IES ShapeDB vs DFORMA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
IES ShapeDB
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Database contains over 18,000 structural shapes and their engineering properties. The tool can perform simple beam and column stress analysis. It is ideal for use in the field. Database shapes for the following materials • Steel: Hot Rolled and Cold Formed • Wood: Dimensional & Engineered • Aluminum • Rebar • Cables Engineering Properties • Area • Section Moduli • Inertias • Graphical dimensions Simple Beam Stress Analysis • Uniform and concentrated loading • Calculated bending stresses • AISC Steel plastic moment and brace lengths (steel sections) Column Stress Analysis • Axial loading with eccentricity • Calculated combined stresses & slenderness ratios
DFORMA
This platform offers augmented reality measurement tools, advanced engineering simulations, and AI-powered calculation assistance. Connect with a community of verified engineers, access professional tools for project management, and enroll in specialized training courses to enhance your skills.
- Augmented reality measurement tools
- Finite element analysis for structures
- AI-powered engineering calculations
- BOQ data extraction from documents
- Verified engineer community
- Project budget and expense tracking
- Engineering courses and training
Read full descriptionHide full description
DForma is a professional engineering platform built for civil, structural, architectural, and all engineering disciplines. MEASUREMENT TOOLS Point your camera and measure distance, height, slope, angle, area, and stockpile volume in real-time using augmented reality. No extra hardware needed. ENGINEERING LAB Run finite element analysis on beams and structures. Track concrete quality with statistical process control. Monitor curing timers, visualize 3D stress maps, and design retaining walls and steel connections. AI TOOLS Ask any engineering question and get instant calculations. Upload sketches, drawings, or PDFs and extract BOQ data automatically. AI-powered tools built for real engineering work. ENGINEERING COMMUNITY Connect with verified engineers. Share projects, ask questions, and get answers from professionals in your field. Build your engineering network. COURSES AND TRAINING Enroll in engineering workshops and training courses. Learn from experienced instructors and grow your professional skills. PROFESSIONAL TOOLS Track budgets and expenses with D. Finance. Log daily field records with D. Logbook. Manage engineering contacts. Standardize and organize site photos. Report and track issues on any project. KYC VERIFICATION Get your verified engineer badge by submitting your credentials. Build trust and credibility in the community. Available in English, Arabic, and Kurdish.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: IES ShapeDB at none against DFORMA's shown. IES ShapeDB also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 14.0). DFORMA's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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
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 DFORMA. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
IES ShapeDB ships an update every 7 months, DFORMA weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | IES ShapeDB | DFORMA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 9.3 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | INTEGRATED ENGINEERING SOFTWARE INC | Kovan M Salih |
In-app purchases
IES ShapeDB
No in-app purchases
DFORMA
No in-app purchases
