Comparison

QuickBend vs Ugly's Electrical References

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

QuickBend

This app is a conduit bending calculator designed for electricians and DIY enthusiasts. It provides accurate measurements for various bend types, accounting for bender and conduit specifications. Users can input data intuitively and receive instant feedback on bend feasibility.

Highlights
  • Accurate centerline radius algorithm
  • Supports multiple bend types (offset, saddle, 90°, etc.)
  • Intuitive data input (number pad, slider)
  • QuickCheck for bend feasibility
  • Customizable bender profiles
  • Layout multiple bends on a single conduit
Features
Read full description

QuickBend is the fastest and most precise conduit bending calculator app. Designed to be innovative and intuitive while remaining visually appealing. This advanced conduit bending calculator offers the most accurate measurements by taking into account the radius of the shoe and bender, plus the conduit type and size diameter. All measurements are generated using the centerline radius algorithm, and have all been rigorously processed and field tested. Even the bends displayed within QuickBend are generated using the same engine. Built for electricians by an electrician. QuickBend can be used by anyone working with conduit or tubing whether you are a seasoned professional, a novice cub, or even a DIY enthusiast. Made to avoid simple mistakes, and to save time and money. In addition to providing fast and precise calculations, there is plenty of information and documentation provided for individual bends. Explanations on how to use specific features, and step by step process to bending conduit. Offering the most intuitive method to input data. Whether you want to get straight to the point, or comb through the possibilities of a bend. You can switch back and forth between different input styles such as a number pad, or a slider bar (Press & Slide). Both having their unique advantages. QuickBend allows you, the user to toggle between three different types of measurements; inches, foot + inches, and centimeters. With QuickCheck built into QuickBend, there's a subtle change in text colors when a bend is impossible (red), or whether the bend may be unlikely to work (orange). This app for convenience, and we want it to benefit you. So much so that we added it into the input styles for bends, so you can see if a bend is possible before even tapping on the bend amount. Supporting the following bends! • Offset • Rolling Offset • Matching Bends Offset • Matching Centers Offset • Parallel Offset • Three-Point Saddle • Four-Point Saddle • 90° Bend • Kick with 90° • Matching Bend Kick • Matching Center Kick • Parallel Kick • Parallel Kick: Forward • Compound 90° - Circle Obstruction • Compound 90° - Rectangle Obstruction • Compound 90° - Square Obstruction • Segmented 90° Plus you have the ability to layout multiple bends on a single conduit, and get each measurement for a mark on the conduit. With the option to easily flip an individual or set of marks per bend. There's no limit to QuickBend. Easily, select between different types of benders and choose the size of the shoe and conduit type all within the same screen that you are working on. No need for complex navigations. In addition, you can pin benders you use the most, so you can select and switch between them quickly without consistently scrolling. All benders are spec'd out using the information provided by the manufacturers, and worst case scenario if one of the many benders available don't match the one you are using you can now add in your own bender. There's also an option to not select a bender and to use the multiplier method. Edit and view all of your benders' specifications. Detailed information on the centerline radius, deduct, gain, setback. Plus the ability to view the travel, and radius adjustment for any degree bend between up-to 90°. All of this is visualized and edited within the 'Bender Specs'.

About

Ugly's Electrical References

This app provides electricians and electrical professionals with up-to-date digital information based on the National Electrical Code. It includes formulas, wiring diagrams, conduit bending guides, and calculators for various electrical calculations. The app is designed for on-the-job reference and works offline.

Highlights
  • NEC 2026 updates
  • Mathematical formulas and calculators
  • Conduit bending guide with videos
  • Ampacity and conduit fill information
  • Wiring diagrams
  • Conversion tables
  • Works offline
Features
Read full description

The Ugly's Electrical References App has been updated to reflect changes to the 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC) and the 2026 Edition of our popular Ugly’s Electrical References book. The Ugly’s App offers the most pertinent, up-to-date digital information for electricians, including table change information, mathematical formulas; National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) wiring configurations; a conduit bending guide with videos, ampacity and conduit fill information, transformer and control circuit wiring diagrams, and conversion tables. The 2026 Edition: * Reflects changes to the 2026 NEC * Features expanded coverage of the following topics: * Full-load currents for 3-phase transformers  * Maximum number of conductors in electrical metallic tubing for trade sizes 5 and 6  * Equipment grounding conductors  * General lighting loads for non-dwelling occupancies  * Overview of important NEC code changes from 2020, 2023 and 2026  Electricians and electrical professionals have used ‘Ugly’s Electrical References’ book as their on-the-job reference for over 35 years. This app will serve you even better in the field today.  FEATURING Calculators and Interactive Features • Ohm’s Law Calculator • Voltage Drop Calculator • Ampacity Calculator • To Find: Amps, Watts, Horsepower, KVA • To Find: Inductance, Impedance, Reactance • Three-phase AC Motor Data: Starter, Breaker, Heater, Wire, and Conduit Size • Power Factor Correction • Full Load Current for Motors and Transformers • Locked-Rotor Current Calculator • Offset Bending Calculator • Conduit Fill Calculator • Conversions for Area, Length, Temperature, Time, Volume, and Weight • NEMA Wiring Configurations *Pinch & Zoom for improved readability *Conduit Bending Video Tutorials *Search function helps you quickly find what you need to know *NEC Updater outlines and explains changes to the National Electrical Code© *Electrical Safety including definitions, boundaries, procedures, PPE guidance, and life-saving *First aid procedures *Blueprint symbol identifier *Bookmark your commonly used screens *High-definition images and interactive tables that can be zoomed in for detail *Works offline *Great for electricians, students, engineers, contractors, maintenance workers, and military Interested in a buying more than one copy of the Ugly’s Electrical Reference app for your commercially owned devices? Please email info[at]uglys[dot]net for details on volume purchases. Privacy Policy - http://www.jblearning.com/privacy/ Terms of Service - http://www.jblearning.com/use/ Support – http://www.uglys.net/appsupport The Ugly’s Electrical Reference app is part of the popular Ugly’s Professional Reference® series, which is an imprint of Jones & Bartlett Learning. National Electrical Code and NFPA 70 are registered trademarks of the National Fire Protection Agency and are not associated with Ugly’s Electrical References in any way.

Screenshots

QuickBend4 screens
Ugly's Electrical References4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: QuickBend at 81% against Ugly's Electrical References's 47%. QuickBend also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and price ($6.99 vs $12.99). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

QuickBend costs $6.99 and Ugly's Electrical References $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

QuickBend holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.9K and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of QuickBend's written reviews are positive against 47% of Ugly's Electrical References's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

QuickBend ships an update every 2 weeks, Ugly's Electrical References every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
QuickBend versus Ugly's Electrical References: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQuickBendUgly's Electrical References
Price$6.99 — better$12.99
Rating4.8 (3.9K ratings) — better4.4 (1.5K ratings)
Positive reviews80.5% of reviews — better47.1% of reviews
Number of ratings3.9K — better1.5K
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#1 — better#6
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB63 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperBret HardmanInformed Publishing

Customer experience

QuickBend

All ratings3,942 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral1.7%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews77 reviews
Positive80.5%
Neutral3.9%
Negative15.6%

Ugly's Electrical References

All ratings1,495 ratings
Positive84.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative9.4%
Written reviews172 reviews
Positive47.1%
Neutral16.9%
Negative36.0%

User reviews

QuickBend

From 3.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Efficient and accurate conduit bending
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🔒 Comprehensive bending options and details
  • 💡 Helpful for apprentices and experienced benders
  • 🚀 Eliminates tedious calculations

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
  • 🔧 Some features not as accurate as expected
  • 💡 Lack of visual aids like videos or diagrams
  • 💡 Difficulty understanding bender reference marks

Ugly's Electrical References

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick reference
  • 👍 Helpful for apprentices and journeymen
  • 👍 Convenient to have on phone
  • 👍 Useful calculators
  • 👍 Great resource

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Videos/audio not working
  • 🐛 Bookmarking issues
  • 🐛 Glitchy navigation
  • 🐛 Difficult to find information
  • 🐛 Annoying review pop-up

Bugs and requests

QuickBend

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Multiplier calculations are sometimes inaccurate
  • Parallel kick feature not working as expected on iOS
  • Unable to change app settings from cm to inches

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add options for different size conduits in parallel offset runs
  • Include 3D examples and diagrams for bending instructions
  • Provide a demo or tutorial on how to properly use the app
  • Allow more customization of units (e.g., switching between inches and cm)

Ugly's Electrical References

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Videos not playing
  • Bookmarks not working correctly
  • Navigation issues causing app crashes
  • Incorrect calculation results

Requested features

5 requests
  • Zoom functionality
  • Better search capabilities
  • Spanish language support
  • Offline access to full content
  • Improved bookmarking system

In-app purchases

None

QuickBend

No in-app purchases

None

Ugly's Electrical References

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is QuickBend free?
QuickBend costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ugly's Electrical References free?
Ugly's Electrical References costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, QuickBend or Ugly's Electrical References?
QuickBend is rated higher. QuickBend averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while Ugly's Electrical References averages 4.4 from 1.5K ratings.
Do QuickBend or Ugly's Electrical References have ads?
Neither QuickBend nor Ugly's Electrical References shows ads.
Which is updated more often, QuickBend or Ugly's Electrical References?
QuickBend ships an update every 2 weeks, and Ugly's Electrical References every 3 months. Most recently, QuickBend was updated on September 22, 2026 and Ugly's Electrical References on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, QuickBend or Ugly's Electrical References?
QuickBend currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Ugly's Electrical References at #6. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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