# IES ShapeDB vs CalcEngineer

The clearest difference is update cadence: CalcEngineer at every 2 days against IES ShapeDB's every 7 months. IES ShapeDB's advantage is iOS requirement (9.3 vs 17). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for IES ShapeDB against 5.0 for CalcEngineer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

IES ShapeDB ships an update every 7 months, CalcEngineer every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IES ShapeDB | CalcEngineer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ies-shapedb/id1068309510/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calcengineer/id6748969344/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 81 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.3** | 17 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [INTEGRATED ENGINEERING SOFTWARE INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1068309509) | [Justin Bush](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828308327) |

## What reviewers say

### IES ShapeDB

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ies-shapedb/id1068309510)

Access a comprehensive database of over 18,000 structural shapes and their engineering properties. Perform simple beam and column stress analysis for various materials like steel, wood, aluminum, rebar, and cables. Ideal for field use by engineers.

**Highlights:** 18,000+ structural shapes, Engineering properties database, Simple beam stress analysis, Column stress analysis, Supports steel, wood, aluminum, rebar, cables, Calculates bending and combined stresses

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### CalcEngineer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calcengineer/id6748969344)

This app provides professional engineering calculations for compressed air systems. It helps engineers and technicians determine CFM requirements, size compressors and tanks, and analyze pressure drops for optimized pneumatic systems.

**Highlights:** CFM Calculator, Compressor & Tank Sizing, Pressure Drop Analysis, Flow Velocity & Pipe Sizing, Multiple CFM Entries, General Engineering Calculator Suite

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IES ShapeDB free?

IES ShapeDB is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is CalcEngineer free?

CalcEngineer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, IES ShapeDB or CalcEngineer?

IES ShapeDB and CalcEngineer are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do IES ShapeDB or CalcEngineer have ads?

Neither IES ShapeDB nor CalcEngineer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IES ShapeDB or CalcEngineer?

IES ShapeDB ships an update every 7 months, and CalcEngineer every 2 days. Most recently, IES ShapeDB was updated on October 3, 2026 and CalcEngineer on October 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*