Ugly's Electrical References vs BoardWatch
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- NEC 2026 updates
- Mathematical formulas and calculators
- Conduit bending guide with videos
- Ampacity and conduit fill information
- Wiring diagrams
- Conversion tables
- Works offline
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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.
BoardWatch
Quickly add small, temporary, or permanent notes directly from your wrist. Ideal for reminders like parking spots or flight numbers, this app simplifies note-taking without needing your phone.
- Add fast and small notes
- Permanent and temporary notes
- Temporary notes auto-delete
- Use Apple Watch dictation
- Send notes to complications
- Delete notes with long tap
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A blackboard for your watch. This app allows to add fast and small notes to the watch: the seat on a train wagon, place where the car is parked or the number of your flight. The purpose of the application is simplify to the minimum the task of enter the reminder. You don't need to take the phone, is all over the Apple Watch. The note is entered using Apple Watch dictation feature. You can add permanent notes or temporary notes. A temporary note is deleted automatically after 12 hours. You can view detailed content of a note when you select the note in the table, and you can send the note to the utilitarian (small or large) and modular large complications using the swipe right gesture. To delete a note, long tap over the detailed view of the note. There are other notes app in the store, but any of them are so direct and fast.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: BoardWatch at 100% against Ugly's Electrical References's 47%. BoardWatch also leads on price ($0.99 vs $12.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17). Ugly's Electrical References's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 10 months) and chart position (#18 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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
Ugly's Electrical References costs $12.99 and BoardWatch $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Ugly's Electrical References ships an update every 3 months, BoardWatch every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ugly's Electrical References | BoardWatch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.99 | $0.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (1.5K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 47.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #18 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 63 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Informed Publishing | TheCoolBytes |
Customer experience
Ugly's Electrical References
BoardWatch
Bugs and requests
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
BoardWatch
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Ugly's Electrical References
No in-app purchases
BoardWatch
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Ugly's Electrical References free?
Is BoardWatch free?
Do Ugly's Electrical References or BoardWatch have ads?
Which is updated more often, Ugly's Electrical References or BoardWatch?
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