if applicable and the option to ignore the real solar time, are pleasant. The latter in particular always triggers discussions, as the top dog among the Bazi calculators does not take real solar time into account in the calculation.
And then I get the 4-columns presented in colorful splendor. Unfortunately, a lot of information is hidden in free mode. So I concentrate on the essentials.
The option to switch between color and black-and-white display, the easy-to-understand labeling and the valuable brief information when hovering over with the mouse, or the link to the extensive Astro Wiki, are very pleasing.
As I like to use my smartphone when I’m out and about, I quickly notice that the display is legible and clear on all devices.
The amount of information, especially in Premium and Platinum, is enormous. And it remains simple and easy to understand. Various PDF export options round off the overall picture, so that this calculator shines in particular with its beauty and richness without neglecting comprehensibility and usability.
The prices are quite something: from free to 39.-/month for the recommended Premium to 587.- for a Platinum annual subscription.
A big point in terms of transparency: the rules for determining the data are disclosed and are based on the renowned Infis.com school by André Pasteur.
It is pleasant that maintenance and support are guaranteed and that the manufacturer can be contacted directly at any time.
The range of free tools, such as the 4-pillar BaZi calculator for your own website, round off the offer.
An all-round successful product for anyone who appreciates quality, loves the visuals and has the necessary cash.
Functionality 4/5
Ease of use 5/5
Pricing 3/5
Overall rank 1
Product #3
Ba Zi
www.chinesemetasoft.com
The wide range of methods is also striking here. In addition to BaZi, Feng Shui, Qimen, Ze Ri and others are offered. It is probably the product with the widest reseller distribution. Many coaches and small businesses use it as a lead magnet.
The input of the relevant data is kept very rudimentary. Apart from the date of birth, time of birth and gender, no other information can be entered. I search in vain for the option to enter the place of birth or at least its longitude or time zone. Nothing of the sort. Not to mention Gemini.
The result then appears quite nice and clear and reduced to the minimum. I have to accept the strength of the elements without reference to their determination. The designations are a mixture of Chinese characters, their translation, and terms whose meaning is not immediately obvious.
The price plans are labeled Guest, Bronze, Silver and Gold, but the first two are free, the third costs USD 68 or 108 and the fourth does not exist. A rather confusing product offering.
The contact details indicate that the company is based in the UK and has links to Joseph Yu.
The product seems to be particularly popular for embedding in your own website as a lead magnet.
Functionality 1/5
Ease of use 1/5
Pricing 4/5
Overall rank 5
Product #4
Four Pillars Calculator
www.fourpillars.net
A simple website invites you to enter your date of birth and gender in the online calculator. The appropriate 2-hour block should be selected for the time of birth. Unfortunately, an unknown time of birth is not an option. In the latest version, the language can also be selected at the same time.
The result is very poor. The 4 pillars are presented in a minimalist table and supplemented with 10 life cycle pillars. No further information is provided.
The online calculator is free of charge. The app is also available as a paid fixed version.
The manufacturer is stingy with information on maintenance, support and contact details. A technical source is also missing.
In short: this calculator is intended for people who really only need the technical essentials.
Functionality 1/5
Ease of use 1/5
Pricing 3/5
Overall rank 6
Product #5
Destiny Explorer
bazibz2024.masteryacademy.com/
und
destinyx2023.masteryacademy.com/
Let’s get this out of the way: Joey Yap is the top dog on the BaZi market. But what is his calculator really good for?
First of all, confusion: there are two different versions of the calculator, each with a separate URL and different login details. There is no descriptive product website at all. The first version is more or less the free version, the second is only accessible with simultaneous (paid) course attendance. Registration is required for both.
The data entry is fine with name, date of birth, time of birth or unknown, gender and twin. However, the entry of the place of birth or similar information to determine the correct solar time is also missing here. Joey’s original comment on this: “It doesn’t matter where you were born. Only the time on your watch counts”. Well, he doesn’t quite stick to this statement himself. His interpretations of the year are very much based on geographical location. And he is aware of the issue of the correct solar time; presumably he doesn’t want his students to have to deal with this.
After the somewhat laborious process of entering the data, I am presented with a flood of data. The free version shows the most important BaZi basic data in compressed form as a PDF. The paid version has considerably more information, much of which is very technical and not understandable without in-depth knowledge and (expensive) course attendance at JY. You will search in vain for explanations and help. There are also no links to further information. I feel a bit left alone at the moment.
The prices are not public and range from free to USD 2000.-/year for the top version. As mentioned, use during the course is included.
There is no information regarding maintenance or contact. Joey himself says that the software runs virtually error-free after years of development. It goes without saying that the underlying rules are from Joey Yap’s fund.
The BaZi plotter, as Joey calls his calculator, is certainly ideal for his followers. However, without regular course attendance and intensive study of its contents, it is difficult to understand and expensive.
Functionality 5/5
Ease of use 2/5
Pricing N/A
Overall rank 4
Product #6
Dr.Kubny BaZi Rechner
bazisuanming.pythonanywhere.com/
Manfred Kubny has his own calculator and also his own technical language. This is not easy to transform and requires additional effort to understand.
The online calculator has a very streamlined design. As with the Four Pillars Calculator, the only possible input parameters are the date of birth, the 2-hour block of the time of birth and the gender. It is therefore not possible to enter the place of birth or to calculate without a known time of birth.
The edition appears somewhat tabular and is peppered with astrological, sometimes proprietary, non-standardized technical terms. There is no legend or reference to explanatory and further literature. The listing of organ disposition and meridian has rarely been seen before, but here too there are no explanatory words.
In terms of pricing, only the free version seems to be available. There is also no information on maintenance, support or how to contact us.
It seems that the calculator was primarily designed for Manfred’s students and less for public use.
Functionality 1/5
Ease of use 1/5
Pricing N/A
Overall rank 7
Product #7
Ming Pan 4P
www.bazisifu.com
The 4-pillar calculator from BaZi Sifu welcomes me with soft, pastel colors and appears tidy and clear.
However, I search for a while until I find the input option. This is characterized by the entry of date of birth, time of birth or unknown, gender and a time zone. Although this does not fully comply with the correct solar time, at least an approximation is possible, whereby the result shows the assignment to the team without taking solar time into account.
The result is also presented in a visually minimalist, yet very tidy and visually appealing way. The naked data is pleasantly supplemented by an initial diagram analysis including a brief derivation of the results and a short career analysis. There are also informative texts, data and graphics using (hidden) mouse-over pop-ups.
You can choose between a beginner and advanced display. However, the beginner mode still contains a lot of technical terms that are difficult to understand.
There is no information on product pricing, manufacturer, contact details, maintenance and support. The information in the copyright 2012-2023 indicates that the calculator is no longer being supported or further developed. Too bad.
All in all, a pleasantly refreshing, albeit minimal, appearance. Unfortunately, it is unclear where this product is headed
Functionality 1/5
Ease of use 2/5
Pricing N/A
Overall rank 3
Product #8
Bazi Hero
www.talenthero.io/apps/
This product is somewhat different from all the online calculators presented here. It has a strong tendency towards a proprietary psychological interpretation and uses various technical formats such as an app for smartphones or an add-on in the Google Chrome browser.
As with BaZi Sifu, the input is limited to date of birth, time of birth or unknown, gender and time zone.
The calculation rules are not disclosed, the products indicate consulting and the only manufacturer given is a name and Croatia as the domicile. Transparency looks different.
The result is orderly and very minimalist. The too many colors confuse me more than they contribute to clarity.
It’s not clear to me at first glance exactly who this app is for.
Functionality 1/5
Ease of use 1/5
Pricing N/A
Overall rank 8
Summary
The quality of BaZi calculators varies greatly. While some, such as the AstroDNA BaZi Calculator, impress with their user-friendliness and comprehensive information, others are rather rudimentary and offer little benefit for serious analysis. Those who are prepared to invest more will find AstroDNA a sophisticated and visually appealing tool, while cheaper or free options often only cover the basic functions.
